Movie Directors are considered exceptional when their story powerfully captures human emotion and the character’s journey through life is relatable to the audience. While there are many directors who have achieved great things, few have captured the hearts and minds of audiences like Steven Spielberg. I thought I would acknowledge today why Steven Spielberg is a director to love.
Steven Spielberg has played many roles, including producer, writer and director, but when me makes a movie, you can be sure the story will capture your imagination, bring the emotion of history to life, or take you on an adventure of a lifetime. Although 1977 is primarily remembered as the year that George Lucas released Star Wars, that was the same year for one of Steven Spielberg’s greatest adventures as he directed and co-wrote Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977). (“Close Encounters,” won a Special Achievement Oscar for its Sound Effects Editing and it also won Best Cinematography, an award that “Star Wars,” wasn’t even nominated for!)
When Spielberg directs he always surrounds himself with other brilliant people: Composer John Williams, who’s won five Oscars, won three for scoring Spielberg movies, i.e. Jaws (1975), E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982), and Schindler’s List (1993).
Besides Williams, Cinematographer Janusz Kaminski won two Oscars for photographing “Schindler’s List,” and Saving Private Ryan (1998). Playwright Tony Kushner received two Adapted Screenplay Oscar Nominations for writing Spielberg’s Munich (2005), and Lincoln (2012). And Spielberg has directed 11 actors in Oscar-nominated performances, three of which have won: Daniel Day-Lewis won Best Actor in “Lincoln,” Mark Rylance won Best Supporting Actor in Bridge of Spies (2015) and Ariana DeBose won Best Supporting Actress in West Side Story (2021).
Spielberg himself has also been an award winner. He won the Best Director Golden Globe, Oscar, and Directors Guild of America awards for “Schindler’s List,” and “Saving Private Ryan.” “Private Ryan,” also won his only Best Picture Oscar and he won a third Best Director DGA for The Color Purple (1985). He won the Irving G. Thalberg Award in 1987, and received the Cecil B. DeMille Golden Globe in 2008. He was also inducted as a Kennedy Center Honoree in 2006, where he was saluted by frequent collaborator Tom Hanks. (Spielberg later returned the favor for Hanks when Hanks was inducted in 2014). Hanks was directed by Spielberg in “Private Ryan,” Catch Me If You Can (2002), The Terminal (2004), “Bridge of Spies,” and The Post (2017) and the two co-produced the miniseries Band of Brothers (2001).
No Spielberg tribute would be complete without referencing the Indiana Jones franchise (1981-2008). One could easily argue Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) is one of Spielberg’s best in the sense that it earned a Best Picture Oscar Nomination, gave us all an iconic hero role that has stood the test of time, and spawned three sequels: Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984), Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008). The fourth sequel is also on its way and while it will be directed by Oscar-nominee James Mangold, Spielberg will continue as producer.
A director of 34 theatrical movies, at age 75 Spielberg’s clearly showing no signs of slowing down. He made his animation directorial debut in 2011 with The Adventures of Tintin and in 2016 directed The BFG, his very first film produced and distributed by the Walt Disney Company. That screenplay was authored by the late-great Melissa Mathison, who also wrote “E.T.” Spielberg has a brand new directorial project, The Fabelmans (2022), a film that will be a semi-autobiography of his childhood and what inspired him to go into movie-making. “Fabelmans,” will be released on November 23rd of this year, will star Michelle Williams and Seth Rogen, and will once again feature the Music of John Williams, the Cinematography of Janusz Kaminski, and a script that Spielberg co-wrote with Tony Kushner.
To say that Steven Spielberg takes the craft of movie-making seriously is an understatement. You can take one look at any of his movies and know instantly that it was produced by someone who loves movies because while it is make believe, it looks and feels unbelievably real. And he hires brilliant people to make his vision come to life. He must also be great to work with, since he’s worked so often with the same people. And in the end, thanks to his guidance, their efforts usually pay off with a movie hit!
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