STEVEN SPIELBERG
(1946--)
Steven Spielberg is an American film maker having worldwide
reputation. He is a producer, director and screen-writer. Many critics
believe that he is the harbinger of the New Hollywood Era. Some even
treat him as one of the most popular and influential director in the
history of cinema.
Spielberg had given proof of his cinematic talent right in his childhood.
At that time, he made a short movie on a train crash. Later, in his school
days, he made a ‘Western genre’ film with his 8mm camera.
In 1963 he directed his first film ‘Firelight’. It later inspired him to make
‘Close Encounter’.
Spielberg did not take any formal training in film making. But when he
got a chance, he joined Universal Studios as an intern in his early days.
Here he made a film for Television called ‘Duel’. This film is basically a
chase between a big tanker and a small car. Along the narrative, this
chase acquires the symbolic look of a rivalry between a malevolent big
power and an insecure small power. If the audio-visual narrative is
thrilling, the climax too is very re-assuring. This film gives a nice
message that the malevolent powers are vanquished at last and the meek
and weak are protected by Providence.
‘Sugarland Express’ is Spielberg’s first feature length film. It is about
the custody of a child by a couple. ‘Jaws’ made in 1975 was a huge
commercial success and gave Spielberg worldwide popularity. ‘Close
Encounter of the third kind’/1977 was written and directed by Spielberg
and appealed to both masses and the classes. His ‘ET’(Extra-Terrestrial)
is a film on the extra-ordinary bonding between a child and one alien
creature. Star Wars and Raiders of the lost Ark are two more successful
films of Spielberg. Jurassic Park made in 1993 on a theme park was a
very successful film.
‘Schindler’s List’/1993 is treated as the masterpiece of Steven Spielberg.
It is a period film based in Nazi era. Spielberg himself is a Jew and in his
childhood, he too suffered discrimination and prejudice. He claims
himself to be a victim of Holocaust and Jewish persecution. So this film
is his tribute to those millions of Jews, who died at the hand of Hitler
because of his racial intolerance. This film is based on a real life
personality called Schindler, who at that time had very cleverly saved
more than one thousand Jews. He somehow convinced the German
rulers that, as an industrialist, he needs the service of these many Jews.
And hence they escaped mass killing. With its recreation of the Nazi era,
this film is a marvelous production. Moreover it has great emotive
appeal and humanistic warmth. No doubt it fetched for Spielberg his
very first Academy Award in direction.
‘Saving Private Ryan’ is a war film. It was on a mission which set out to
save some para-troopers. For this film, Spielberg received his second
Oscar in direction.
Steven Spielberg’s films are about ordinary characters in extra-ordinary
circumstances. He imagines a world with child-like wonder and having
deep faith in the invisible power. His world view is very optimistic and
sentimental. No doubt his films are watched by the masses and the
classes. And even the children are very fond of his on-screen wonderful
world. On the contrary, some critics call him sentimental, moralistic,
who indulges in melodrama.
But above these conflicting views, what is undisputable is his magical
spell on the viewers. In last four decades, Steven Spielberg has grown
into an icon and his movies on various themes keep enthralling the
viewers, cutting across class, creed, culture and countries.
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