The movie Steven Spielberg snatched away from his idol: “I secretly wanted to do it myself”
Even though he’s got a style that’s distinctly and identifiably his own, every Steven Spielberg movie carries shades of at least one of the filmmakers who inspired him the most.
Whether it’s the technological innovations of Stanley Kubrick, the wonder and whimsy of Walt Disney, the sweeping vistas of John Ford, or the epic grandeur of David Lean, at least one of those cinema heavyweights will cast a shadow over every one of Spielberg’s pictures in some way, shape, or form.
There’s no shame in being influenced by some of the best to ever do it, but Lean was always the most towering figure in his filmic upbringing. Spielberg’s favourite film of all time is Lawrence of Arabia, which also contains his favourite scene of all time, so being endorsed by his idol was the ultimate pinch-me moment for the Hollywood wunderkind.
Although Lean publicly backed him as his heir apparent, something the industry had been whispering for years anyway, their relationship wasn’t based entirely on hero worship. In fact, things gradually soured between them when they tried working together, and it began with an adaptation of JG Ballard’s Empire of the Sun.
Lean was initially hired to direct the war drama with Spielberg serving as a producer, but as a fan of the novel, he cast envious eyes at the production. “He asked me to acquire the rights for him,” the latter told The New York Times. “From the moment I read the novel, I secretly wanted to do it myself.”
The two-time Academy Award-winning director persevered with Empire of the Sun for a year, but when he realised he couldn’t find a way into the story, he ultimately abandoned ship. Fortunately, his protege was waiting in the wings and almost immediately jumped into the director’s chair, which he believed had more than a hint of fate about it.
“I discovered very quickly that this movie and turning 40 happening at almost the same time was no coincidence,” Spielberg explained. “That I had decided to do a movie with grown-up themes and values, although spoken through a voice that hadn’t changed through puberty as yet.”
Lean would never direct another picture, with 1984’s A Passage to India acting as his swansong. He tried desperately to get his passion project, Nostromo, off the ground, with Spielberg once again enlisted as a producer as recompense for the Empire of the Sun situation.
This time, the shoe wound up on the other foot, with the Jaws and Raiders of the Lost Ark architect leaving his post due to constant disagreements with Lean over the script. In the end, Nostromo was never made, and Spielberg and Lean parted ways on a note that hardly befitted the Doctor Zhivago and The Bridge on the River Kwai director’s status as his number one source of inspiration.
