Why Steven Spielberg Deserves to Win His Third Best Directing Oscar

Steven Spielberg has directed some of the most iconic films in the history of cinema, from the heartwarming “E.T.” to the action-packed “Jurassic Park.” He has won numerous accolades throughout his career, including two Academy Awards for Best Directing. Now, as Academy Awards: Oscars 2023 is near we can’t help but anticipate a third Oscar for Steven Spielberg as his film, The Fabelmans is nominated for 7 Oscars. 

With his unparalleled talent, dedication, and vision, Spielberg has continuously pushed the boundaries of filmmaking, creating unforgettable cinematic experiences that have captivated audiences for decades. In this article, we will explore why Steven Spielberg is a true master of his craft and why he deserves to add another Best Directing Oscar to his already impressive list of achievements.

Steven Spielberg’s movie directing style is very unique. Here are the few features of his directing style which make him stand out among other directors and make him worthy of a third Oscar.

Personalized Approach 

Steven Spielberg

While many filmmakers shy away from revealing personal connections to their work, Steven Spielberg has never been one to hold back. Over his 50-year career, he has explored recurring themes of family reunification, absent fathers, and community dissolution in his films. He offers a glimpse into his own experiences. 

Spielberg’s openness about his childhood – with a father who moved the family around frequently, and a divorce caused by his mother’s involvement with his father’s best friend – has provided insight into his psyche. 

His willingness to discuss personal events has allowed audiences to better understand his films and the adulthood problems of 20th-century American males. With a Peter Pan complex often attributed to him, Spielberg’s Peter Pan movie makes it clear he isn’t running from his demons.

Films as a Memoir

Steven Spielberg

In his latest cinematic offering, The Fabelmans, Steven Spielberg has given audiences a rare glimpse into the deeply personal world of his childhood. With a delicate touch, he weaves a lightly fictionalized account of his own life, using the subtle motifs and themes that have become his signature to create a deeply resonant portrait of a young artist coming of age.

Drawing on his own experiences, Spielberg gives voice to the unspoken truths that have shaped his life and work. From the reckless abandonment of Mitzi Fabelman’s driving to the echoes of Roy Neary’s pursuit of the unknown in “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” Spielberg reveals the hidden threads that have bound his life and art together.

But it is in the portrayal of the single blonde mothers, forming pseudo-marriages with men who are not their husbands, that Spielberg truly lays bare his soul. With a heart-wrenching honesty, he confronts the pain of his mother’s abandonment, exploring the complex emotions that have lingered with him for decades. Steven Spielberg mother abandoned him, this is what he has portrayed in this film.

Through “The Fabelmans,” Spielberg offers us not just a glimpse into his own life, but a greater understanding of ourselves as well. For in his use of motifs and themes, we see reflected the deeper truths of our own lives – the hopes and fears, the joys and sorrows, that make us human. And it is this, perhaps more than anything else, that sets Spielberg apart as a master storyteller – his ability to tap into the universal experiences that bind us all together and to use them to craft works of art that touch the very core of our being. 

Creative Courage

Steven Spielberg

If we were to peer into the heart and mind of a great director, we would likely find a brave and restless spirit, a soul that yearns to explore the uncharted territory of cinema. And in the case of Spielberg, we can see that creative courage is indeed a key factor that sets him apart from his peers.

For years, Spielberg found refuge in the safety of science fiction, a genre that provided him with a canvas for his wildest dreams and imaginations. But as he matured as a filmmaker, he knew he needed to push himself beyond the limits of genre conventions and find a new path, one that would challenge him and test his artistic mettle.

And so, in “The Fabelmans,” we see Spielberg embarking on a journey of self-discovery, delving into the puddles of his own life to find a narrative that is both universal and true to his personal experiences. With fearless determination, he approaches the material with fierce intent, wrestling with his real-life story to create a cinematic experience that transcends the boundaries of his previous work.

From young Sammy’s movie projection onto his cupped hands to Mitzi’s dancing in the headlights, backed by John Williams’s enchanting score, we are transported to a world that is at once familiar and extraordinary. But it is the film’s climax that truly showcases Spielberg’s creative courage and his willingness to push the boundaries of his own art. 

In the end, Spielberg’s creative courage is the key factor that sets him apart from his peers. Through his unwavering commitment to exploring new frontiers and pushing the boundaries of his own art, he has cemented his place as one of the greatest directors of our time, a master of his craft, and a true inspiration to us all.

