what makes a Spielberg film essay

1. What makes a Spielbergfilm?
Introduction
StevenSpielbergonce said“Youcan't intellectuallypurge yourself of whoyouare.Whateverthatis,
it isgoingto come out inthe wash,the filmwash.Whatyouare is goingto be relevant,if notto
yourself, tothe moviesyoumake.” ThisstatementiswhyInotonlyconsiderSpielbergtobe a
substantial director,havingavast amountof impact inthe filmindustry,butalsowhyIregard himas
an auteuras well. Spielberg’sfilmsall have auniquenessaboutthem, itisthatdistinctive and
personal touchthat givesthemmemorability,aswell ashavingaheavyinfluence overhisfilms.
Examiningthe quote “Whatyouare is goingto be relevant,if nottoyourself,tothe moviesyou
make.” Exhibitshowpersonal hisfilmsare tohim, managingto reflecthisowncharacteristicsand
life strugglesintohiswork,whichisarepeatedtheme throughoutandanotherbasisasto whyhe is
an accomplishedauteur.
What doesmake a Spielbergfilm? There are somanyaspects.One of thembeingthe
cinematography, andhow Spielberguseszoomsandfluidcameramovementstoshiftshot
compositionthroughoutjustasingle camerasetup.Thenthere is the soundtrack,the majorityof
whichiscomposedbythe well renownedsymphonist JohnWilliams,who’sOscarwinningscores
have createdthe most quintessential soundtracks throughoutSpielberg’sfilms. Iplanto address
these subjectsaswell aslookingmore extensivelyintoSpielberg’sworkincludingJaws,E.T.The
extra-terrestrial, JurassicPark,IndianaJones,andSchindler’slist.Focusingonthese specificpictures
will assistme indepictingthe contrastingcharacteristicsinhisfilms,inspectingthe complexityof the
narrative andhow grippingandcompellingitis. Havingsaidthat,to reallycomprehendwhatdoes
make a SpielbergfilmIwill alsohave tolookat Spielberg’sbackground.The Directorhimself
divulgedthatwhoyouare influencesthe moviesyou make andestablishingwhoStevenSpielbergis
will offerme afinercomprehensionastohow hisoverall upbringinghas affected hisfilms. Covering
all that I have discussedwillultimatelybringme tothe conclusion tomy question,whatmakesa
Spielbergfilm?
Spielberg’slife througha narrative
On the 18th
December1946 in the cityof Cincinnati,locatedinthe state of Ohiothe mosttriumphed
and accomplished Filmmakerinthe ambitious worldof Hollywood wasborn,StevenSpielberg. Just
a youngJewishboyat the time,Spielbergestablishedagreatfascinationinfilmmakingdespitehis
father’sdemurral onthe art. Spielberg’srelationshipwithhisfatherwasnothing more thanstrained
and frigid afterhisparents’divorce andhisfather’sdisapproval of the filmmakersoccupation,yetit
was thisaspectof the directors life thatnarrativelyinfluencedSpielberg’sgreatestfilms. A common
theme Ihave establishedthroughout the director’swork whichisnarrativelydrivenIlike toterm
‘Fractured family.’The auteurhimself stated “‘E.T.’beganwithme tryingtowrite a story aboutmy
parents’divorce” Inthe actual film the maincharacter,a boy namedElliot,hastwosiblingsa
youngerSisternamedGertie andanolderbrothernamedMichael.Theirparents’divorce isstill
relativelyfreshinthe film, andyoucansee Elliottryingtodeal withmanyaspectsof loneliness
whichcomeswiththe baggage of the divorce,aswell asthe familiesturmoil withthe rupture. Elliot
can understandwhatisoccurring withhisFatherbutnot why.While Michael understandsbothand
Gertie understandsneither,youcanvisuallyseethatElliotisfeelingisolatedandneglectedwhich
thuseffectshissensitivitiestowardsbasicallyeverything. The charactersperformancesandthe way
the filmisnarrativelyperceivedexhibitsarealisticfracturedfamilydynamic.Spielbergproficiently

2. conveyedthe children’sfeelingsonthe matter,evidentlyusinghisownpersonal experience of his
own‘Fractured family’andhas appliedittothese characters.
