The Couch Potato's Guide to the Best of the Best: The Films of Steven Spielberg

Spielberg is the man. He’s a legend. He’s a franchise. As a director, he’s personified the Hollywood gold standard since 1975, the year of the first ever summer blockbuster, Jaws. As an artist, he’s written and directed films that examine myriad manifestations of conscience, duty, and courage. He has a gift for storytelling that transcends age, language, and culture—his movies have that magic Spielberg touch. In the forty-six years since Jaws, Spielberg has tackled every type of cinematic genre and somehow still been able to tiptoe a very thin line between commercial success and artistic integrity.

On the one hand, we have the hugely entertaining and popular films like Raiders of the Lost Ark, E.T., Jurassic Park, and Close Encounters of the Third Kind, movies that amaze, surprise, and boggle the imagination. These are worlds—as in Jurassic Park when the paleontologist Alan Grant spies his first brontosaurus and whispers, “It’s a dinosaur”—as seen through the eyes of a child.

But his films do not exist solely to (although they invariably do) entertain. Works like Schindler’s List, Saving Private Ryan, and Amistad faithfully recreate faithful slices of history that many would just as soon forget. Many WWII veterans had to leave theaters during the harrowing opening D-Day Invasion sequence in Ryan. One said it was simply “too real”. The ovens at Auschwitz, the slaughter at Utah Beach, or cruelty on the slave ship Amistad Spielberg creates are grim reminders of the forces of greed, hatred, and tyranny that have shaped so much of human history and which we can never afford to forget.

One of Spielberg’s many gifts as writer and director is his ability to condense great historical events into the most intimate of personal experiences—to conflate the epic and the personal. In Jaws, Captain Quint relates his experience on a sailor aboard the USS Indianapolis, which was torpedoed and sunk by a Japanese submarine. In a chilling sequence, Quint relates how, over the course of days, he saw dozens of sharks attack and kill over six hundred men.

Daniel Day Lewis’s depiction of Abraham Lincoln focuses on his role as a father, husband, and friend as much as it does our greatest president. Spielberg (and writer Tony Kushner) have succeeded in conflating the man with the historical icon, and—in the process, making him all the greater.

So, without further ado, the Couch Potato presents Steven Spielberg’s ten greatest films.

Steven Spielberg’s Ten Best Movies

Schindler’s List: Based on the true story of Oskar Schindler, an opportunistic German businessman who strikes a deal with the Jews of the Krakow ghetto to work in a factory he has acquired by bribing members of the Nazi Party. Working with Itzhak Stern and other members of the Jewish community, Schindler becomes very successful while Stern finds he is able to protect the Jews who are factory employees. After witnessing the massacre of over two thousand in the Krakow Ghetto, Schindler begins to focus on saving as many of his workers as possible, eventually sending over eight hundred—those on Schindler’s list—to freedom. Beautifully shot in black and white. Notable for Ben Kingsley’s masterful performance as Stern and Ralph Fiennes’ depiction of the psychotic Nazi Amon Goth.

Starring: Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Ben Kingsley, Jonathan Sagall, and Embeth Davidtz. Written by Steve Zaillian and directed by Steven Spielberg.

Jaws: A small New England resort town is terrorized by a giant white shark. Its new sheriff, Martin Brody (Roy Scheider) a New York City transplant who is afraid of the water, enlists the help of a young marine biologist (Richard Dreyfuss) and a grizzled fisherman (Robert Shaw). After the initial attack, Brody is pressured by the town’s mayor and merchants to keep the beaches open; to his regret, he does. Called one of the greatest horror films of all time, the shark is the consummate killing machine, devoid of all compassion or conscience. Jaws is a classic and has been analyzed by a number of critics; some maintain the shark is the castrator, that Brody must conquer it to establish his own potency. (Note the severed leg in an attack sequence and the camera track of Brody’s son’s legs as he is pulled from the water). Others maintain it is a response to Watergate. Notable for Quint’s description of the sinking of the USS Indianapolis.

Starring: Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss, Lorraine Gary, and Murray Hamilton. Written by Peter Benchley and Carl Gottlieb. Directed by Steven Spielberg.

Close Encounters of the Third Kind: A previously unrelated group of people find themselves strangely compelled to show up in strange places and do weird things. They share visions, hear the same music, and find themselves drawn to one specific location. Who’s behind it all? Aliens, of course. Spielberg’s incredibly imaginative and beautifully wrought fable of the best possible case scenario of visitors from another planet. Part detective story, part quest, and part science fiction, this is an exhilarating thrill ride from start to finish filled to the brim with (for the time) state-of-the-art special effects. The final unveiling of the mothership is as thrilling as it is astounding. Notable for the scene in which Richard Dreyfuss’ truck is scanned by a passing ship.

Starring: Richard Dreyfuss, Terri Garr, Melinda Dillon, Bob Balaban, and Francois Truffaut. Written and directed by Steven Spielberg.

