The one movie Steven Spielberg called a “cinematic masterpiece”
Steven Spielberg has long been a beacon in the film industry, firmly establishing himself as the unrivalled king of the blockbuster. With iconic works like Jaws, E.T., and the Jurassic Park series, he has provided popular culture with some of its most treasured cinematic experiences. Few directors can claim to have both defined a distinctive style and contributed to the filmmaking lexicon, with Jaws notably becoming the first-ever summer blockbuster, setting a precedent that many would attempt to emulate.
Although Spielberg is the master of the big-budget romp, we should not be duped into thinking that this intrinsic connection to Hollywood undermines the importance of his work. Spielberg has always cast a wide net, exploring racial drama with The Color Purple, thought-provoking science fiction in finishing Stanley Kubrick’s passion project A.I. Artificial Intelligence, and the realm of politics with titles such as The Post.
Defining Spielberg is a near-impossible feat. While he undoubtedly masters big-budget productions, Spielberg has demonstrated remarkable versatility across virtually every genre he has tackled. Ultimately, he is a perennial shapeshifter, with his next project often unpredictable. This adaptability has kept his audience intrigued and infused his career with a vitality that only the true greats possess—a quality shared by both Stanley Kubrick and Alfred Hitchcock.
It’s a prerequisite for such an eminent auteur to live and breathe cinema. From the mainstream hit to the niche art house movie, Spielberg has made it clear over his career that he soaks up cinema in all its forms, which has informed his dextrous style.
Spielberg rose to prominence at a time when cinema was changing. The 1970s and ‘80s signified the moment that movie lovers were given the reins and took charge of the movie business. Two of the most powerful men in that change were Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese, two of the anointed ‘movie brats’ and good friends. The duo have often shared their appreciation for one another.
A fellow auteur he has long been an admirer of is the great Martin Scorsese, and to Spielberg, one of the New Yorker’s titles pips the rest. This is the 1990 effort Goodfellas, the story of mobster Henry Hill, tracing his life from 1955 to 1980. Starring the late Ray Liotta in his defining role, as well as Scorsese regulars Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci, Goodfellas is credited with redefining the crime film genre.
“I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve experienced this epic cinematic masterpiece,” Spielberg wrote of Goodfellas in a new essay for Variety. The E.T. director claimed that there “are no background performances” in the movie, labelling the leading trio of Liotta, De Niro and Pesci “one of cinema history’s greatest acting ensembles”.
“It’s no longer a guilty pleasure to sit for 2 hours and 26 minutes,” Spielberg then expressed, “But rather a master class for any aspiring filmmaker who wants to see a breathtaking balancing act of multiple storylines, timelines, shocking violence and violent humour.”
Spielberg wasn’t done effusing about Goodfellas. He applauded the movie for its “intoxicating energy expressed not only through its masterful editing” but “the greatest needle-drop score since American Graffiti” and “the best-spoken narrative since” Double Indemnity.
“Everyone has a favourite Scorsese picture,” he concluded. “And this is the one for me”.
