Steven Spielberg's Movies

Steven Spielberg is one of the most successful directors of all time (in fact, may people would argue that he is the most successful director there has ever been) and his movies have been some of the most profitable and well known in history. His opening sequences are noted for being captivating, gripping and often scary, building tension and suspense. Born in 1946 in Ohio, Spielberg has become elite among directors. The gross of the films he has directed is estimated at $8.5 billion, and three of his films – Jurassic Park, Jaws and E.T. the extra-terrestrial – have achieved box office records.

Though Jaws is one of his most successful films, it was nearly shut down due to delays and budget over-runs. However, Spielberg went ahead with the film which was released in 1975 and went on to win three Academy Awards and grossed at $471 million, setting box office records. The opening of Jaws is chronological; it also has a beginning, middle and an end. The beginning and the end are brought back to perfect equilibrium – everything is calm and peaceful. Seeing the first victim swimming from the shark’s point of view makes the audience wonder what is watching her, and never seeing what is attacking her plays on many people’s fear of the unknown. The editing is frantic, cutting from shot to shot, angle to angle. The camera flashes from Chrissie (the swimmer) being killed to the boy on the beach – this gives the audience some hope that he will wake up and rescue her. This hope is crushed when she is killed. The Jaws movie soundtrack is classic and the music when victims are killed or the shark is expected to appear has become renowned throughout the world. John Williams who created the music also put the Jurassic Park soundtrack together...

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...ws, Saving Private Ryan, Amistad and Jurassic Park. These include death in the first few minutes which grabs your attention, and fading into another scene after the death, often with calm water in the new scene. The victims/victim is normally moved around a lot. The beginning of both Jaws and Jurassic Park create tension as something is moving through the sea in Jaws and through the trees in Jurassic Park – and the audience never sees what is attacking. They are both set at night which automatically builds a sense of foreboding; there is no blood from the first victims and shafts of light are filtering from above and behind. In Jaws, Jurassic Park and Saving Private Ryan the audience observes shots from the killer’s point of view. There are close ups on body parts of victims and main characters during all of these films, often using extreme close ups for effect.