Therefore,Iholdthisfilminsuchhighregard,Spielbergusinghisownexperiencesandsentiments
and applyingthemtohisownpersonareallybringsthemtolife.Itnotonlyfeelspersonal to
Spielbergbutalsoto the audience who canrelate andsympathize withthisfamily. Ihave also
recognizedthatwheneverthere happenstobe somethingdysfunctionalinthe familySpielberg
fabricates,he alwaysseemstogive more agencytowardsthe childrenwhoare sufferingfromthe
trauma ratherthan the adults. Goingback to E.T. Elliotismuchmore resourceful andproactive
aboutthe absence of hisFatherthanhis motheris.Inthe movie Hook,Peteriscompletelyimpotent
until the Lost boysevoke the real Panoutof him.Evenwhenchildrenaren’tamassive factorto the
narrative,Spielbergalwaysdetectsaway to make themsurface longenoughtogive the struggling
adultsjustenoughhope,influence,andwill toperpetratethroughtheirdarkestmomentsinthe film.
In Jaws,Brodyis feelingcompletelysubduedsittingatthe kitchentable until hissonbeginsto copy
the faceshe ismaking,and hisframe of mindcompletelyshifts. InSchindler’slist,itisonlyafter
Schindlerdetectsthe girl inthe redcoat thathe can emphasize withthose whowerebeing
murderedinthe CracowGhetto.That one girl’s innocence touchedSchindlersomuchthat she
became the symbol forthe millionsof Jewsthatwere losingtheirlivestoNazi regime.
ObservingSpielberg’sbackgroundaswell ashavingamore in depthexamine of hisfilmsmore
specificallythe narrative, youcandistinctlysee how the twoconnect.Havinggrownupina
dysfunctional family andbeingable torealisticallyportraythatontoscreenusinghisown
experiencesisnoeasyfeat.Ipersonallybelieve Spielbergexcelsinthis,writinganddirecting a
compellingandgrippingstorynotonlyonce butmultiple times.The one movie,however,Ibelieve
he executesflawlesslyisSchindler’slist. Ihave neverseenafilmso emotionallydriven,yetitisnot
onlythe narrative I findsosensitivelycompelling.Itisthe acting,the cinematography,the waythe
filmispresentedinblackandwhite Ifindtobe great symbolism.Spielbergrevealedthat “The
Holocaustwaslife withoutlight.Forme,the symbol of life iscolour.That’swhya filmaboutthe
holocausthasto be inBlack andwhite” Doingthishascreatedcaptivatingimagery aswell asmaking
the filmhave a muchmore substantial impacttothe viewer,especiallyatthe endwhenSchindler
seesthe girl inthe red coat, the redcoat isthe onlycolouryou see inthe entire film. ToSchindler
thispersonifiesthe innocence of the Jewsaswell asitbeingasymbol of life.Neverhave Iseensuch
impactful imagerybe usedinafilmbefore, andknowingSpielberghimselfcame froma familyof
Jews,some of whichhadlosttheirlivestothe holocaust, makesthismovie muchmore effectual to
him.Yet the wayhe hasconstructedthisfilmjustcompletelyoutshineshispreviousworks. Tome
thispicture isa masterpiece.
Producing a Spielbergfilm
The year is1975, summervacationison itsway andeveryone’spreparingforatranquilized, serene
holidayandwhat’sthe most approved wayto spendasummergetaway? It isof course the beach.
Buildingsandcastles,sunbathing,maybeapaddle inthe sea? Nothingsounded more placid.That
was until the immenselypopularthrillerfilm ‘Jaws’wasreleased,swimmingintothe heartsof
viewersandelicitingafearlike noother.Jawsisarguablythe first majorsuccessful filmSpielberghas
produced,withhimdebutingthe filmThe SugarlandExpressthe previousyearthatdistinguished
himas a risingstar,itwas Jawsthat forgedhimas an international superstaramongdirectors.Not
onlydidthe filmhave animmense amountof impactonthe audience,butitalsochangedthe entire
filmindustry.Spielberg’spicture liberatedthe industryfromthe doldrumsithadbeeninfor

3. decades,nomovie hadevermade over$100 millionatthe box office,thenJawsemerges making
over$260 milliondomestically. SohowexactlydidSpielberg create one of the mosticonicmoviesof
our time?Firstly, letsassessone of the most prominentaspectthe filmisknownfor(besidesthe
man-eatingShark) the soundtrack. The score usedinthe filmisa masterclassforcreatingtension
and suspense,composedbyone of the mostrespectedandprolificcomposersworkingtoday,John
Williams.The musicianhasworkedoncountlessSpielbergfilmssuchas, E.T., Hook,IndianaJones
and Jurassicpark justto name a few.Howbeit,despitemakingsuchexemplaryscoresforthe latter
filmslisteditwasthe Jaws ‘Sharkattack’ theme thathas become one of the most distinguishable
scoresto date. It was thistheme thatwasable to elicitsuchdistressandapprehensionfromthe
audience.The score workedperfectlywith the visual narrative of the movie asitallowedthe viewer
to envisionwhatishappeningbeyondthe frame,youcanhave Spielbergfilmingatranslucentocean
withnothinginsightbutput that score overthe shot itis sure to escalate the dreadandmania the
audience is feeling. Still onthe theme of suspense,one of the mosteffective waysSpielbergvisually
narratesthe filmiscapturingthe scene fromthe aggressorspointof view,inthiscase itwouldbe
fromthe Shark. Thisheightensthe highandlow pointsof the filmandnotonlyisit a prominentway
to conveya scene of great intensityitalsofavoursthe budgetof the picture,shootingthe scene
fromthe pointof viewof the aggressorallowsthe viewerknowledge thatthe Sharkisthere without
visuallyseeingit,whichsavesusingthe actual mechanical Sharkthatisfeaturedinthe movie.
