Schindler's List - [Focus Film] E.T Indiana Jones and the Kingdom

1. I am investigating Steven Spielberg and how he has successfully reached different age segments of the audience by making family blockbusters and films with a serious social political purpose. Shawn Maworera • Schindler's List - [Focus Film] • E.T • Indiana Jones and the Kingdom • of the Crystal Skull • Lincoln

2. To achieve my AOI, I will be looking at Spielberg and his auteur signatures in relation: • Auteur theory • Narrative structure • Relatable Characters (hero and villain) • Cinematography • These above points are crucial in creating effective codes and conventions for the film to become a family blockbuster or a serious political film. I will be screening the interviews Spielberg himself and explaining how he achieved to reaching different ages. • Schindler's List 1993 - [Focus Film] • E.T 1982 • Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull 2008 • Lincoln 2012 • What makes Spielberg's family blockbusters with auteur features? • Adventure • Relatable characters • Fantasy • Relationships • Comedy • Personal experience • What makes Spielberg's socials and political films with his auteur features ? • Relatable characters • Adventure • Relationships • Realism • Personal experience • Hate/Revenge • Oppression

3. Auteur Theories Auteur comes from a French word which is author, this will be a director's personal creative vision, as if they were the primary "auteur“. Auteur theory has influenced film criticism since 1954, when it was advocated by film director and critic François Truffaut. Auteur’s have developed from the early years and most auteurs are working together providing different styles in attracting a wide range of ages. ’The author also points to the characteristic figure of the 'auteur'-star ('auteur' defined by his commercial star status) in which two significant groups of authors can be distinguished; commercial 'auteur' - e.g. Mel Gibson or Robert Redford and 'auteur' of commerce - e.g. Steven Spielberg or Brian de Palma. Citing Barthes' essay, he closes his essay by concluding that as 'auteurs function' in such a commercialised form, they are far from being dead - on the contrary - they are more vital today than ever.’ written by Corrigan T, (2007). The term auteur in Hollywood was influenced by three major changes in the film culture: the increase in the number of blockbusters made by syndicated film studios, the appearance of films made by the mini-major studios and the importance of the technology of home video. Whereby it is like having a trademark or brand meaning you can sell products easier from the name of the auteur. Also by having an auteur of the film, they are most likely to have their own style and this is important in attracting the audience to buy specific films.

4. I did a survey to find out if people think Steven Spielberg’s films are appealing to different ages. I received overwhelming response and most people agreed with my area of investigation. I received feedback from teenagers because Steven Spielberg’s films are related to mostly teenagers and adults. Also one of the people mentioned the films were appealing to her when she was younger. This shows Spielberg’s films are not only appealing for adults but for children too. Individual primary research

5. The list that Schindler and Stern compile of “necessary” workers is typed on white paper with black ink, which shows permanence. The list is white and good. The names are in black because the Jews are in the grasp of the Nazis for a while, until Schindler has them. Stern tells Schindler, “The list is an absolute good. The list is alive; all around its margins lies the cuff” (Schindler’s List). The list lives through the people who survive because of it.(item 9) • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGbi3rwi0NE Spielberg interview on recreating the true Holocaust story. 1-00 -1:14 • Characters •  Oskar Schindler saved over one thousand Jews from being killed during the Holocaust. The movie begins with Schindler making connections with the Nazis, which allows him to start two businesses during the war, with Jews as his unpaid workforce. Itzhak Stern, who is in charge of managing the business, pulls Jews out of lines going to the concentration camps and passes them off as “skilled workers.”  (item 9) • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOoWpTxKJGA • The camera angles portrays Schindler as a powerful gentlemen by using low angle shot gives Schindler an air of authority, who can stand up for his workers. This is complimented by Liam Neeson’s performance whereby his body posture is upright and his tone is calm and authoritarian. • Cinematography • Documentary style footage with a handheld camera. • Sense of coldness and strictness associated with the time and environment. • Black and white a historical context effect. 15-00 to 17.08 • ‘’ I took an approach of a documentary style, more than a David Lean approach which I love quoting and taking in my films, because I wanted the experience to be a personal experience and not to be seen in the front of the camera, I tried making the camera as a part of the storytelling than a character itself, I took a news camera approach and many of the scenes were hand held.’’- Spielberg Schindler’s List

