The Steven Spielberg Influence: To what extent has Steven Spielberg played a role in influencing the international film industry and global societies?
13 May 2015
Introduction
The film industry has broken into the modern era in cinematography. Since the late twentieth century, directors have had the ability to easily produce their thoughts and imagination with the new advancements in technology. Leading the way of revolutionizing the direction of modern films is Steven Spielberg, where “[he] had learned that film was power,” (McBride, 101). But Spielberg believed this power was being abused for poor plots and characters, as he later goes on to say, “People have forgotten how to tell a story… They usually have a beginning that never stops beginning,” (Quotes). Spielberg wanted to experiment and redevelop the industry with these new technologies and concepts, and through this, he began his journey with film. Spielberg would later become one of the most well-known directors in the world, but to what extent has Steven Spielberg played a role in influencing the international film industry and global societies?
Spielberg took this passion and understanding of cinematography in his childhood and made his first feature-length film, Firelight. With a $400 budget, Spielberg produced this film when he was at Arcadia High School in Phoenix, Arizona (McBride, 11). This first major production sparked an ever-lasting passion for Spielberg to continue and persevere, so that he may eventually have the ability to leave his mark on the film industry. This undying motivation led him to sneak into Universal Studios, where executives first noticed the young Spielberg and were impressed by his 24-minute film, Amblin. Spielberg began creating more public content that landed him an unpaid internship at Universal Studios that flourished into a TV directorship in 1969 (McBride, 38). He finally achieved an outlet on which to share his passion, which became the starting platform on which his techniques were idolized. When Spielberg realized the impact he could have with film, he truly began to direct.
Spielberg’s Techniques
“Less is more” is a famous saying, and with key Spielberg shots, he utilizes this idiom to convey even more emotions. Spielberg emphasizes his actors’ facial features by framing their face to center the screen so that the audience compulsorily sees the emotion in the characters’ eyes (Patches). With this zooming technique, Spielberg is able to transfer on-screen sentiments to his audience, effectively creating a better viewing experience. By showing a stagnant portion of a character’s face, Spielberg expresses a cathartic aspect or extreme emotional release within every human (Patches). This is achieved through vulnerability by proportions – essentially by only showing a character’s face, their emotions and personality are most apparent. The most prominent of these shots is in his 1993 film Jurassic Park, when Alan and Ellie see a dinosaur for the first time (Patches). The awe and confusion of the sight of real-life dinosaurs roaming around a modern day setting can all be seen with the framing Spielberg constructed. By zooming into the faces of the characters as they turn around to see the dinosaurs, Spielberg removes any neutral or natural objects in frame by filling up the screen with sheer emotion from the characters’ faces. Spielberg also accomplishes this technique in Empire of the Sun (1987) when Jim sees Basie; The Sugarland Express (1974) when Lou Jean sees Clovis near the guarded house; and in Jaws (1975) when Martin Brody sees the shark (Patches). Spielberg created a similar circumstance throughout his films when he used this technique – extreme releases of character emotion. This has been regarded as the “Spielberg Face” (Patches). David Yates can accredit Spielberg as an inspiration, as he directed the last four Harry Potter films (David). Yates’s close up shot, specifically in the final battle of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, frames the shot to solely encompass Harry’s face, as his eyes widen immensely, and the climactic scene of the movie encounters the cathartic release Spielberg’s technique catalyzes. Yates even states that, “The film that got me into film was Jaws, by Steven Spielberg… And that sort of symphonic experience … made me want to make films,” (David). Spielberg not only gave Yate’s inspiration for framing and conveying a deep emotional release for a character, but also the motivation to pursue a career in film. This depicts the international influence Spielberg possessed as well, as Yates is English. The “Spielberg Face” spread across the globe and found its way into more and more films over time.
