The document discusses Steven Spielberg as an auteur director. It provides details about what defines an auteur and analyzes how Spielberg fits the definition. Specifically, it notes that Spielberg exhibits vast control over his films as a writer, director, and producer. He has complete control over elements of production that gives his films a unique style. Examples like Saving Private Ryan demonstrate how Spielberg both writes and has full control as the visionary behind the visuals in his films. Recurring themes in his work include war and invasion, and he often works with actor Tom Hanks.

1. Steven Spielberg

2. What is an auteur
An auteur is a filmmaker whose individual style and complete control
over all elements of production gives a film its personal and unique
stamp.
An auteur is somebody who has the majority of control over the
written side and production side of their films and includes conventions
in which people will be able to recognize that it is their film.

3. Steven Spielberg as an auteur
• I have chosen Steven Spielberg as my auteur example. In this
presentation I will be demonstrating how Spielberg is an auteur and
what causes him to be labelled as an auteur.

4. Steven Spielberg as an auteur
• Spielberg comes across as an auteur because he has vast control over
the films he produces. He has written many of his own films such as
The Sugarland Express and Poltergeist.
• He has vast amount of input in in the writing process of his film due
to him being so experienced in his role. He written, directed and
produced “Saving Private Ryan”, “Bridge of Spies” and “The Terminal”.

5. Steven Spielberg as an auteur
• The Washington Post, published in February 2012, stated
that whilst being at film school, had been labelled a
control freak due to him doing everything himself. From
script writing to running the camera Spielberg insisted
doing it by himself.
• An example of a film that he has written, directed and
produced would be Saving Private Ryan. This is evidence
that Spielberg is an auteur because he had complete
control over this film and turned his vision into visuals.

6. Steven Spielberg as an auteur
• Cinema fanatic stated that “part of what they love so much about
Spielberg is the diversity of his filmography – you’ll find everything
from literary adaptations to dramas to action to sci-fi to biopic and
back again”.
• An example of his diversity would be the film E.T and Saving Private
Ryan. They are films of different genres however he has the capability
of directing and producing them. He is not only an auteur for one
subject he is an auteur for many.

7. What are his distinctive visual styles and
recurring themes?
• One of the most distinctive feature of Spielberg’s films are the use of
Tom Hanks. He is used as the main character in many of his films. The
recent film “Bridge of spies” was his fourth collaboration with Tom
Hanks.

8. What are his distinctive visual styles and
recurring themes?
• Spielberg uses the theme of war in many of his movies but we are going to focus on three.
Spielberg glorifies one side of the war to convey how the war affected the lives of those who were
involved. The theme of war is highlighted through them through the setting and characters. He
bases his films on a time where the war took place and creates a setting from the past. They are
very realistic due to the films including conventions such as war uniforms, armies and world war
guns.

9. What are his distinctive visual styles and
recurring themes?
• Another recurring theme conveyed through the three films is the
theme of invasion. An outside party invading another.
• In empire of the sun the Japanese are invading the life of a young
English boy.
• In Saving Private Ryan they go behind enemy lines and are invaded by
the participants of the French army.
• In Bridge of Spies there is the theme of invasion through the soviet
union capturing one of Americas own.

10. What are his distinctive visual styles and
recurring themes?
• Another film where Spielberg uses the theme of invasion is his
famous film E.T. In this film, an alien for out of space lands on earth as
a result causing the people of earth to feel invaded.

11. What are his distinctive visual styles and
recurring themes?
• A distinctive visual style that Spielberg uses a lot of shots on faces
looking upward or off screen. This is used for effect so that the
audience begins to anticipate and wonder what the character is
looking at. For example, in the film Saving Private Ryan, he uses this
shot to show the character searching for a sniper that is killing his
men.

12. What are your key films and how is this
highlighted through them?
• He uses the theme of war in Saving Private Ryan, Empire of the Sun
and Bridge of Spies. He bases his films on a time where the war took
place and creates a setting from the past. They are very realistic due
to the films including conventions such as war uniforms, armies and
world war guns.

13. Below is a scene from Saving Private Ryan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGypoXVt31k

14. Analysis of scene
• The mise en scene of the scene is under the warfare genre. You can
see this through the setting and props within the scene. It is set in a
heavily damaged area and you can identify civilians by their
costumes. The civilians are wearing old fashioned clothes hinting the
fact that the era is within the world war.

15. Analysis of scene
• The cinematography includes a variety of angles and the camera
movement is conveyed through on – foot movement. The genre is
war so the camera movement backs up the genre by showing the fast
paced action.

16. Analysis of scene
• The editing within the scene has a variety of shots to convey fast
paced action. The scene contains character experiencing vast
amounts of adrenaline which is conveyed through switching between
shots rapidly. Spielberg has used this style of editing in this scene to
create a realistic point of view from the characters, they are looking
around constantly due the characters being aware of the surrounding
and as the audience we can see that through the vast amount of
shots.

17. Analysis of scene
• The sound within the scene is very loud to portray what the
characters are hearing and how disorientating it can be to fight a war
within conditions such as gun fire and explosions. The sound is loud
because Spielberg wanted the audience to gain a feel of the
conditions the soldiers had to go through when fighting a war.

18. Spielberg as an auteur
• He cast his own dog in several of his movies according to
“theFW.com”
• An auteur is someone who has a vast amount of creative control in
their movies and this is an example of how he has that. Having the
ability to cast your own dog in movies demonstrates that its your
movie so you can cast who you feel is necessary.

19. Thank you for listening