Steven Spielberg once picked the purest American movie ever made: “The most audacious”
Very few directors in the history of cinema have had a career that could equal the achievements of Steven Spielberg. He can be considered one of the most wholly Hollywood-focused directors of all time. Few filmmakers have been as devoted to the craft of making cinematic masterpieces — as opposed to film-based art — as Spielberg. He has routinely shaped the history and the future of the industry.
After making an unprecedented breakthrough with Jaws, Spielberg went on to produce some of the most commercially successful American films which managed to garner a lot of critical acclaim as well. It is enough to consider him as one of the most qualified in the world of US cinema.
Jaws became a global phenomenon and is still referred to as the first summer blockbuster which inspired market trends in the future. A masterful interpretation of the thriller genre, Jaws also impressed another pioneer of that same domain – Alfred Hitchcock – who famously praised Spielberg for being able to think outside of the box. In truth, the picture also capitalised not only on the story and the craft of telling it, but Spielberg’s understanding of the American psyche. A nation so keen to attack problems head-on is more likely to be upset by a monster they can’t see.
The trajectory of Spielberg’s career only went upwards from there because he continued to churn out modern Hollywood classics such as E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial and Raiders of the Lost Ark. Throughout his professional journey, Spielberg ventured into different domains – ranging from sci-fi gems like A.I. Artificial Intelligence to war epics including Saving Private Ryan.
Recently, Spielberg proved that he is still at the top of his game by directing a project that has been in the works for a long time – his own adaptation of West Side Story. While the film did not do well at the box office, Spielberg’s musical got a lot of critical attention and ended up nabbing multiple major nominations at the Academy Awards including ‘Best Picture’ and ‘Best Director’.
The American pioneer’s contributions to spreading awareness about the history of cinema have also been noteworthy. In many interviews and lectures, Spielberg paid tribute to the masters who taught him how to conceptualise cinema. He has often singled out the visionary works of geniuses such as Stanley Kubrick and John Ford. The latter is arguably his greatest inspiration. But it isn’t one of their movies which he considers to be the US archetype.
One of the films that had a huge impact on Spielberg’s sensibilities was a film school essential, directed by the legendary Orson Welles. It is the fabled Citizen Kane, that one American gem that is considered to be mandatory viewing for all film fans who want to understand how the evolution of visual narratives took place.
“Citizen Kane is to me the American style,” Spielberg said, while describing the film’s brilliance. “In its exuberance, in its innovation, in its use of lighting, time forwarding, film editing, makeup, docu-dramatic performance, it was the milestone movie of the last two generations. It’s the most audacious, purely American movie we have.” When considering the great vaults absolutely stacked with American movies, it is quite some feat to be suggested that one movie should be at the top of the pile.
Spielberg loved the film so much that he even bid around $160,000 (when adjusting for inflation) for the iconic Rosebud sledge. Explaining his decision, the director said: “This to me says that movies of my generation had better be good”. For Spielberg, Citizen Kane is still the gold standard of American filmmakers, and the Rosebud sledge is a constant reminder to keep pushing forward. There can be no greater metaphor for Spielberg’s own career.
