Basic Details
Steven Allan Spielberg is an American film producer and director. He is one of the most popular producers and directors and regarded as one of the pioneers of the current Hollywood era. He started directing in theatrical and television releases before he made it big into the film industry. He became a renowned director in 1975 by directing a thriller movie Jaws based on a novel by the same name. The movie became an instant household name and received commercial and critics' success and was considered as the first summer blockbuster. He is known to have produced and directed many science fiction and adventure films like raiders of the lost ark, ET the extra-terrestrial, Jurassic park, and close encounter of the third kind, among other films. He has also co-founded DreamWorks and Amblin Entertainment studios serving and producing successful films including Men in Black, and Transformers series. He has also been known to produce several video games.
Being one of the best and acknowledged, he has received numerous awards like Academy Award for Best Director thrice, won two awards for the best director, Irving G. Thalberg memorial awards for being a creative producer. He has received many awards and has been recognized and acknowledged through his star being mounted on the Hollywood walk of fame. He has also received the Liberty award presented to him by former president Clinton (imdb.com, 2020) .
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Film Reviews or Articles
According to an article posted on The Guardian, his film, Jaws, has been regarded as one of the best and lasting truly classic American films. The review claims that the movie is not only based on shark eating people at sea but a warning of the effects of extramarital sex, and also the inability of a father to fail to control their families. He claims that almost every person remembers the first time they watched Jaws. David Brown, one of the film directors, he remembers every detail when he entered the theater (Kermode, 2015) . The critics show their appreciation for the film regarding it as one of the best films ever produced. Many people claim that after watching the film, most would not go swimming, fearing that they might find an attacking shark. Most claim that they were in sublime terror while watching the film.
On another website, Metatcritcs, many critics’ reviews, collected from different posts, have shown that people have appreciated his works, and particularly jaws, with some claiming that he knew how to position his camera, allowing people to understand what was going on and also feel part of the action (Metacritics.com, 2020) . Some claim that the camera moves like a predatory animal while gliding across the vast ocean of the Atlantic (Tom Huddleston). Generally, most have appreciated his works, claiming that the movie has been one of the best thriller action ever produced, particularly in the last half of the previous century (Metacritics.com, 2020) .
According to some critics posted on IndieWire.com, some of his best movies include Extra-terrestrial claiming the movie shows a great sense of innocence and wonder. The movie captures and portrays the innocence of children while also giving an overview of humanity (Ehrlich, 2017) . The second movie voted as the best is Sugarland express, with the critics claiming that it was a better movie and identifies it as the era of generation Spielberg (Ehrlich, 2017) . There are also mixed reactions, with some claiming that ET was not one of the best, or simply they did not like the movie.
On the same website, some claim that Jaws was the best thriller movie that used to give viewers anticipation more than any other film that was produced under the same name (Ehrlich, 2017) . The critic comments that it is one of the movies that he has viewed more than one time, with its perfect instillation of horror and pacing, which puts panic in people and more so in actors. They claim that Steven Spielberg shaped the culture of blockbuster and claims that it is not only the director’s most excellent movie but one of the best films of all time (Ehrlich, 2017) .
Film Comments
The section will be reviewing different movies directed by Steven Spielberg, commenting on various aspects like cinematography, exclusive video and camera effects, editing, and sound and music in the films. The movies that will be reviewed are Jaws and Extraterrestrial.
Jaws and Extraterrestrial
As discussed above, the film, Jaws, has been regarded as one of the best to be ever made, grossing well in the market and becoming a fan sensation. The cinematography in the movie involves several techniques like the long or wide shot where the director has allowed the viewer to feel firmly attached to the film, mainly when the shark is attacking victims who are swimming innocently at the beach waters. The director has also ensured that he incorporated the tracking shot, where he allows the camera to be following the shark strictly using innovative motion control. This has allowed viewers to appreciate the robustness of the shark, viewing it as majestic and life-threatening.
On the other hand, Extraterrestrial has combined a series of different cinematographic effects like tracking shots where he tracks down the ET and other actors, particularly when they are being chased by the police who want to abduct the ET and take it away from the boys. The movie has also used close up shots in different scenes, particularly when the boys are starting to interact with the alien, showing their worries and even framing and hiding the background and bringing the actor closer, making it easier to understand their facial expression.
The editing or montage of Jaws is one of a kind. The movie was directed and produced in the last century, a moment where much of the editing techniques were evolving or were very expensive to implement while producing films. Nevertheless, the director has edited the scenes, captured the viewers’ imagination into understanding the movie and the dangerous effects of the shark on the way it is devouring people. This editing effects cannot go unnoticed and unappreciated whenever one is watching the movie, particularly regarding when the film was produced.
The montage in extraterrestrial is intriguing, incorporating an alien-like creature in the movie, and capturing the audience at that point is incredible. The director has done an extraordinary work introducing an alien in modern society and making it a subject of the whole film. Although the alien is a subject of imagination, it has been brought live through editing and making seem like a real living organism.
The sound, music, and special effects that have been fitted in both movies is fascinating. The director has made it attractive in Jaws through using special effects and sounding in the scenes where the shark is attacking people and their cries, together with the blood splashing out of water. As we do not know how the aliens speak, the director has included special effects and sounds to come up with a particular form of sound, which has been assumed as the language of the alien. As such, considering that the two movies were produced in the last century, without much use of the current form of editing, sounding effects, and any other special tools, it is essential to appreciate the director’s work and incredible sense of creativity.
References
Ehrlich, D. (2017, December 11). Film Critics Pick Steven Spielberg’s Best Movies — IndieWire Critics Survey . Retrieved March 26, 2020, from IndieWire.com: https://www.indiewire.com/feature/best-steven-spielberg-movies-1201906389/
imdb.com. (2020). Academy Awards, USA . Retrieved March 26, 2020, from imdb.com: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000229/awards
Kermode, M. (2015, May 31). Jaws, 40 years on: ‘One of the truly great and lasting classics of American cinema.’ The Guardian . Retrieved March 26, 2020, from https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/may/31/jaws-40-years-on-truly-great-lasting-classics-of-america-cinema
Metacritics.com. (2020). Jaws . Retrieved March 26, 2020, from Metacritics.com: https://www.metacritic.com/movie/jaws/critic-reviews