Backlighting is considered to be a difficult technique to accompany a sequence, yet Spielberg not only used this challenge, but mastered it. In the 2012 film Lincoln, Spielberg produced a constant stream of backlighting to be cast upon Abraham Lincoln when he was patiently waiting for Congress to vote on the thirteenth amendment, where Spielberg said, “I wanted to create a very intimate image of this man on the most important day of his life,” (Buchanan). This mastered backlighting technique shows vulnerability within a character by blocking their facial features from the source of light – blacking them, and their power, out (Buchanan). In the 2002 film Minority Report, Spielberg casts a white and blue light on John Anderton and Agatha, and this backlighting not only embellished them, but also alienated them from the remaining characters in the scene (Buchanan). Spielberg uses this lighting technique to contrast a character from the remaining surroundings, whether it promotes a positive or negative characterization (Buchanan). This alienating light has created an influential technique that directors would be dependent on in the future in order to maximize their emotional content. Lasse Hallström’s 2013 film, Safe Haven, works off of Spielberg’s disposition to show the darkness, both emotionally and physically, and the suspense and mystery of the scene were Katie leaves; “ It shows the evil inside Kevin, and [the] innocence of Erin … It [depicts] how fragile she is…” (Beattie). Spielberg’s techniques are imitated through all film genres and situations. But backlighting can be more complex than just casting silhouettes when needed – backlighting also includes color manipulation of light sources within a shot (Buchanan). Spielberg demonstrated his complex understanding of this technique in the 2011 film War Horse, by accentuating the horse with a saturated red sky and silhouette filters (Buchanan). Not only do the silhouettes and shadows within the shot display the vulnerability, but the color-manipulated sky emphasized the true emotion that the director intended (Buchanan). In Spielberg’s 2001 film A.I. Artificial Intelligence, when David finally connected with his foster mother, Spielberg presented bold backlighting to emphasize the emotion of the mother-son bond being formed (Buchanan). A.I. Artificial Intelligence was originally planned and began the process of development by Stanley Kubrick, who was a distinguished American filmmaker at the time, until difficulties with the available technology and his sudden death caused the movie to stop further production. After a few years, the movie was revived by Spielberg, who Kubrick turned to before his death, and was then a major motion hit (Buchanan). Spielberg’s early techniques were not only adored by the public, but respected amongst renowned directors, such that an unfinished project from Kubrick, the most renowned of them all, could only be left to be fulfilled by Spielberg himself. Spielberg’s techniques not only influenced the way future filmmakers began producing media, but also how the celebrated filmmakers of the era began to produce and think.
Like his groundbreaking use of backlighting, Spielberg utilized color in unique ways throughout his films. The 1993 film, Schindler’s List, has one iconic scene of a little girl in a red coat walking amongst the Jews during the liquidation of the Kraków ghetto in World War II (Buchanan). By desaturating every color but red, Spielberg highlighted the little girl’s coat to make her juxtaposed in the crowd (Buchanan). In a cinematic review written by long-time media researcher André Caron, he says that the red symbolized, “innocence, hope or the red blood of the Jewish people being sacrificed in the horror of the Holocaust,” (Caron). Spielberg, as a director, wanted to characterize Schindler’s breaking point by forcing him to view the dead child in red to set her body apart from the thousands of others he had seen prior. Spielberg also colorizes the little girl’s coat because it is the climax of the film – the turning point for Schindler to help the Jewish cause (Caron). Judaism is an obvious preference for Spielberg to work into his films, as he is of the faith. This pro-Jewish message was seen in his 1981 film, Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Schindler’s List (Caron). With Nazi antagonists, it was essential for Spielberg to promote his faith through his work, especially after the mass destruction the Jewish community faced before and during World War II. This theme is particularly apparent due to the abundance of Christian oriented social stimuli in American culture at the time (Caron). Spielberg’s films stood out from the rest, not only because of his stylistic techniques, but because of the strong themes that where without of voice during that time period. Quentin Tarantino’s 2009 film, Inglorious Bastards, as well as the films Waltz with Bashir (2008) and A Serious Man (2009), can be linked to the commonized pro-Jewish message and accurate Jewish representation in World War II that Spielberg set forth for the silver screen with Schindler’s List (Reed).
Spielberg’s techniques have also paved a way in recognizing a new demographic. Spielberg has been credited as the reason why, “every Hollywood movie [since] has been for kids,” (Beard). Ever since Spielberg created a kid-friendly atmosphere in 1982 film, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, and Jurassic Park, the movie industry realized a whole new demographic: children. Spielberg encompasses a quasi-child naïvety within some of his focal characters. He does this by tracking low height shots to simulate the small, physically and mentally, feeling of a child (Beard). This shot technique can be seen with the children in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Empire of the Sun, Jurassic Park, and Jaws. Spielberg’s introduction of children to the film industry not only shifted the content of films, but the process in which films set the atmospheric mood and tone.
