Few would argue against the notion that Steven Spielberg is a true titan of cinema. His name is synonymous with the allure of Hollywood blockbuster brilliance, with many of his greatest films exuding a sense of warmth and entertainment value, and yet his filmography sprawls across many genres and tones, ranging from numbing war masterpieces like Schindler’s List and Saving Private Ryan to introspective, semi-biographical gem in the criminally underrated The Fabelmans. All this is to say when Steven Spielberg speaks about film, everyone from active filmmakers to casual moviegoers ought to listen.
Joyfully, the filmmaking icon has long been outspoken about the movies that have had the greatest influence on his career, presenting a vast array of great pictures that fans of Spielberg the world over simply must seek out. Ranging from monumental classics of Hollywood’s golden era to masterpieces of genre filmmaking, and even to a couple of modern marvels as well, these are 10 movies that Steven Spielberg has publicly lauded, and viewing recommendations don’t come any more emphatic than that.
10
‘The Searchers’ (1956)
Spielberg has said that every time he is about to embark on a new directorial effort, he first sits down and watches several movies that move and inspire him. He has expanded to say there are just four movies that he will watch every single time that time comes around. The Searchers is among them, and it is easy to see how the Western has had an impact on Spielberg’s career, particularly with the manner in which John Ford frames, composes, and stages each shot, and how he creates a kinetic and lively spectacle even with deceptively minimal movement.
Spielberg himself said as much in an interview with AFI (the American Film Institute) in which he heaped praise on the 1956 Western which follows Civil War veteran Ethan Edwards (John Wayne) and his adopted nephew as they spend years pursuing the Comanches who raided their home and abducted two young girls. Not only a breathtaking visual feat that exemplifies the cinematic majesty of America’s landscapes, but a surprisingly progressive exploration of racism, morality, and violence as well, The Searchers is an enduring classic that has had a profound impact on Spielberg’s career, and doubtless plenty of other filmmakers as well.
9
‘Lawrence of Arabia’ (1962)
Another of the films that Spielberg always watches before directing a movie, Lawrence of Arabia is one of cinema’s quintessential epics, a ravishing war odyssey biographing the WWI exploits of T. E. Lawrence (Peter O’Toole) in the Arabian desert. Marrying compelling drama with some of the most stunning visuals in the history of film, David Lean’s masterpiece is truly one of the form’s most defining triumphs, and its grandeur made an immediate impression on Spielberg when he first saw the movie in 1962.
In an essay written for Empire in 2021, Spielberg lauded the film’s enrapturing yet hostile shots of the desert, particularly its elongated crossing the desert sequence and a brilliant cut to camel riders drinking from an oasis, which he described as “one of the greatest moments in movie history.” While appearing on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Spielberg cited the movie as being the picture he has watched the most in his life, and he was even involved in a rigorous and masterful restoration of the film in 1989.
8
‘Citizen Kane’ (1941)
A pioneering classic of cinema that innovated a plethora of ideas and techniques that are still in use on every film today, Citizen Kane is as much a masterclass in technical filmmaking as it is a timeless tale of power, influence, and the hollow nature of the American dream. It is a tour-de-force display from Orson Welles, who co-wrote, directed (as his feature film debut), and starred in the immortal masterpiece, with the courage and conviction of his filmmaking being particularly impactful on Steven Spielberg.
Speaking with AFI Spielberg heralded Citizen Kane as being a major inspiration for him to get into cinema and film direction, commending its visual grandeur, storytelling style, and stirring audacity as just some of the qualities that left an indelible mark on him. Furthermore, in 1982, Spielberg purchased one of the original “Rosebud” sleds for over $60,000, an artifact that he describes as being the greatest memento he possesses. He has described the film as being “one of the great American experiences in the cinema.”
7
‘Dune: Part Two’ (2024)
While Steven Spielberg has long voiced his admiration of the many old classics that have influenced him throughout his career, he has also been active in championing modern cinematic achievements. As covered by Variety, during his appearance on DGA’s “Director’s Cut” podcast with Denis Villeneuve, Spielberg was eager to heap praise upon the Canadian filmmaker for the magnitude of what he accomplished with Dune: Part Two, describing him as being in a rare group of directors who excel as “builders of worlds” and regarding the blockbuster epic as being “one of the most brilliant science-fiction films I’ve ever seen.”
Following on from 2021’s Dune, and adapting the second half of Frank Herbert’s esteemed novel, Dune: Part Two follows Paul Atreides’s (Timothée Chalamet) conquest to defeat House Harkonnen and rise above the emperor to avenge his fallen house. Brought to life with an astonishing visual display and enrapturing audio design, it stands as a defining triumph of 2020s cinema thus far. Additionally, with the Dune movies succeeding the likes of Blade Runner 2049 and Arrival, the movie’s groundbreaking cultural impact can be seen as something of a passing of the baton from Spielberg to Villeneuve as the modern maestro of epic blockbuster sci-fi.
6
‘The Greatest Show on Earth’ (1952)
There is a touching, full-circle beauty to Spielberg’s adoring relationship with The Greatest Show on Earth, with the Best Picture winner marking his earliest memory of film, a memory he reflects on as being both terrifying and formative. 70 years after being left awestruck by the Cecil B. DeMille film as a child, Spielberg was able to honor the effect the movie had on him in his own semi-autobiographical coming-of-age drama, The Fabelmans, with a scene in which the young protagonist watches the train-crash sequence from the 1952 movie being depicted as the moment Spielberg fell in love with cinema.
