Why can't money makers ever get any credit? Steven Spielberg is the man responsible for most of the greatest films of the past two decades, and still in some corners the guy can't get a break.
This is a man responsible for films such as E.T., Indiana Jones, Close Encounters, Schindler's List, Jurassic Park, Saving Private Ryan and a whole host of other films and film franchises, with even more, possibly more momentous films on the horizon. By any rights, his name should be mentioned in the same breath with Hollywood's other great directors, like Hitchcock, and Kubrick (whom Spielberg regarded as a mentor and friend). But at the merest thought of doing so, anger and resentment erupts. Words like "sellout" and "corporate tool" are bandied about. Why? Is it just because his films are popular? Is it because he's made a lot of money?
I mean, what criteria can you use to judge a great director that would count out Spielberg? To me, you judge by the person's influence on his industry, the consistency and quality of his films, and his impact on audiences. By those criteria, Spielberg is certainly one of the greats. Walk up to any person on the street and ask them to tell you who Stanley Kubrick is. Ask them to tell you about A Clockwork Orange. Ask them what their favorite Kubrick film is... and wait for the silence. Kubrick is a great director, one of the greatest, but ask anyone what their favorite Spielberg film is and you'll receive an instant response.
Certainly, that's not to say that fame determines the measure of a man, but it does illustrate that Spielberg has reached a wider range and variety of audiences than any other director in history. That in and of itself is a huge accomplishment.
But not only is he reaching people and touching hearts, he's changing the very face of his industry. Films like E.T. and Close Encounters of the Third Kind have strongly influenced the sci-fi genre, spawning an entire generation of films and television shows based on alien encounters, abductions, and similar themes. Indiana Jones too, changed the way we look at adventure films. How many directors have attempted to copy that character? Most of them unsuccessfully.
Yet, with Spielberg it is not just about being a crowd pleaser either, he genuinely tries to make intelligent, meaningful films. The kind of films you don't forget just because the credits role. The kind of films that stay with you and make you think. Spielberg didn't make Schindler's List to be popular, he made it because he had something to say, a story to tell, and he did it well. Saving Private Ryan too, took us into our history and by extension into our collective selves.
His films have been revolutionary in every aspect of movie making. Visually, creatively, story, plot, and mood. Spielberg is practically a genre unto himself. Sure, his films have made a lot of money, sure people actually KNOW who he is. Why does that make him beneath you?
Spielberg is a living legend and someday we'll hear his name casually mentioned with the likes of Hitchcock himself.
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