“It might reshape their values”: Steven Spielberg on the movie that opened a lot of eyes
As the single most commercially successful director that cinema has ever seen, it goes without saying that Steven Spielberg has mastered almost every genre that’s been put in front of him over the decades, but there’s one that by his own admission he’s struggled with for various reasons.
The history of racial division in the United States has proven fertile ground for filmmakers, but not even one of the all-time greats was left overwhelmingly enthused by his contributions to treading the thematic ground that’s been a fabric of the nation since its very inception.
The Color Purple may have tied a record after going home empty-handed, but it was still nominated for 11 Academy Awards, including ‘Best Picture’. Spielberg admitted that he completely understood the initial backlash towards his hiring after questioning whether he was really the ideal candidate to helm a story so deeply rooted in Black history and its associated experiences.
The filmmaker has also lamented the under-performance of the historical drama Amistad, which told an important story only to end up as one of the lowest-grossing releases of his entire career. Of course, both of them are excellent pictures, but it was an unflinching Oscar-winning drama that led Spielberg to reflect on its potential ability to alter the worldview of the younger generations.
During a conversation with Time, Spielberg countered a question on the concept of a thread linking the entirety of American history by issuing a thoughtful rebuttal. “I think the dogma of racism – if there’s anything that has stunted our growth as a nation and continues to echo – is that,” he offered, before citing Steve McQueen’s unflinching period drama as the perfect example.
“When they made 12 Years a Slave, that opened a lot of eyes,” he said. “I know it was ancient history to some people, but when you see a movie that can transport you back to a time that’s almost hard to watch, it’s no longer ancient history. It’s relevant to the young person who sees that movie, and it might reshape their values.”
Rooted in fact and real life, McQueen’s film might be a historical drama, but the events depicted on-screen unfolded less than 200 years ago, so as Spielberg alluded to, it’s far from being ancient history. He’s also right in saying 12 Years a Slave is a difficult watch at points, but that’s exactly the message its producer and director was trying to put across.
Regardless of whether or not it ended up opening as many eyes as Spielberg hoped, it was a story that needed to be told on the big screen, and one that was reflective of the issues that continue to plague American society at large despite centuries having passed.