Anotherdistinguishedfeature innotonlyJawsbutall of Spielberg’sworkisthe cinematography,his
camera movementsischaracterizedbygradual close upsonthe face,perspective shotsandlong
pans of a location.However,itwasinJawsthat one scene specificallyshoneinSpielberg’smasterful
cinematography,whichwaswhenhe proficientlyperformedthe dollyzoom.The waythe cameradid
the push-pull actionon the protagonist,increasedthe solidaritywithinthe character.Italsoput
emphasisonmomentasit displayedthe character’sanxiousnessoverthe possibilityof aShark
attack and himnot beingable todoanythingabout it.
Jawsis undoubtedly one of Spielberg’sgreatestexploits,havingthe filmofficiallykickstarthis
profitable careerinfilmmaking. However,Jawswasn’tthe onlyfilmSpielberg originatedthat
featuredaman-eatingcreature anditwasn’t the onlyfilmtobecome a triumphedhit.JurassicPark
was Spielberg’sthirdfilmtobreakthe recordforhighestgrossingmovie of all time,hisfirstbeing
Jawsand hissecondbeingE.T. Producedin1993, the whole conceptof a dinosaurthemednarrative
wasn’t anythingoriginal.However,Spielberghadmanagedtouse the universal themeand
recontextualizeitinsuchan unorthodox way. Thisisn’tjusta filmaboutDinosaurs,it’sa gripping
narrative thatexecutescharacterdispositionflawlessly,followingcharacterssuchasAlanGrant, Ellie
Sattler,IanMalcom and JohnHammond.The audience getsaclear perceptionof all these characters
knowingall theirpersonalities,flawsandtheirgoalsthroughoutthe filmwhichI judge tobe rare to
findinmovies today.A majorand recurringconceptI have foundinthe filmisthe theme of ‘Man vs
Nature’.Spielbergexhibitsthatthe charactersbelieve theycancreate andcontrol a natural world.
For example,HammondcreatesDinosaurswhichisacreature that hasbeenextinctformillionsof
yearsand he’stryingto control theirnatural instinctsinthe same way a Zoo keepsanimals.Thisthen
has a major consequence lateroninthe filmandtheylearnthat nature,evenif it’sartificial,hasits
ownway inlife thatcannotbe governedbyman. I considerthistobe such a powerful concept, and
withsuchan original ideaatthe time it’sno surprise thatSpielbergwentontocreate a whole
franchise outof the films, eventodaythe filmsare still beingproducedunderthe name ‘Jurassic
world.’

4. Bringing a character to life:The Spielbergway
One of Spielberg’sgreatestaspectsfrommakinghisfilmsischaracterdevelopment,he knowshow
to make a character appeal to the audience and devise themtobe believableandrelatable. Asan
example,I will be examiningone of the most esteemed charactersinCinemahistory,IndianaJones. I
personallyfindthe IndianaJones films enthrallingfromanarrative standpointbecause Spielberg
putssuch a huge emphasisontheirmaincharacter,yetthe filmsare prime examplesof plot-driven
storytelling. Some wouldargue thatIndianaJonesis nothingbutaflatarchetype withnoarc or
significantlayers,astheysee the characterinbasic formof himjusttravellingaroundthe world
tryingto pursue a lostartefact.To those people he’sjustafundamental waytomove the plot
forward.A feeblecharacter.However, feeblecharactersdonot become filmicons. Havingamore
profoundexamineof the characteryoucan see thatIndianaJonesismuchmore intricate thanhe
seems. If youpayattentiontothe filmsyoucansee that he has a veryproactive role inhisstories,
havingan arc in eachadventure aswell asan overarchingnarrative throughoutthe saga.
