Steven Spielberg is disappointed with the current state of moviemaking
By Jeff MillsNovember 28th, 2011, 3:35 pmComments (18)
Steven Spielberg, arguably the greatest American filmmaker of his time, is something of a cinematic oracle at this point. It's always interesting to hear his insights and anecdotes from a lifetime of making movies. But his current diagnosis of the state of Hollywood, shared in an interview with The Sunday Times, is not cause for rejoicing.
According to Spielberg:
"There's not a lot of films I'd watch that are made over the past twenty years, because I'm much more of a romantic. I like to go way back to the source. I look at a lot of silent movies for inspiration because they're all told visually and they're all told with hyperextended performance and with wonderful use of a frame. It's a way of getting my engine started."
Spielberg also says he has a pre-production ritual of watching four classic movies to get that engine revving. Everyone knows Spielberg is a nostalgic sentimentalist, so it's no surprise those movies are Seven Samurai, The Searchers, Lawrence of Arabia, and It's a Wonderful Life. Kind of his version of playing Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger" before a fight. One wonders if the cinematic landscape is really that tawdry, or if Spielberg's standards are too high. Could it be there are some decent flicks from the last couple decades he might have missed?
But Spielberg puts his finger on the real problem when it comes to cranking out inferior work — the mercenary aspect of film franchises, especially the product tie-ins. He said:
"I think producers are more interested in backing concepts than [in backing] directors and writers. I don't think that's the right way of making a decision about whether you're going to back a film or not, but a lot of these hedge funds — these independent groups that are coming up with the money — are looking at the big idea more than who the director or writer is. And of course, they all want the guarantee of a big actor."
It's hard to deny that there's a lot of formulaic crap being greenlit, yet Spielberg still empathizes with his lesser colleagues, saying:
"If something isn't very good, I'll stay to the end in case it gets better. I keep looking for that ray of hope when I'm disappointed by a picture or a show. It's just plain rude to get up and walk out of something that someone has labored over."
Commentarium (18 Comments)
Considering Steven Spielberg has had a huge hand in the decline of coherent stories being filmed, his lamenting the situation shows disconnected self-awareness, doesn't it? He's pretty good. Or least his efforts usually make money. But really, he'll never reach the same heights as Welles, Renoir, Capra or the Archers among many others. He should content himself as a crowd-pleaser. One who should leave brilliance to true artists. After all, he's just a Phoenix guy who never read enough and spent too much time in front of the TV. And it shows.
Damn, bravo.
I gotta second this, however I do share the same sentiment with the current drudgery being cranked out of Hollywood these days. But c'mon Speilberg, silent movies? Why don't you drop some acid and spend a few days in the Adirondacks. Instant inspiration. Your last collab Super 8 with god's gift to movies J.J. Abrams was less than less than engaging. There's a definite disconnect going on here. I mean he may have hashed out cinematic treasures for stupid Americans at one time but there's a new generation of stupid Americans and we must be accomadated for.
So anyone who likes Raiders or Jaws is stupid? I do see where you're coming from, but disagree. And who are these stupid Americans you seem to like bashing on so much?
I mean, just because the back to back success of Jaws and Star Wars "ruined" Hollywood, doesn't mean Spielberg doesn't have a voice in the buisness. I disagree. He very much is/has become an inovator up there with the likes of the names you mentioned.
The trouble with Spielberg is that he actually is a good filmmaker. In fact he's a better filmmaker than most people give him credit for. But he changed American movies forever because he's such a good filmmaker, and I'd argue it was pretty much for the worse. Now, you could argue that if Spielberg hadn't "invented" the blockbuster, someone else would have (Lucas got right on it, after all), but as it stands, Spielberg is the godfather of blockbusters, and he'll have to answer to that legacy for the rest of his life. He's a damn fine entertainer and even a pretty good artist on top of that, but the legions (and I mean LEGIONS) of talentless imitators and what they've turned Hollywood into can be traced pretty directly back to him. It would be like if Obama complained about how more black people are running for president now. That's just the cross a pioneer has to bear. Once the floodgates have opened, you have to deal with what you've enabled, the good the bad and especially the ugly.
Oh God wait, that sounds really racist. I don't mean to compare the entire population of black politicians to the entire population bad filmmakers. Nor do I mean to say that, just as bad filmmakers should stop being involved in film production, black politicians should stop being involved in politics. I'm sorry. I'm just comparing Obama and Spielberg as each being groundbreaking in their respective fields. Their legacies are, respectively, many black politicans and many blockbuster filmmakers. Some suck, some don't, but they opened the doors for followers of all quality levels. That's all.
"Now, you could argue that if Spielberg hadn't "invented" the blockbuster, someone else would have (Lucas got right on it, after all), but as it stands, Spielberg is the godfather of blockbusters, and he'll have to answer to that legacy for the rest of his life."
I've always disagreed with this notion, but I see where you're coming from. The back to back sucess of Jaws and Star Wars obviously changed the movie industry. It made the industry types realize the $$$ that can be made in such ventures. I blame the industry, not the artists. I'm assuming you've read Easy Riders Raging Bulls? If so, then you get what I am trying to say here and refer to and all that yes?
Lucas too, if you know anything about him, before star wars and it's mega sucess, his creative outlook and approach to movies was a total 360 degree opposite of what it is/has become.
I also don't think he planned or intended on becoming the god of blockbusters haha. Something tells me even he wouldn't want to be pigeonholed in such a way.
Eh, I take no offense to your political allegory. Would be funny if that really happened though haha. Also, I thought race wasn't supposed to matter anyways. Esp in politics or with the president.
I would argue that some of Spielberg's films are not as good as the classics you mentioned, but his war time films like Empire of the Sun, Schindler's List, Saving Private Ryan, and Exec. Producing HBO's Band of Brothers, are some of the finest examples of cinematic storytelling you'll ever watch.
Oh Spielbergs has his crap/boners/half assed-ness. Crystal Skull. Hook. Lost World. Yeah. Those were REAL classics. I'm being sarcastic. But all in all, he's had more good/great than bad, and he hasn't dropped off as far as Lucas has.
I misread that as "...disappointed with the current state of lovemaking."
Yeah, Kate Capshaw wouldn't have liked that.
"Steven Spielberg, arguably the greatest American filmmaker of his time ..."
That's where I quit reading. Well, not really, but y'know, I should have.
In my opinion, Spielberg is a Hallmark Card movie director. Why you try to appeal to the masses, and winning awards is your goal, I can't take you seriously as an artist.
This article has transformered me so much that..... I now have a crystal skull.
I'm really sick of all the Spielberg bashing. Denying the genius of such films as Jaws, Raiders, Close Encounters, Schindler's List, Minority Report, Munich, etc. is pure snobbery without basis. I understand that his blockbusters inspired countless vapid, brainless knock-offs but to blame him for that is like blaming the Clash for Green Day and Blink 182.
Good point. Good Point. I Agree.His more "serious artistic stuff", that's not Schindlers List or Saving Private Ryan, both very good, but also the Color Purple and the Wonderful/Amazing Empire Of The Sun, remain rather overlooked at times.
I agree with him completely, while it's true that truly great , original ideas put of hollywood are few and far between there is still a good amount of talented film makers willing to wish life life and limb in the name of artistic integrity. For every ten Michael Bays there is at least one Darren Aronovsky or Chris Nolan.