Spielberg’s Blockbuster
Spielberg not only discovered a new demographic, but also a way to reinvent the previously worst movie-going season into the most popular (Nall). He originally captured this new season with his overarching theme of events that include “ordinary people coming in contact with extraordinary beings,” (Quotes). One of Spielberg’s classic “extraordinary beings” is the great white shark, Jaws. Jaws, a 1975 film regarding shark attacks, is well known for its classic score of a repeating low E and F sharp, but the shots and sequences throughout the movie have a classic meaning of their own (McBride, 253). Because Jaws won three academy awards and was added to the National Film Registry in 2001, it has spurred some copiers along its rise to fame (Jaws). Orca (1977), Alien (1979), Great White (1981), Deep Blue Sea (1999), Open Water (2003), and Piranha 3D (2010) are all heavily influenced, if not direct copies, of Spielberg’s film and atmosphere in Jaws (Rawson-Jones). These films are among a prolific amount of other attempted reproductions, primarily in its theme and suspense, which means the way that Spielberg directed and framed each shot of the film created a new archetype, as well as a new movie-going season, in the film industry.
But what Jaws shots were considered to be so iconic? Spielberg minimized Brody to the left side of the frame as the vast ocean is to his back, where the shot ends as Brody quickly turns around as if the shark returned (Desilets). This shot is the predecessor to the first attack by the great shark. And Spielberg repeated this exact shot with Brody after the second attack, utilizing the tool of repetition and foreshadowing in his film (Desilets). There are four phases Spielberg produces in his film regarding a father in search of his son (Desilets). Phase one: a father’s anxiety escalates from the off-screen “cry of alarm” from the city (Desilets). Spielberg uses a mobile camera, effectively using a “shaky effect,” and a slow pan of the father that highlighted his awareness of the danger his son may be in with this new alarm in the city. Phase two: the camera is immobile as the father runs as fast as his character allows, moving away from the camera, off-screen (Desilets). Phase three: the father reaches the brink of his opening location and the whereabouts of his son (Desilets). This is followed by a zoomed-out shot of the son, who is now unconscious, being carried away from the water by a group of people. The father is unseen. Phase four: the father looks into the distance as the Spielberg creates a “reverse shot of the newly enigmatic object of his vision,” (Desilets). Spielberg makes it clear to his viewers the protagonist’s vision is focused on the ocean. Brody and the shark are both introduced, making them the antitheses of the film. But these iconic shots are not just why Jaws became an all-time classic, what it spurred could be regarded its most influential aspect – the summer blockbuster.
During the summer of 1975, Jaws had an “extensive and exclusive marketing campaign,” by not only using strategic branding, but also keeping the audience clueless about the details of the monstrous shark in the movie (Nall). This mysteriousness tagged to the shark in advertising was seamlessly carried over into the film itself through Spielberg’s shots in creating suspense around finally seeing the full body antagonist. With a high-budget marketing campaign and a wide release distribution, Jaws became the first summer blockbuster, bringing in over $7 million during the opening weekend (Nall). Not only did the movie surpass its total expenses within two days, but was announced as the highest grossing film during the summer season since its date (Nall). Due to Jaws’ summer success, the film industry was opened up to a new commercial season – the summer. Spielberg proved his strength not only behind the camera, but to the private sector as he turned the slowest grossing season into the most profitable one. With the birth of summer blockbusters, Jaws also fathered “high concept” filmmaking. Justin Wyatt, a film marketing analyst, described high concept films as “a movie that is based on one theme, which features simple characters and a predictable storyline, which appeals and entertains the widest audience possible,” (Nall). Being regarded as the first high concept film, Jaws and Spielberg are accredited by an American film critic, James Hoberman, for rebirthing the adventure genre by incorporating multiple elements of disaster and horror (Nall). The thrilling ride the movie ensued is in part due to its pioneering special effects, highly intricate set design, and powerful thematic score, which is stated being the inspiration for the Transformers franchise and its commercial success (Nall). Vincent Canby, a film critic for The New York Times, says that, “[Jaws] has been cleverly directed by Steven Spielberg for maximum shock and impact and short-term suspense,” (Desilets). Spielberg not only created a new archetype within cinematography, but also fathered the concepts of summer blockbusters and high concept films.
