Spielberg Sundays Introduction

Why Spielberg? Of all the directors with great bodies of work, why him? I could talk about Kurosawa or Satyajit Ray, the movies of Carl Theodor Dreyer or David Lean. Surely Spielberg’s too popular, too Hollywood, to talk about already. I highly respect the man, but he’s not one of my favourite filmmakers.

Though he has made a few of my favourite films. And it can’t be denied, no other movie director has had the impact he’s had, and so thoroughly changed the film industry, at least in the west. Steven Spielberg is often credited for inventing the blockbuster, and arguably no other movie director is as recognizable or iconic to the general public. Although he has his recurring themes, stylistic touches, and clichés, it’s sometimes forgotten how varied his movies have been. He’s worked in a number of different genres with distinct types of stories. He’s moulded North American pop culture like no other in his line of work, and because of all that, he demands attention. His movies demand discussion and scrutiny.

I’ve been thinking back on Spielberg’s career since seeing Ready Player One, a story which in of itself is directly influenced by his own work. It’s a movie that feels like a conscious effort on Spielberg’s part to reconcile and reflect, if not on his movies specifically, than on the culture they played a big part in creating. It’s especially resonant given that it’s a return to the kind of big-budget crowd-pleasing film he tried to avoid for a while. His career has had a fascinating trajectory in relation to the types of movies he made his name on, and I think it would be really fun and insightful to look at that journey. How have his movies changed, what was it that made them special, what is it he wants to convey? Over a career spanning five decades (fifty years ago was the release of his first short), he’s directed thirty-two feature films -not counting the segment he directed for Twilight Zone: The Movie or possibly Poltergeist. And like any director, he’s helmed his share of duds in addition to the classics he’s brought us. Tracing his filmography also gives me a chance to see the movies of his I’ve missed, and reviewing each one may create a fuller picture of the artist. So that’s what I’m going to do for my next “Sunday” series

He’s a fascinating figure, Steven Spielberg. Let’s dive into his roots.

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