In an about-face, lens is on Spielberg
HBO documentary puts the very private filmmaker through his emotional paces
Steven Spielberg stood outside the main theatre on the Paramount Studios lot last week, waiting for the première of a documentary that had already put him through an emotional wringer.
What had initially unnerved the Oscarwinning director was the subject of the documentary: Steven Spielberg.
The film, simply titled “Spielberg” and premièring Oct. 7 on HBO, is the most extensive and insightful examination to date of the filmmaker, who is at once the most popular and successful in movie history, and one of the most private and elusive creators in Hollywood.
Said the 70-year-old Spielberg, “I knew in watching the film, I would have to face myself. I had a couple of nice cries. But I was very pleased. If I had to do it all over again, I would do it with Susan.”
“Susan” is Susan Lacy, the creator of the groundbreaking “American Masters” series on PBS, which centred on revelatory profiles of several prominent artists and musicians, including Paul Simon, Joni Mitchell and the late Mike Nichols. Lacy left PBS four years ago after signing a multiyear deal with HBO to produce and direct documentaries. “Spielberg” is her first project for the pay-cable network.
The 2 ½-hour film utilizes generous clips from blockbusters (“Jaws,” “Close Encounters of the Third Kind”, “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial”), more serious endeavours (the Oscar-winning “Schindler’s List,” “Saving Private Ryan”), films that stoked controversy (“The Color Purple”) and even misfires (“1941”).
The filmography traces the evolution of the artist who first fell in love with movies as a young boy and later blossomed into a master craftsman and storyteller whose phenomenal financial and commercial success changed the face of the film industry.
The film illustrates how Spielberg’s personal turmoils and triumphs have emerged as themes in his work. His unconventional upbringing — which included being bullied as a child and the divorce of his parents leading to bitter estrangement from his father — and his longstanding denial of his Jewish heritage followed by an overwhelming embrace; his divorce from his first wife, actress Amy Irving; and his bliss with second wife, ac- tress Kate Capshaw, and their large multicultural family are all factors that come into play in “Spielberg” the film and Spielberg the filmmaker. Also prominent are home movies of Spielberg at work and at play, many of which have never been seen.
Weighing in with testimonials and anecdotes are members of Hollywood’s elite — directors Scorsese, George Lucas, Brian De Palma and Francis Ford Coppola, as well as Tom Hanks, Holly Hunter, Leonardo DiCaprio, Liam Neeson, Dustin Hoffman, Oprah Winfrey and Christian Bale, who made his film debut as a 13-year-old in Spielberg’s “Empire of the Sun.”
Lacy characterized “Spielberg” as “the most challenging film I’ve done. Steven is a living legend, and he is still with us. And to do a film about the most famous and successful director in the world is itself a challenge. I chose not to think about that too much. If I had, I don’t think I would have been able to make the film.”
The two convened for “at least 15 interviews, minimum two hours each.” Lacy also conducted close to 90 additional interviews.
Despite his massive success, Spielberg has long maintained a low public profile — he rarely grants interviews and has never recorded a DVD commentary for any of his films. Still, convincing him to participate in the project proved to be relatively easy for Lacy — the two had established a good rapport when she had interviewed him for a few previous “American Masters” instalments, including a profile on artist Norman Rockwell. (“He has one on the biggest private collections of Norman Rockwell in the world.”)
She said there were “absolutely no ground rules” for the project, though there were delicate areas.
Still, tackling the depth and expanse of Spielberg in 2 ½ hours was a daunting task — at one time, Lacy considered extending “Spielberg” to two nights. And even though Spielberg is a Hollywood hyphenate — studio owner, film producer and executive producer of numerous television series — Lacy chose to focus mostly on his achievements as the director of more than 30 films.
The tone of the documentary is primarily positive — it is clear that Lacy is a huge admirer of Spielberg’s work. Much of the project is weighted toward his career highlights — about 25 minutes is devoted to “Schindler’s List.” His less successful films, such as “1941,” “War Horse,” “The BFG,” “The Terminal,” “Hook” and “Always” are barely discussed or absent from the film.
Still, Lacy pointed out that she did include less than positive views on Spielberg in the documentary. Some film critics take shots at what they said was the downplaying of the gritty realism of novelist Alice Walker in his adaptation of “The Color Purple,” and “Empire of the Sun” screenwriter Tom Stoppard takes exception to the sentimentality of that film.