The legendary character Steven Spielberg would never want to work for: ‘I have known people like them’
Since its inception, the film industry has gained notoriety for the power-hungry producers and greedy executives who want to squeeze every ounce of profit from a project, caring more about figures and stats than they do the creation of art. This battle has waged on for decades, with a push-and-pull between commercialism and creativity shaping the types of films made each year. Few directors have managed to pull off the balancing act of commercial and critical success as well as Steven Spielberg.
During a recession, we’ll see more action and thriller movies, with people wanting quick entertainment that will give them more bang for their buck than a slow emotional drama about everyday quandaries and conundrums. And after many years of working in Hollywood, Steven Spielberg has become very familiar with these types of characters, highlighting one in particular that he would never want to work for.
The Bad and the Beautiful, directed by Vincent Minnelli in 1952, follows the rise and fall of a tough Hollywood producer, Jonathan Shields, as shown through the perspective of the people in his life. He is intent on becoming the ultimate film producer in Hollywood, willing to do whatever it takes to climb his way to the top. It is in many ways a predecessor to the likes of Black Swan, Whiplash and even Robert Altman’s The Player, which satires the toxic practices within the industry and the corruption of those at the top. Through the character of Jonathan Shields, we see how power can tempt people and the way it destroys us, taking over every humanistic ambition and becoming the driving force in our lives.
When asked about his experiences in Hollywood, Spielberg drew similarities between Shields and many of the people he has met, saying, “Growing up in this business, I have known people like Jonathan Shields, played brilliantly by Kirk Douglas, who I would never want to work for, but who I could not wait to watch their next movie”.
This encapsulates the contradictory heart of the business, with people valuing their love for actors and directors before thinking about who they are as people. We place these celebrities on pedestals and think of them as gods, all while showing behaviours like Jonathan Shields that display disdain and lack of care towards the people around him. In recent movies like Tár, directed by Todd Field, it exposes the myth behind the creative genius, and how we cannot separate the art from the artist, despite how much we like their work.
Spielberg is touching on something that has plagued the creative industries for years, with people enjoying the work of certain people but not liking anything about who they are as people. But somehow, these people nearly always thrive within Hollywood, and are rewarded with success despite how they treat others.
But given the status that Spielberg has, he luckily has the ability to choose who he works with, which is a luxury that not many emerging directors are given, forced to work for unpleasant and powerful people that are desperate to get ahead, people all too similar to Jonathan Shields.