It is certainly an interesting movie to revisit today. Revolving around the people involved in a traveling circus, the film’s storytelling style and sensitivities are somewhat outdated, and it is often viewed as being among the weakest Best Picture winners in Academy Award history. That being said, it still has its commendable qualities, not least of which is that it was instrumental in inspiring a young Steven Spielberg to become a filmmaker. That feat alone is reason enough to seek out The Greatest Show on Earth and see what it has to offer.
5
‘The Best Years of Our Lives’ (1946)
In a 2018 article from The Herald-Times concerning the looming release of Ready Player One, Steven Spielberg highlighted William Wyler as being one of his favorite directors of all time, praising the sheer versatility of the filmmaker’s career. He even went so far as to say “I’ll never be as good a director as William Wyler, but to be eclectic like he was — that was always something I wanted.” Spielberg has praised many of the director’s films over the years, but in selection of just five movies for Goop he singled out his 1946 war classic, The Best Years of Our Lives.
Following three WWII veterans who, despite their different placements in life, have each returned to find themselves forever changed by their service, it is a hopeful yet harrowing exploration of the psychological and social challenges soldiers faced as they reintegrated back into life at home. The empathy it shows towards its characters is a clear influence on Spielberg’s storytelling style, while its unflinching analysis of the struggles soldiers endured—bolstered by Wyler’s own experiences in the war—can be clearly seen in Spielberg movies like Saving Private Ryan.
4
‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ (2014)
Superhero cinema has been the defining trend in blockbuster cinema for the bulk of the 21st century so far, producing such esteemed modern classics as The Dark Knight and Iron Man, both of which are movies Spielberg has praised publicly. However, the movie of the action subgenre that has most impressed him is the MCU’s freewheeling space adventure, Guardians of the Galaxy, a fast-and-loose gem of action-comedy following a rag-tag team of intergalactic outlaws, assassins, and thieves as they stand against a powerful tyrant and his endeavor to acquire a powerful orb and take control of the universe.
As quoted by MovieWeb, Spielberg commented, “when the movie ended, I left the cinema with the feeling that I had just experienced something new, free of cynicism, and without concern for being gritty when necessary.” To be fair, it is easy to see shades of the adventurous warmth and blockbuster fun that has defined Spielberg’s career in the 2014 movie. Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn revealed on X (then Twitter) that Spielberg’s words marked the greatest compliment he had ever received.
3
‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ (1946)
Steven Spielberg is certainly not the first director to mention Frank Capra’s enduring classic as being a significant influence on his own work, and he is unlikely to be the last. The epitome of feel-good, crowd-pleasing, emotionally-charged cinema, It’s a Wonderful Life sees James Stewart star as George Bailey, a generous everyman brought to the brink of suicide after being cast into financial ruin only to see the impact his life has made when an angel grants his wish—that he had never been born—and he sees how different his community would be without him.
It is one of the four movies Spielberg revisits every time he embarks on the making of a new picture, heralding its mastery of sensitive character development and precise, powerful, and emotional storytelling. As covered by the LA Times, Spielberg has lauded it as a movie that “shows that every human being on this earth matters – and that’s a very powerful message.” It has often been cited as being one of Spielberg’s all-time favorite films, and its impact on his career, particularly his warmer, more soulful movies, is clear to see.
2
‘Seven Samurai’ (1954)
The fourth and final of the films Spielberg rewatches every time he directs a movie, Seven Samurai is the most defining masterpiece of Akira Kurosawa’s illustrious career. A period epic, a socially-minded drama, and a pioneering example of early action cinema, it transpires as a band of seven warriors are amassed to help a poor farming village defend their homes and crops from the attacks of a savage bandit gang roaming their region.
In a piece for Far Out Magazine in 2024, Spielberg included the Japanese classic on a list of 20 movies that he put forth as being his favorite movies of all time. Key elements of the movie that frequently feature in Spielberg’s own movies include its ability to combine large-scale storytelling with intimate, character-driven drama, its outstanding display of action choreography, and the creativity and efficiency of its shots, with Kurosawa’s innovative use of camera movements and framing often being likened to Spielberg’s own visual style, particularly his trademark “Spielberg oner.” Leveling high praise at Kurosawa’s career in its entirety, Spielberg is quoted as saying “all the time I spent with Kurosawa’s films have done so much to inspire me to be a better filmmaker” (Japanese Cinema Archives).
1
‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ (1968)
Steven Spielberg has often discussed his 19-year friendship with Stanley Kubrick as being a major influence on his career, with their bond based on mutual admiration, mentorship, and their love of film. In many respects, their friendship serves as a bridge between two generations of filmmakers, and two very different eras of Hollywood cinema. It is little surprise that Spielberg regards Kubrick’s perennial classic 2001: A Space Odyssey as being one of the most important viewing experiences of his life.
When he appeared on the first episode of James Cameron’s Story of Science Fiction, Spielberg spoke at length about the influence the movie had on him, with IndieWire reporting he even commented “it was the first time I went to a movie and really felt like I was having a religious experience.” Despite the fact that Kubrick and Spielberg are starkly different filmmakers—Spielberg’s typical warmth is almost a polar opposite to Kubrick’s icy tone of observation—the impression 2001: A Space Odyssey made on Spielberg and his career is blatantly obvious, fundamentally shaping his approach to sci-fi cinema while fueling his passion for stories of wonder and scale.
2001: A Space Odyssey
- Release Date
-
April 10, 1968
- Runtime
-
149 minutes
-
Keir Dullea
Dr. David Bowman
-
Gary Lockwood
Dr. Frank Poole
Source link
