Advanced
Error loading page.
Try refreshing the page. If that doesn't work, there may be a network issue, and you can use our self test page to see what's preventing the page from loading.
Learn more about possible network issues or contact support for more help.
Title details for Steven Spielberg by Ian Nathan - Available

Steven Spielberg

The Iconic Filmmaker and His Work

by Ian Nathan
ebook
1 of 1 copy available
Borrow Read a sample Read a sample
1 of 1 copy available
This comprehensive and in-depth study delves into the life and works of the most famous director who has ever lived, Steven Spielberg.
Spielberg is the medium's defining artist—the embodiment of the Hollywood ideal: the commercial potential of film married to its creative possibilities. He's widely popular, but he's also a stylist, and far darker than he is given credit for. Often, it is this very darkness that speaks to us. But, it's also his incredible knack for telling stories with lightness that speaks to millions, by mixing the extraordinary with the ordinary. His leading characters, even Indiana Jones, are marked by their vulnerability, their mistakes, their yearning. It's the human touch.
There are so many parts to Spielberg's story: the suburban background that supplied the films with a biographical streak; the collaborations (with George Lucas and the Movie Brats in general, with composer John Williams, producer Kathleen Kennedy, editor Michael Khan, stars Richard Dreyfus, Harrison Ford, and Tom Hanks, and mogul and mentor Sid Sheinberg). The myths that bloomed from the making of these films.The nightmare shoot and stubborn shark behind Jaws. The strange ambitions of Close Encounters. Dive bombing with 1941. Inventing Indiana Jones. Re-inventing the blockbuster with Jurassic Park. Venturing into history's darkest shadows with Schindler's List. Transforming a genre with Saving Private Ryan. The muscular, unpredictable, confrontational Spielberg of Minority Report, Munich, and Lincoln.
And then there is his family. How his films, even late in his career—lionized, untouchable—went in search of approval from his parents. Just as he has craved the approval of his peers. That fateful Oscar took so long in coming...
Defining, appreciating, contextualizing, and understanding the films of Spielberg is a tall order. Their simplicity is deceptive. You have to cut through the glow, the adoration, the simple joy that comes with their embrace, and get to the thrust of the filmmaking. Sourcing the inspirations, locating the critical nuance, the nurtured performance, and the recurrent theme—so many of his films have become timeless—this book celebrates all this and more.

  • Creators

  • Series

    Iconic Filmmakers Series

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    October 1, 2024

  • Formats

    • Kindle Book

    • OverDrive Read

      • ISBN: 9780711295247

    • EPUB ebook

      • ISBN: 9780711295247
      • File size: 27202 KB

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Booklist

      September 1, 2024
      Film critic Nathan's Iconic Filmmakers series has covered the careers of Tim Burton, Quentin Tarantino, Wes Anderson, and Clint Eastwood, among others. The books, including this new one about Spielberg, have a few things in common: they are unauthorized, relying for the most part on previously published sources; they are profusely illustrated, with behind-the-scenes photos, staged publicity pics, and so forth; and they are written in an enthusiastic style by a guy who knows his stuff. Like Nathan's film reviews, his books are perceptive and informative: even if you think you already know everything there is to know about Spielberg, you'll learn a few new things from this book. The author's efforts to separate truth from fiction is very interesting, too: he'll recount a famous Spielberg story and then point out that the story might not be entirely anchored in fact. The book isn't a definitive guide to Spielberg's career, but it doesn't pretend to be. It is exactly what the author wants it to be: a lively, entertaining, insightful tour through the director's films.

      COPYRIGHT(2024) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Formats

  • Kindle Book
  • OverDrive Read
  • EPUB ebook

subjects

Languages

  • English

Loading
Check Out What People Are Checking Out Right Now