Societal Influences
Spielberg used the influential powers of his films to also create businesses and charities. Spielberg is the co-founder of DreamWorks SKG. With this new studio, focusing primarily on animated films, Spielberg has now opened a new branch of his techniques to be used without his presence. Leaving this “Spielberg footprint” behind allows for his ingenious styles to start dissolving into the social norm of the film industry (Anders). For example, DreamWorks SKG has allowed for the private sector’s love of competition to increase, as it has become a reputable rival for Pixar. This effectively capsized Disney’s monopoly of animated films (Anders). Spielberg’s business techniques have influenced the inner workings of not only the film industry’s style, but also its economic standing.
Similarly, with his increasing experience and work with animated films at DreamWorks SKG, Spielberg’s techniques had incorporated non-conventional aspects in live-action movies. In Spielberg’s 1993 film Jurassic Park, he had a spilt decision to make when starting production (Calhoun). Stan Winston, one Spielberg’s special effects supervisor, believed the impact of the movie would be maximized with full-scale live-action dinosaurs. Dennis Muren, another special effects supervisor, wanted to digitize the dinosaurs by creating computer-generated images (CGI) of full-motion movements of the beasts (Calhoun). Spielberg decided the CGI dinosaurs would be the most efficient. He placed Phil Tippelot as the dinosaur supervisor and Michael Lantieri as the dinosaur sound effect supervisor (Calhoun). With his carefully selected team, Spielberg created one of the most successful live-action films that utilized heavy CGI. Spielberg is noticed for his “total revelation” of using CGI in Jurassic Park. It was the first large budget film to produce seemingly real CGI in that time period (Calhoun). Spielberg’s decision to use special effects for such an important role in his film paved the way of filmmakers to master CGI and learn of its importance in films. With Spielberg’s direction, he influenced James Cameron 16 years later with his film, Avatar, where the majority of the movie was shot using CGI. Spielberg created, yet another, archetype in the film industry.
Similarly to popularizing CGI, Spielberg brought essence back to historical films that seemed to have been discarded by the unamused general public. With his major historical movies like, Schindler’s List, Saving Private Ryan (1998), and War Horse, Spielberg has “solidif[ied] the image of both sides of the war, for many people,” (Anders). A famous quote from Schindler’s List stated, “‘The list is an absolute good. The list is life,’” which demonstrates the importance of Schindler’s physical list had and its symbolism. Although Spielberg cannot receive credit from the writing of the film, he can receive praise from the interpretations of said lines. Prior to Spielberg’s film, the Jewish community felt the misrepresentation of World War II in the classroom. Elaine Culbertson, chairwoman of the Pennsylvania Holocaust Education Council, states that, “‘There was a focus on military history, battles and concentration camps, but not on what was happening to the victims,’” (Salisbury). She adds that Spielberg’s Schindler’s List, “‘was instrumental in rejuvenating Holocaust education and raising awareness of the ability of individuals to help,’” (Salisbury). Jennifer Kugler, an education professional, also admits that Schindler’s List, “‘show[ed] that the Holocaust is not about the number 6 million. It’s about the individuals, the names, the people — it’s about their stories… The testimonies help the kids understand that it was about these human beings,’” (Salisbury). Even the director of the U.K. Holocaust Center gave credit to Schindler’s List for increasing the understanding about the Holocaust in Europe. This international impact, driven by Spielberg, created awareness and an easy ability to help; this achievement of supporting his faith was a life-long goal Spielberg had, which spawned from the techniques and styles he masters in his films. With such an impactful understanding of the tortures that ensued from the 1930’s and 1940’s Europe and seeing this unknown outcry answered from his film, Spielberg created the Shoah Foundation in 1994. It used the massive revenue from his film – over $321 million – to aid in funding new Holocaust projects, such as The Lost Children of Berlin, Anne Frank Remembered, and The Last Days. For Rena Finder, an 84 year-old Massachusettsian, she describes the successful film as, “‘…like a tree that blooms and leaves its flowers all over the world. Whoever watches it is changed,’” (Salisbury).
