TOP 5: Steven Spielberg Films

---

Posted by Daniel Tuckeron 31. 12. 2011in Slider, Top 5

This was without question the hardest list Joseph and I have ever had to assemble. Steven Spielberg is truly a man that needs no introduction, having directed countless films that have implanted themselves deep into our culture. Almost every one of his films are iconic in one way or another.

With War Horse and The Adventures of TinTin in theaters, we take a look back at what Spielberg films we love the most. Naturally, your lists will be different. Please feel free to share!

 

DANIEL’S FAVORITES

5. Close Encounters of the Third Kind

 What a film. Everything about this movie draws me in, from Richard Dreyfuss’s performance to John Williams’s entrancing soundtrack. It’s a unique film that like all other Spielberg’s films captures not only our imaginations but our hearts as well.

4. E.T. 

The first time I saw this movie as a child, I bawled my eyes out when I thought E.T. was dead. It was the first time I had ever cried in a movie, but it wouldn’t be the last. Spielberg’s follow-up to E.T. has a contagious feeling of magic. You come to love E.T. just like the children do. It is a wonderful adventure for any age.

3. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

I appreciate that Raiders of the Lost Ark was the first film to feature Indiana Jones. I applaud that it the most financially successful and critically acclaimed of all the Jones adventures. However, in terms of sheer entertainment, I’d take Last Crusade any day of the week. The introduction of Sean Connery into the franchise as Indy’s father provides for one of the most unexpectedly delightful partnerships to ever grace the silver screen. It’s a great ride.

2. Jaws

The first summer blockbuster and model for those to come, Jaws is pure entertainment. It’s still just as suspenseful for me today as it was back when I saw the film for the first time. The performances by Roy Schneider, Robert Shaw, and Richard Dreyfuss are top-knotch, and John Williams’s immortal score is the icing on the cake. A true masterpiece.

1. Saving Private Ryan

Easily one of my favorite war movies of all time, Saving Private Ryan holds a special place in my heart. It was probably the first R-rated movie I ever watched as a child, during a time where we would dress up in camo and play war in the backyard. As I’v grown older in years, the movie  effects me in a different way. Tom Hanks gives a heck of a performance, as does the rest of a magnificent ensemble cast. My love for this movie grows over the years, and will continue to do so. It is at times a hard movie to stomach, but remains for me an incredibly moving experience.

 

JOSEPH’S FAVORITES

5. Munich

My wife won’t be pleased that Jurassic Park isn’t on this list (and almost made it), but she hasn’t seen Munich yet. With a running time close to three hours, it’s a hard film to get through, but is definitely worth the effort. The performances were good, especially from Eric Bana and Ciaran Hinds. It’s a large story that will keep you thinking after the credits roll.

4. Catch Me if You Can

My first interaction with Frank Abagnale’s story was reading about it in the newspaper; it just begged to be made into a feature-length film. Like most films in the genre, it treads a fine line between who the audience should root for. Do we want Frank to succeed in his pursuits, or do we want Carl to catch up with him? Spielberg succeeds in presenting the glamor, while at the same time undercutting it with harsher realities and consequences for Frank’s actions.

3. Schindler’s List

I watched Schindler’s List for the first time this year. It quickly became one of my favorite Spielberg films, and also one that I will probably not be watching again any time soon. It’s a great, exhausting film, with wonderful performances from Neeson and Fiennes. The quasi-documentary style and the black-and-white imagery really capture the emotion of the people and the landscape.

2. E.T. (The Extra Terrestrial)

The last time I watched E.T. was on an old VHS tape that had horrible lines running through it and a nasty green tint. It was still incredible to watch. I really appreciate the balance between childhood and the process of growing up in this film. The images continue to take my breath away, and John William’s score (as always) is a perfect complement to the film.

1. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

As much as I love Raiders of the Lost Ark, this is the Indiana Jones adventure that sticks with me the most. Sean Connery is brilliantly cast in a role that doesn’t seem like it would fit in his filmography, but does. Spielberg knows how to film action scenes, and this film is no exception. (I have chosen wisely)