Honesty Combined with Dramatic Embellishments 

Steven Spielberg

How Spielberg combines creativity and honesty in The Fabelmans is truly extraordinary. Although the movie may not present a completely factual depiction of his childhood, it conveys a truth that can only be expressed through the medium of film. Memories are not always accurate, and constructing a cohesive narrative of one’s childhood requires embellishment and imagination.

Throughout the film, Spielberg adeptly manages the tension between his childhood perspective and his adult understanding of events. In one scene, Sammy’s father declares that he is initiating the divorce, a partial truth that Spielberg believed for many years, while Mitzi admits to having fallen in love with someone else. By expressing both the old falsehood and the new reality at the same time, Spielberg captures the confusion he felt as a child and the complexity of memory.

After Steven Spielberg’s dad and his relationship came on good terms, his work evolved, becoming more focused on exploring the perspective of the father figure. In War of the Worlds, for example, Spielberg depicted a family rift from the father’s viewpoint, while Minority Report featured a father shattered by the kidnapping of his son. Even Lincoln dealt with the themes of reunification and separation.

Throughout his career, Spielberg has remained personal in his work, and his perspective has grown more mature. The Fabelmans is not just an autobiography, but rather another stage in his ongoing endeavor to be as authentic as possible in his art. Perhaps the most effective approach to achieving this is by directly telling one’s own story.

More Open to Direct Autobiography, and More Comfortable with Public Scrutiny

Steven Spielberg

Directors often turn to their own lives for inspiration in their filmmaking, drawing from personal experiences to craft stories that resonate with audiences on a deeply emotional level. From Truffaut to Fellini, many celebrated filmmakers have used their childhood memories as a launching point for cinematic masterpieces. Yet, when it comes to autobiographical filmmaking, no one does it quite like Steven Spielberg. Steven Spielberg’s movies have a unique perspective. 

Unlike many of his peers, Spielberg has made autobiographical storytelling a consistent thread throughout his entire career. With each new release, he continues to peel back the layers of his own life, revealing the joys and pains of his journey with a level of raw honesty that is rare in Hollywood.

For Spielberg, filmmaking is more than just a job – it is a form of self-expression, a way to connect with the world and make sense of his own experiences. And while the vulnerability that comes with laying one’s soul bare on the big screen can be daunting, Spielberg has embraced it fully. 

For this reason, Spielberg’s latest attempt at autobiographical filmmaking is all the more remarkable. With each new project, he pushes himself to go deeper, to reveal more of his own story, and to create a connection with his audience that is both profound and unforgettable. And in doing so, he has become not only a master filmmaker but also a true artist – one who is unafraid to expose his own vulnerability to inspire and uplift others

Employs all the Tools to Evoke Majesty in Each Scene 

Steven Spielberg

In the concluding moments of the movie, Sammy unexpectedly meets his idol, the legendary filmmaker John Ford. Spielberg has revealed that the conversation between them is an accurate representation of their actual interaction. However, Spielberg takes it a step further by casting David Lynch, the avant-garde director famous for his unconventional works, as Ford.

The decision to unite these three directors is a brilliant move that demonstrates Spielberg’s talent for bridging the divide between mainstream movie-making and experimental cinema. Through this scene, Spielberg manages to capture the vastness and potential of the cinematic art form, utilizing all of his skills as a writer, casting director, actor, and director.

This artistic choice is not only a source of pleasure for film enthusiasts but also serves as evidence of Spielberg’s ability to convey the essence of cinema in a single sequence.

Wrap Up!

In the end, it’s not just about the numbers or the accolades. Steven Spielberg’s legacy in cinema is unmatched, and his impact on the industry will be felt for generations to come. From the blockbusters that captivated audiences worldwide to the deeply personal stories that touched our hearts, Steven Spielberg movies represent the very best of what cinema can offer.

With The Fabelmans, he has once again proven that he is a master storyteller, capable of evoking the full range of human emotions with his craft. Whether he wins his third Best Director Oscar or not, one thing is certain: Spielberg’s influence on filmmaking will continue to be felt long after the awards season has ended.

Maheen Zaib

Maheen is an entertainment journalist by profession and a literary connoisseur in her leisure. When not delving into the latest industry scoop, you can find her immersed in the pages of a favorite book or indulging in the timeless allure of a classic film.

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