Steven Spielberg

I consider both George Lucas and Spielberg to be the best of the best. But I focus on Spielberg in this thread because he has had a larger body of work over the years. His most recent of coarse being Minority Report. In the past he has done classics as Saving Private Ryan, Indiana Jones, E.T., Close Encounters of the Third Kind, A.I., Jaws, and Schindler's List. His work has spanned three and a half amazing decades, in which he has done epic films that will long be remembered long into the future.

Spielberg is a great director, and an incredible visionary. He's done well



ST

 

I agree with that. He's been a remarkable director over the years. My home state (Arizona) has long been proud to say he grew up here. You should see some of his childhood videos, which were interesting to say the least. He used actual planes on a local Air Force base here, and often filmed in the desert. You can see his innovative ways even then.

 

Yes, I agree, though I wouldn't quite say AI was a classic. Very good, certainly above standard for movies these days, but not quite on the level of Indiana Jones or Schnidler's List. Dunno why, it just didn't seem as momentus or imaginative. It probably would have been bigger if Stanley Kubrik had managed to get around to having it produced when he originally began working on the script.

 

There is no doubt that Spielberg is one of the all time greats.

As for Artificial Intelligence,I think that it would have been something really special if Kubrick had of completed it.

 

Spielberg is the best director living today. His films have captivated the general public's imagination more than any other films today except maybe Star Wars.

 

And even with Star Wars there is irony, because they have been made by one of Spielberg's closest friends.

 

Let's just say the man has earned my respect and that's not easily done.

~PAd

 

He is my favorite, director, he really does a great job!

DarthNut,
the nuttiest guy around.

 

Steven Spielberg is wildly inconsistent. His early movies tended to be great. Jaws, E.T., Raiders, etc. And several of his later ones are great. But recently he's seemed to be making some pretty crappy movies, with The Lost World, A.I., Saving Private Ryan and what-have-you.

 

You'll have to forgive me if I consider Saving Private Ryan to be an excellent film, and Minority Report to be a very good one as well.

 

Spielberg has done some of his best work in recent years. AI, Schindler's List, and Minority Report are amoung his best. Sure there was Hook and Lost World but what director hasn't had projects that didn't go over well.

We tend to blame the director always when a film is bad. Especially if it's a big name director.

 

Everyone is of course entitled to their opinion, but I have to say Mastadge is the first person I've encountered thus far who did not care for Saving Private Ryan.

Looking at Spielberg's filmography at IMDB, I've seen 15 of his films, including Duel, one of his earliest. I was lucky enough to catch it on a Sunday afternoon cable matinee. For a rookie director, it's quite an accomplishment. He manages to maintain the tension throughout, and I thought Dennis Weaver did a great job as the confused man hunted by an insane trucker.

 

Count me in as one who does not enjoy Saving Private Ryan. Don't get me wrong, I thought it was an amazingly detailed look at WW2 when I first saw it, but on repeated viewings, I've come to look at it as just another Tom Hanks star vehicle. There are other war films that carry the same message that SPR has and do it so much better. I walked out of SPR in a daze that a friend described as similar to shellshock, which is the sort of feeling I get from films such as Das Boot and even Schindler's List, and I can watch those films many times and still feel the same way.

 

Saving Private Ryan was a crappy movie? Okaaaay...

I will agree that Spielburg [sic] is probably the best director in Hollywood, but as Mas said, wildly inconsistant. I have seen more of his movies than just about any other director, and have enjoyed most of them. Well, everything except Lost World.

But I don't agree that Lucas is anywhere in Spielberg's league. I think Spielberg is more creative, better at getting what he wants out of an actor, and a better technical director. Plus, where would we be without classic Spielbergisms like flashlights lancing through fog and people reacting to things?

 

The Lost World: Jurassic Park isn't a bad movie, it's just not a great movie that people would expect from Spielberg.

"I think Spielberg is more creative, better at getting what he wants out of an actor, and a better technical director."

Well, Lucas' major talent is in the technical department so I guess Lucas may have some advantages over Spielberg in that.

 

Anyone think that since AI, we've been seeing a different director?

Even the upcoming, Catch Me If You Can trailer has a different feel to his other films. As far as I can tell from a trailer.

 

Steven Spielberg is a very talented director, and I've got a lot of respect for him. My only problem with him is that he can be terribly melodramatic at times (such as the part in Schindler's List where Oskar breaks down in tears, the end of ET and the end of AI, but as he's done some really fantastic films, I'm quite prepared to forgive him for that.

 

I didn't think Schindler breaking down was melodramatic... in fact, I think it was very real. I would have felt the exact same way were I in his position.

Also, the ending to A.I. was not "melodrama" on account of Spielberg... it was specifically preconceived by Kubrick himself. Most people think it's a Spielberg-ified ending... but it's not. Kubrick himself had specifically outlined how he wanted A.I. to end, and Spielberg followed his instructions on the ending, virtually note for note.

I think making a Kubrick film has changed Spielberg for the better... It is a perfectly timed move which has allowed him to break free from formulae and prevented him the danger of being typecast as a director.

 

Spielberg is definitely my favourite director, no hesitation in saying that. The changes in tone of his most recent films just illustrates his versatility and his desire to branch out.

 

Am I the only person on Earth who thinks ET is overrated? I liked it sure, but it's being held up as some sort of masterpiece. I don't know why. The acting wasn't that great, I thought it had some seriously slow moments and it had the biggest tearjerker try-hard ending I've ever seen.

Anyway - Spielberg has definitely made some extremely good films. They cover over his shockers very well.

 

I have to agree with you. Minority Report was one of the best films that I have seen recently, and I can't wait to see it again.

A.I. was pretty good, but I think that the plot should have been worked over some more.