6. The Extra-terrestrial • ‘’E.T. began with me trying to write a story about my parents' divorce, Even after I knew the truth, I blamed my dad, It's still a mystery to me, but even though my mother was kind of like an older sister to me, I kind of put her up on a pedestal. And my dad was much more terrestrial, much more grounded, much more salt of the earth. And for some reason, it was easier for me to blame him than it was to someone who I ... already exalted." ’’- Spielberg in • Characters • Elliott, is a middle aged boy essentially, wants attention from his family.The film's undercurrent is that a boy who has lost his father due to a parental separation gains an empathetic relationship with this extraterrestrial. When the authorities kill the alien, it is clear that the boy is dying too.  (item 14) • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7-2PB4jj2o • Cinematography • Gloom, and mist need to be properly lit • Characteristic texture of darkness • Mid-tone greys and a gritty texture • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xWMqsZOYWg Getting drunk scene • ‘’ E.T is the movie which people talk about the most, grand parents are telling me their grand children's to watch E.T and E.T was the film that wanted me to become a dad • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yaTNfpdInOo 6:00 to 8:57 • The conclusion annunciation, redemption, and resurrection, is right out of the New Testament; E.T.'s glowing finger most resembles God touching Man on the Sistine Chapel ceiling.

7. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull The idea of Indiana Jones came from: “The serialised adventure that would show in between a double feature back in the 19 40/50’s as shown a segment of a movie with a cliff hanger and about 15 to 16 segments by the end of it you would of saw an entire movie each one having a thrilling cliff hanger to it’’ – Spielberg http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MooEWYzNSJo 11.15   Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is the story of Indiana Jones rebuilding the notion of the modern family in his own image, a notion that was disregarded when the discourse surrounding the film’s spectacular opening sequence began to centre on how Indy survives it, and not what’s destroyed in the process. Item (15) David Ehrlich • Characters • Harrison Ford who plays is an intelligence leader of a character, that he was frightened and that he still managed to survive in any circumstances. • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMhfESAa4tw • Cinematography • Variety of camera angles • Hand held • POV • Pan • Establishing shots • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bn7r53SWEbA • The cinematography explores the adventure mood of the film as similar to the other Indiana Jones movies. The camera work is creative in creating the mood of the franchisee movie.

8. ‘’As a leader, role model and brilliant thinker so I was always interested, it wasn’t really until I met Dorothy W Goodwin in 1999 in a meeting unrelated to Lincoln and she said she was writing about the Lincolns presidency at that moment I realised for whatever she was writing been such an amazing artist, organiser of history and historical narrative. I would wanted to be involved ’’- Spielberg http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_ZTrA51CwA Characters People said that “he was one of the saddest men that ever lived, and that he was one of the jolliest men that ever lived … that he was a man of indomitable will, and that he was a man almost without a will; that he was a tyrant, and that he was the softest-hearted, most brotherly man that ever lived.” The real Lincoln, Holland concluded, was the sum of his contradictions. - DavidVonDrehle The relationships between the characters were very important to bring out the life which Lincoln was living and how that they are set into groups to bring out the oppression. Cinematography ‘’ The 90century the White House the office for the president all the different rooms this film takes its place in they only had gas lamps and candle light but there were also sun coming through the windows that meant balancing the sun coming through the window with a tickle of a candle light on his writing or his book he was reading that gave JanuszKamiński a latitude in making a movie that had alot of contrast.’’ Spielberg The adventurous participation which is shown in the cinematography and mise-en scene. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_ZTrA51CwA 35:36 to 36.50 The amazing cinematography is used in the picture to capture Lincoln living room and the mis-en-scene. The lighting is accurately place to show the power behind the president in the Whitehouse. Lincoln

9. Conclusion Spielberg's inspiration comes from his real life experiences. This could be the reason for the wide appeal of his films – because he takes real life issues that we can all relate too. For example his inspiration for ‘Schindlers’ List came from the fact that he felt discriminated against as a Jew and discrimination is something most people can relate too. His inspiration for ‘E.T.’ came out of his parents’ divorce, and family breakdown and wanting a friend is something a lot of people can relate too. Spielberg was inspired to create ‘Indiana Jone’sin an attempt to create a motion picture filled with action and adventure and with a male hero who is identifiable to the audience. In E.T. Eliot is able to stop the Government capturing E.T, in Indiana Jones, Indiana Jones triumphs against Extra-Terrestrial forces and Lincoln is able to stand up against oppression and abolish slavery. By creating hope and inspiration in this way, Spielberg is able to appeal to mass audience by addressing a serious social political message. He was inspired to be involved with the ‘Lincoln’ film because of his political views and his strong beliefs on the of document the historical events. Spielberg inspires his audience by creating an underdog that ends up triumphing over bigger forces. For example in ‘Schindler’s List’, Schindler is able to stand up against the holocaust and the Nazis by ensuring hope in the people.Social political messages in Spielberg’s films. ‘Lincoln’ is a biography documenting a political movement to abolish slavery and win the Civil war. The message here is that political and social change is possible. Lincoln is a historical movie but it does instil hope at the end of the movie by giving us the typical mainstream dramatic ending.