Director case study - Steven Spielberg

Career

Steven Spielberg is an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. He has been in the film industry for more than forty years and has made films from a range of different genres. Spielberg has directed thirty films, the earliest one being made in 1915. He is best known for his involvement in the film Jaws, E.T the extra Terrestrial, and Saving Private Ryan. He is also well known for directing the Indiana Jones movies, two which were filmed in the 20th century and the third one which was filmed in the 21st century. 

In later years Spielberg began to address humanistic issues in films such as the Holocaust, War, Terrorism, and Slavery. For example Schindler's List is about the Holocaust.  

Spielberg and Williams

Steven Spielberg and John Williams met in 1974, and it was a mark of success for them both. Spielberg was impressed by Williams talent and invited him to participate composing for the movie 'The Sugarland Express'. 

A year later the Jaws soundtrack gifted Williams with an Oscar. The partnership then brought many soundtracks such as; Jurassic Park, Schindler's List, and War Horse. 

Saving Private Ryan

Saving Private Ryan is a war movie made in 1998, it's set during the invasion of Normandy in World Ward  II. The film was renounced for it's realistic and graphic portrayal of the war. The film follows a USA rangers squad as they search for paratrooper, Private Ryan who who is the last surviving of all the Ryan brothers. 

In the film Spielberg uses close up camera shots to show the emotion on the soldiers faces as they are in harsh, brutal situations. The audience can understand the soldiers situations if they can see the emotion. 

Spielberg uses establishing shots in this film to show the audience the location in which the scene is set in. 

Another key camera shot that Spielberg uses in this film is a long shot of the shooting which is taking place between the Americans and the Germans. The audience can then understand the brutality of the gunfire, and how brutal the war was. 

There is a lot of non-diegetic sound in this film, for example the soldiers shouting that aren't actually in the shot, or explosions going off around the soldiers, you can't see them on screen.