Schindler’s List is not the only World War II movie Spielberg directed. Spielberg directed the instant classic Saving Private Ryan. The reviews of Saving Private Ryan came back in one word: realistic. The sound effects Spielberg oversaw were so accurate and minute that it surprised the audience, who were all used to silence in theatrical war (Wallace). This adds to Spielberg’s list of new paths paved, as he enhances the precision of war on the silver screen. The Los Angeles Times discovered a varied group of individuals who commented all over the internet about their reactions to the film. One was Paul Rich, a 43 year-old screenwriter, who, after seeing the film, called his uncle, who fought in World War II, saying that, “The stories he told me, all of sudden they come to life after seeing this movie. I realize what a hero my uncle is,” (Wallace). Spielberg’s depiction of the warfront gave the baby boomer generation the epiphany of how “‘lucky we are and have always been,’” (Wallace). World War II books were also seen being purchased in a larger quantity after the release of Spielberg’s film. But the baby boomers are not the only ones heavily impacted on Spielberg’s direction in the film. The World War II veterans themselves have begun speaking out towards the movie. One anonymous veteran says the movie experience was “‘touchingly terrible and terribly touching,’” (Wallace). Prior to the Spielberg’s box office success, veterans felt society could not integrate warriors back into civilian life. Their feelings of immoral actions during wartime are quieted down as they return, so they have felt suppressed – until Spielberg released his film, showing the true brutality of war to the public. This effectively showed what the veterans went through, providing the long-awaited sympathy in America for their troops. 16 years later, this realism inspired Clint Eastwood in his film American Sniper (Kompas). The biographical war drama focuses on a U.S. Navy SEAL sniper and the very real duties, responsibilities, and consequences of the armed forces. Chad Hart, a veteran suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder states, “To me, it was the realest portrayal of the war over there [in Iraq] so far,” (Kompas). The realism in this war drama is remarkably inspired by the realism portrayed and commonized from Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan. Critics and veterans alike have attributed the success of both films from the attempt of realism and depiction of war, not only for biographical purposes, but as well as a gratitude for the men and women who serve their country. Spielberg brought multiple generations together through his direction and honest techniques. In reference to the new spark of appreciation of the veterans from World War II, Spielberg states that, “‘Twenty-year-olds are actually walking up to people in their 70s, thanking them for what they did. . . . Can an audience ‘understand’ the Holocaust from seeing Schindler's List or really grasp all of World War II from Saving Private Ryan? Of course not. Will those movies cause some people to ask new questions? I sure hope so,’” (Wallace).
Conclusion
Spielberg’s revolutionary techniques paved a new archetype in the film industry. With the increase in advanced technology, Spielberg was able to work with equipment that could capture the emotion he wanted to convey to his audience. This produced the “Spielberg Face” and commonized backlighting and the ability to express the themes of childhood and Judaism, which was largely shadowed by the prominent Christianity in America’s society. Spielberg’s Jaws, was yet another archetype that he had mastered for the film industry, as lesser-beloved copy-cats became abundant throughout the decades after its release. Through his works, Spielberg was able to highlight societal issues, like the effects of Jewish and veteran communities from World War II. His films Schindler’s List and Saving Private Ryan are accredited as his best works due to the fact that they are the most realistic representation of action-combat in a fictional film. This has spawned charity organizations for Spielberg to give back to communities he targets for his films, like the Shoah Foundation. His impact on international societies goes beyond just his directing techniques; the emotions and attributes his films posses create personal connections to the viewer, making his films instant classics. This direction style provides a cathartic release of emotions to his viewers that most directors cannot duplicate. He has led the way in the modern age of cinematography through his techniques and strong belief that he dreams for a living. Spielberg’s life techniques and influences can be summarized by his quote to future filmmakers, “You have many years ahead of you to create the dreams that we can’t even imagine dreaming. You have done more for the collective unconscious of this planet than you will ever know,” (Quotes).
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