Steven Spielberg is considered the world’s most commercially successful director, who has unprecedented control over his films. He has been credited with inventing the modern blockbuster and influencing the film industry dramatically. According to Echeverría-Domingo, Spielberg is known for his ability to mix a “classical film-making and an outstanding capacity to adapt himself to new genres” (4). In this paper, Spielberg’s cinematography techniques used in his feature films “Jaws,” “Saving Private Ryan,” and “Ready Player One” are analyzed and compared. Even though Spielberg has developed a genre that covers a wide range of topics and backgrounds, he has made his cinematic style unique and recognizable and can thus be called an auteur.
“Jaws” is one of the first feature films directed by Spielberg, a thriller that applies effective cinematography techniques to build remarkable scenes. The shots are used to tell the story and build up the tension in the viewer. Spielberg often makes the actors and camera move forward simultaneously, and uses the characters’ POVs, for example, when showing the shark approaching the swimmers. In this way, the audience not just observes the scene but feels fully engaged in the action. Dolly zooms and cuts to faces emerging in the frame emphasize unexpectedness and the lack of control over what is happening. The lighting in the film is mostly natural, as the action scene is a sunny seashore town. However, the horror happening at the beach in daylight is even more terrifying for the viewers. The yellow and red details, such as people’s red and yellow pieces of clothing, stand for hazard and blood. Eventually, all the elements used in “Jaws” contribute to the feeling of tension and fear that are predominant in the film.
The war drama film “Saving Private Ryan” portrays realistic battle scenes and creates intense feelings in viewers due to the well-applied cinematography techniques. Spielberg intended to make the movie as accurate as possible and show war in all its gruesomeness. To achieve realism, the camera was put among the soldiers and hand-held. The action was shot incoherently, and the scenes are abrupt. Spielberg made sure the frame captured explosions and wounded soldiers, reflecting the chaos at the Omaha beach. The constantly moving and shaking camera filmed figures running frantically in despair, while close-ups aimed to intensify the audience’s feelings. Besides, Spielberg used the desaturation of colors in the film, which made the scenes look even more dramatic. As to the lighting, the soldiers’ faces are slightly highlighted in contrast to the gloomy atmosphere of a cloudy day. “Saving Private Ryan” has created a standard for the further war films, whose directors began to employ Spielberg’s cinematographic principles in their scenes.
“Ready Player One” is a recent sci-fi adventure film that uses innovative cinematography techniques to unite the real and virtual worlds. With their help, Spielberg placed viewers inside the video game in the movie. The action shots are vivid and dynamic in both realities. However, Spielberg made a clear distinction between them, and the camera that portrays the virtual realm seems its integral part. For example, it reacts to the explosions, shakes a little, and switches between the players when they quit the game. The difference between the two worlds is enhanced by the close-ups of the characters putting on or taking off their VR gear. Besides, digital textures are used to create detailed characters’ avatars. Spielberg gave a lot of attention to the detail in this film, which is realized through numerous pop-culture references. The lighting is natural during the real-world scenes, reflecting the change from day to night. However, in the virtual world, the surroundings are dark, and only cyberspace lights are glowing. In “Ready Player One,” two worlds are merged, due to the use of enhanced cinematography, in comparison to the previous two films discussed.
In general, there are similar cinematographic moves in Spielberg’s films, even the ones that were shot in different decades. For example, the combination of the tracking shots, characters’ POVs, and the famous “Spielberg face” that vividly reflects the character’s feelings are present in all three films discussed above. Spielberg is well known for his ability to manipulate the audience’s emotions, and these techniques turn out effective to make the viewer feel what the author wants them to. Another similarity is putting ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances, such as a shark attack in “Jaws,” war in “Saving Private Ryan,” and the video game in “Ready Player One.” Besides, in these circumstances, the characters are struggling to survive and fight for their life. Overall, the dedication to his individual style allows Spielberg to make his works stand out.
To conclude, three feature films directed by Steven Spielberg at different points of his career are analyzed in this paper. There are distinctive features that let the viewer guess the film’s director immediately, such as framing, camera motion, focus, zoom, lighting, and color scheme. The author’s unparalleled style has defined Hollywood film-making and influenced the future of cinematography. Spielberg’s involvement in all the stages of the film-making process makes him not just the director, but also a true auteur of his works. Despite the main subject of the movie, Spielberg is ready to adapt to new discourses and technologies, meeting the audience’s needs.
Work Cited
Echeverría-Domingo, Julia. “David Roche (ed.), Steven Spielberg: Hollywood Wunderkind & Humanist.” Miranda, no. 17, 2018, pp. 1–4. Web.