Citizen Spielberg

by Lester D. Friedman

Steven Spielberg is the director or producer of over one third of the thirty highest grossing films of all time, yet most film scholars dismiss him as little more than a modern P. T. Barnum--a technically gifted and intellectually shallow showman who substitutes spectacle for substance. To date, no book has attempted to analyze the components of his worldview, the issues which animate his most significant works, the roots of his immense acceptance, and the influence his vast spectrum of imaginative products exerts on the public consciousness. _x000B_In Citizen Spielberg, Lester D. Friedman fills that void with a systematic analysis of the various genres in which the director has worked, including science fiction (E.T.), adventure (Raiders trilogy), race films (The Color Purple, Amistad), and war films (Saving Private Ryan, Schindlers List). Friedman concludes that Spielbergs films present a sustained artistic vision combined with a technical flair matched by few other filmmakers, and makes a compelling case for Spielberg to be considered as a major film artist. _x000B_

Genres: Film

376 pages, Paperback

First published February 10, 2006

Reviews

[g BRETT · Rating 3 out of 5]

A look at the directing career of Steven Spielberg through War of the Worlds (2005). A bit different than I was expecting, this was an academic study of various aspects of Spielberg's films. In some ways, it was a counter-argument to (apparently) many other assessments of Spielberg's career that essentially consider Spielberg, and his friend George Lucas, as the guy that ruined movies.

Friedman makes an interesting case for the argument that many of these harsh critics are so harsh because of the incredible commercial success that Spielberg's films enjoy; if someone less well known and successful had made some of these films, Friedman's argument goes, these same critics would not have been so critical.

Friedman also takes an interesting approach, grouping the films loosely by genre instead of chronologically. I'm not quite sure I agree with his grouping of films (for instance, 1941 in the "World War II Combat Movie" group seemed to stretch it a bit for me), but this approach gave me a much better appreciation for the changes in Spielberg's films than a simply chronology ever did.

Not sure I can really recommend this book, except to someone who is really interested in academic film studies. If you're like me, I recommend just sticking to the movies, and enjoying them for what they are.

[Alex Peck · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is really dense at times, but a must read if you're a fan of Spielberg.

The chapter on Schindler's List is by far the best.