There's Steven Spielberg and the others. This great genius of 7e Art, a multiple Oscar winner, knew how to use his instincts to create films that changed the history of cinema. Jaw, Jurassic Park And AND the alien are his daring films that have shaped the collective imagination. With around forty films to his credit, the now 76-year-old American director and producer doesn't run out of breath.
To tell the filmmaker's life story and analyze his entire work, three authors – Olivier Bousquet, Arnaud Devillard and Nicolas Schaller – have come together to write this most comprehensive biographical book about the filmmaker extraordinaire.
Photo provided by Éditions EPA / Hachette
Steven Spielberg was born in Cincinnati in 1946 into a Jewish family and has been passionate about cinema since he was a child. All films interest him and he goes to the cinema with his parents every week.
His mother is a pianist and his father works in computer design and programming. At just 12 years old, Steven made a short film for fun, borrowing his father's 8mm camera.
During his youth he made several more films, mainly choosing war and science fiction themes. He is also interested in comics while he is bored with school.
Even as a teenager, he knew he wanted to be a filmmaker. He tried his luck at the prestigious University of Southern California film school, but was rejected. That's why he decided to study acting and learned cinema at the same time.
At 18, he experienced his parents' divorce, which had a profound impact on him. He decided to move to Los Angeles to live with his father, leaving his mother and sisters behind.
Determined, he pursues the destiny he has chosen by becoming, at the age of 22, the youngest director to sign a contract with a major Hollywood studio.
Successful career
Even though he experienced some setbacks – we are thinking in particular of the commercially failed film “Sugarland Express” – and also had to endure severe criticism, Spielberg continued his work without being discouraged.
He positions himself thanks to his skills in dealing with special effects.
Filming the film Jaws in 1975 was undoubtedly one of the filmmaker's greatest professional challenges. The filming is difficult and takes place over 150 days. One of the mechanical sharks malfunctions as expected and the film crew becomes discouraged as the weather takes its toll. Despite everything, the film became the first blockbuster in history and won three Oscars alone.
In addition to adventure and science fiction films, Spielberg changes the register and shines with war dramas and even comedies.
We remember Schindler's List (two Oscars), Lincoln, Saving Private Ryan (one Oscar) or Catch Me If You Can and The Terminal.
The filmmaker, who has worked with the greatest – including Harrison Ford, Tom Hanks, Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Cruise – is demanding and a perfectionist at heart. He is also said to be uncompromising, even if he fell out with his actors, which was particularly the case with Tom Cruise.
Some difficult moments
Despite being successful for most of his life, Spielberg still encountered some difficulties during the economic crisis of 2008. In fact, he became a victim of businessman Bernard Madoff, who is unfortunately known for his misappropriation of capital. But Spielberg, having lost personal funds, quickly recovered.
In addition, Steven Spielberg suffered throughout his childhood and adolescence from his relationship with his father, a cold and absent man. This part of his life is believed to be reflected in some of his films, particularly in ET, where the children hide the alien from their parents because they believe they cannot love this extraordinary creature. In “Jurassic Park” we find Alan Grant, who hates children, and in “War of the Worlds” the main character feels downright uncomfortable in his role as a father, which often leads to him coming into conflict with his eldest son.
Otherwise, Spielberg made a big bad decision when he refused to direct the Harry Potter film series. It was his disagreements with Warner Bros. and author JK Rowling that led him to reject the project.
If he has any regrets in this regard, he has reason to console himself. His personal fortune is estimated at more than US$543 million (US$400 million) and his films have grossed more than US$16.3 billion (US$12 billion) worldwide. By far the most profitable filmmaker in history.
One thing is certain: reading this captivating biography allows us to appreciate the impact Steven Spielberg had on American cinema. His star shines on the famous Hollywood Walk of Fame.