Steven Spielberg is an iconic director in his own right whose legendary films include Jaws, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Jurassic Park, E.T. and more. He is one of the greatest pioneers of the New Hollywood era and has been an active figure for more than five decades, with various awards and accolades to his name.
Spielberg’s films belong to various genres, including sci-fi, fantasy, thriller, drama and more. He is known for using speed in his filmmaking technique; Speilberg’s trademark has now become a pivotal aspect in filmmaking. He has always called himself an “optimist”, brimming with “hope for this country [the United States of America] and for the entire world.” His optimism has aided him in creating some of the greatest films of all time that have helped cement his legacy as one of the most coveted pioneering figures in Hollywood.
A self-proclaimed cinephile, Spielberg has never shied away from referring to some of the greatest directors and their works, appreciating them and their creative ingenuity. From talking about how Stanley Kubrick and his filmmaking, especially 2001: A Space Odyssey– also Spielberg’s favourite- has influenced him immensely to talking about another of his favourites, The Searchers, whose director, John Ford, has always inspired him, Spielberg is an absolute fanboy when it comes down to paying homage and appreciating the works of his predecessors, contemporaries and successors.
While naming his 20 favourite films, Spielberg expressed vulnerability when he spoke of Francis Ford Coppola’s 1972 film The Godfather, which is one of his ultimate favourites.
In a documentary called The Godfather: The Coppola Restoration, Spielberg expressed how the film had a massive impact on him. He said, “I was pulverized by the story and the effect the film had on me.”
“I also felt that I should quit, that there was no reason I should continue directing because I would never achieve that level of confidence or the ability to tell a story [as well as Coppola did in The Godfather],” he said.
The director admitted that “In a way, it shattered my confidence.”
Adapted from Mario Puzo’s eponymous 1969 novella, the film revolves around the eponymous Godfather who is at the centre of the conflict as Sicilian Mafia paterfamilias battle out among themselves to assert dominance. Family structures fall apart with umpteen betrayals and bloodshed, and gruesome violence ensues as Don Vito Corleone and his sons try to keep the family close and battle out against their adversaries while seeking vengeance.
Starring Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, Robert Duvall, James Caan, Diane Keaton and more, the film is arguably Coppola’s magnum opus that continues to be one of the greatest flicks of all time, reigning supreme in the hearts of cinephiles and film critics.
Watch The Godfather on Netflix US now.