Despite some viewer’ssentimentonthe character, IndianaJonesisa validillustrationof character
building.Spielbergremarked“Ialwaysliketothinkof the audience whenIamdirecting because Iam
the audience.” Makingacharacter such as IndianaJonesisa perfectexample of the Directors
statement,he createdthischaracterto be compellingandrelatable tothe audience.Sohow did
Spielbergmanage tomake such an appealingcharacter?Firstlet’sexamine whatmakesJonesso
compelling, whatstandsoutmostto me is the character’s occupation.He’san archaeologyprofessor
that livesasecondlife asa treasure hunter,beingbotha culturedscholarand valorousadventurer.
It’s the latterdistinctionthatsetshimapartfrom others,andalthoughnothavingthe same
professionyoucanobserve the similaritiesbetweenIndianaJonesand the 007 agent,James Bond,
havingbothlive double livesthatinvolvesaudacious objectives.Yetitisthat aspectthat makesthe
character so compelling. Now observingthe relatablecharacteristicsthatcontributesimmensely
towardsaudience appeal iswhatmakeshimhuman.Charactersmustfeel likereal people;theyneed
to expressthe emotionswe feelsuchasfear,sorrow,remorse andhappiness.Otherwise theyjust
won’t be presentedinabelievable manor andit’smuch more diligenttoconnectwiththem.With
IndianaJones,alotof the emotiondisplayedonthe screenall came downtoHarrisonFord’s acting.
Be itthe way he looksat Marion whenhe findsheralive inBelloq’stent,orthe childlikeconfusionin
whichhe reacts to the eyelidmessage fromone of hisstudents.Whencreatingacharacter,you
mustfindthe exemplaryactorthatcan pull off the creditable emotionsthe directorwantstoconvey
on the screen,inthiscase Ford isthe perfectactorfor the role and he is the mainbasisas to whythe
character isso relatable andappealing.
Anotherregardas to why IndianaJonesissucha captivatingcharacterissimplythe attribute that
he’snot perfect.He has flaws.Infact,despite being dubbedanactionhero,the manmessesupa lot.
It’s not justthe fact that he’safraidof snakes,he miscalculatesconstantly.He’ssecondsawayfrom
beingkilledbyupto three differentnativetribes,onlytobe rescuedbyothercharacters.He is
beatenupby Nazis,failstorememberhe’slosthisgun,miscalculatesjumps,getscarriedawayby
arrogance,and exhibitssomehighlyremarkabledouble standards.Listingall these flaws,Idon’t
figure Ican actuallyname them ‘flaws’because it’sbelievable.Itiswhatrealityis,andit’s these

5. “flaws” andplotpointsthatdeemhimtobe a realisticdepictionof anactionherothat’s justlike us.
He’s no Supermanwhoonlyhasthe weaknessof kryptonite,he’snoGodsentdownto protect
people.He ishuman,he displaysactsof selfishnessandhe hasemotionsjustlike us.It’sall these
traitsthat makesIndianaJoneswhathe is today.A movie legend.
Conclusion
Throughout my in depth examine of Steven Spielberg and his distinguished works I conclude that I
have finally established an explanation to my question, what makes a Spielberg film? However, there
are so many elements that contributes towards the query that it’s impossible to designate just one
answer. The fact is you simply can’t incorporate one factor without the other, you can’t have a
gripping and compelling narrative only to be produced with substandard cinematography. You cannot
have an expertly written character only to be overshadowed by a deficient plot. To make a Spielberg
film you need all these devices and they all must be done adequately to create a powerful and
compelling piece of film. However,through what I have established in my research the most
fundamental aspect to what makes a Spielberg film is naturally Spielberg himself. Recalling back to
my first matter of delving into Spielberg’s upbringing, we really got to identify how his overall
background has originated his works. We found that the whole ‘fractured family’ narrative utilized in
his films was solely due to his experiences with his own family, especially his Father. This influenced
E.T. and the characterization of Elliot, as well as the film Hook with the frigid relationship between
Pan and his son. We also acknowledged that it was Spielberg’s upbringing as a Jewish boy that
heavily influenced the making of one my favorite films, Schindler’s list. It was Spielberg’s own
experiences which made his films what they are today, the most quintessential movies in film history.
It was this factor that influenced the narrative, character development and his overall decision to go
into the profession. Everything I have studied ultimately equates back to Spielberg’s own personal
life, this then leads me to conclusively summarize the answer to my question, what makes a Spielberg
film? The answer is the director himself, Steven Spielberg. Overall, it is his own experiences that
influences the narrative in his films as well as the characters he constructs,and it is his own way of
cinematography and scene settings that impacts the visual narrative. Steven Spielberg, a highly
accomplished director, and one of the most influential characters in film history. It is the director, the
auteur and the writer that primarily makes a Spielberg film.