Where do you start with Steven Spielberg? In one way or another he has shaped our film watching habits, and controlled what we think of as BIG films for almost 50 years. He may not have reached the artistic pinnacle of Kubrick or Tarkovsky, but he has dominated our idea of Hollywood Blockbusters since 1975, when Jaws coined the term. It is possible to criticise him, but why would you bother? He is single handedly responsible for some of the best films ever made. Apart from the inexplicable anomaly that is 1941, I even have a lot of time for his lesser movies – things like Always and Hook might be failures as complete works but still have their moments, because he is the undisputed king of making a movie moment. And that is why I am celebrating him in the Hall of Fame today.
For me, Raiders of the Lost Ark will always be the template for action and suspense. In terms of pure watchabilty it cannot be beaten. It is one amazing set piece after another – beyond iconic. If one man achieved that in a lifetime it would be enough, but before Raiders this man had already re-invented the limits of tension with Jaws and rewritten the rules of what a sci-fi film could be with Close Encounters of the Third Kind. His next film became one of the most loved and most imitated children’s movies of all time, but E.T: The Extra Terrestrial, which would top most director’s lists, isn’t even close to my top five!
In terms of genre, there is little Sielberg won’t have a look at. He has made some of the best War films in existence, each of them with an entirely different tone. Shindler’s List surely stands alone at the very peak of his personal works, and will remain a contender for best film ever made as long as movies are a talking point. Then there is the unrelenting genius of Saving Private Ryan, which scene for scene is without doubt one of the most engaging character pieces Hollywood has ever produced. There is also a huge amount to choose from in terms of social history and injustice – Lincoln, Munich, The Color Purple, Amistad, The Post and War Horse all have a lot to recommend them.
In terms of pure entertainment he often turns to Sci-fi, of which you can include the superlative Jurassic Park, Minority Report, the flawed but enjoyable War of the Worlds, the perennially under-rated A.I. Artificial Intelligence and the recent return to form of Ready Player One. There are even some half decent efforts at cutting edge animation in Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn and The BFG. Not everything is for everyone, of course, and much of his work has it’s detractors. I am never sure about The Terminal myself… although his other collaborations with Tom Hanks are worthy of serious consideration. Especially Catch Me If You Can, which narrowly missed my top 5 by a whisker.
I feel like there is a lot I have missed. Bridge of Spies, The Sugarland Express and all the Indiana Jones and Juarssic Park sequels, to name a few. In total I count 30 feature films as director that I would be happy to watch again on any given day. And that doesn’t even touch the dozens of great films he has been involved with as a producer and executive producer. In short, the man IS cinema. If you don’t like at least some Spielberg then you don’t like movies. Simple as that!
So, my top five… it will be contentious, because you will have your own favourites. I don’t think anyone could have too many problems with the first 4, but my fifth choice might be a surprise. I have chosen Empire of the Sun because my personal relationship with it has been huge. It always comes back to me as an example of something that changes as you change, and it is so so watchable! It may not be a perfect film, or even a better film than some I have left out, but it is the one for me that moves me most and feels more… mine.
I haven’t even mentioned Spielberg’s incredible relationship with John Williams as a composer… but I will leave that for now, because there is every chance JW will make the Hall of Fame on his own steam in a few weeks time… Here then, is my top 5 finally. Welcome to the Hall of Fame, Steven Spielberg!
Steven Spielberg top 5:
1. Shindler’s List (1993)
2. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
3. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
4. Jaws (1975)
5. Empire of the Sun (1987)
Thank you for reading my list. As always, if you feel inclined to comment, defend your favourites or moan about the ones you hate, then do feel free to leave a message for me in the box below, or interact with my Instagram account: thewasteland.art.blog. see you next Monday for Hall of Fame inductee #5 – which will be an actress…
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