E.T.: A lonely young boy is visited by a kindly alien who has been accidentally left behind on Earth by his shipmates. The boy, Elliot, takes in the alien, E.T., and tries to help him find his way back home. Helped by his older brother and little sister, Elliot succeeds in hiding E.T. from their distracted mother. As they grow closer, the boy realizes that a special, almost telepathic bond is growing between himself and the creature. When E.T. begins to fall ill and government forces close in on the alien life form, Elliot realizes that both their lives may be in danger. Notable for the chemistry between Henry Thomas (Elliot), Drew Barrymore (Gertie), and Robert McNaughton (Michael), the actors portraying the three siblings.

Starring: Henry Thomas, Dee Wallace, Peter Coyote, Robert McNaughton, Drew Barrymore, and a very young C.Thomas Howell. Written by Melissa Matheson. Directed by Steven Spielberg.

Lincoln: After being elected to his second term, and as the Union is finally winning the Civil War, Lincoln focuses his energy on the seemingly impossible task of persuading the House of Representatives to pass the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution, which would forever ban slavery in the United States. Using all his personal charm and political shrewdness, Lincoln forces the vote, forever cementing his legacy as the greatest president in American history. In a sterling performance, Daniel Day-Lewis’ Lincoln is a combination of worldly politician and homespun philosopher. Notable for Sally Fields’ equally brillaint performance as the outspoken first lady, Mary Todd Lincoln.

Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Fields, David Strathairn, Tommy Lee Jones, Jason Gordon Levitt, James Spader, John Hawkes, and Hal Holbrook. Written by Tony Kushner. Directed by Steven Spielberg.

The Post: In 1971, at the height of the Vietnam War, Washington Post publisher Katherine Graham must decide whether her paper will publish a series of leaked documents (The Pentagon Papers) exposing the government’s long-running duplicity about the state of the war in Vietnam. Lacking journalistic and editorial experience and warned that publishing the papers might result in the White House filing criminal charges, Graham leans heavily on the advice of editor Ben Bradlee. The final decision, however, rests with Ms. Graham, who must follow her own conscience. Notable for great supporting performances by Bob Odenkirk, Sarah Paulson, and Bradley Whitford.

Starring: Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep, Bob Odenkirk, Jesse Plemons, Sarah Paulson, and Bradley Whitford. Written by Liz Hannah and Josh Singer. Directed by Steven Spielberg.

Saving Private Ryan: In the aftermath of the D-Day invasion, an infantry squad is ordered behind enemy lines to track down a Private James Ryan, whose three brothers have been killed in combat, so that he can be sent home to his family. Resenting the fact that they are risking their lives for Ryan, the squad nevertheless fulfills its mission, finding Ryan who refuses to go, deciding it is his duty to stay with his own unit. Captain Miller decides to stay and fight alongside Ryan, hoping that doing so will redeem them all. Notable for the incredibly graphic and harrowing D-Day Invasion sequence.

Starring: Tom Hanks, Tom Sizemore, Barry Pepper, Edward Burns, Vin Diesel, Giovanni Ribisi, Jeremy Davies, Adam Goldberg, and Matt Damon. Written by Robert Rodat. Directed by Steven Spielberg.

The Color Purple: An epic story of one African American woman’s battle for respect, independence, and love. A young girl, Celie (Whoopi Goldberg), is separated from her sister Nettie and sold into a marriage to an abusive older man, Mister (Danny Glover) who treats her like a slave. As years pass, Celie discovers Mister has been hiding letters from Nettie. Furious, Celie leaves Mister, and finding her niche with the help of her friends Sophia (Oprah Winfrey) and Shug (Margaret Avery), she establishes her own independence, gains self-respect, and reunites with her long-lost sister. Notable for Whoopi Goldberg’s first performance as Celie.

Starring: Whoopi Goldberg, Oprah Winfrey, Danny Glover, Adolphe Caesar, Rae Dawn Chong, and Margaret Avery. Written by Menno Meyjes and Alice Walker. Directed by Steven Spielberg.

Jurassic Park: Another one of Spielberg’s action-packed visual masterpiece. Using modern genetic engineering, an entrepreneur is able to bring dinosaurs back to life and uses this state-of-the-art technology to make a theme park. Capitalism at its finest. The owner John Hammond (Richard Attenborough) commissions a group of experts to verify the park’s safety. During the tour, chaos ensues when one of the computer experts disarms the electrical fences. The dinosaurs run rampant, and the group finds themselves hunted down by wily velociraptors and regal T-Rex. Notable for the incredible special effects, particularly during the T-Rex attack on the Ford Explorer.

Starring: Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough, Samuel L. Jackson, and Wayne Knight. Written by Michael Crichton. Directed by Steven Spielberg.

Raiders of the Lost Ark: A spectacular adventure flick that harkens back to the days of swashbuckling heroes. Indiana Jones, a seemingly mild-mannered archeologist, is commissioned to find the Lost Ark of the Covenant, a relic containing mysterious and deadly powers capable of great destructive force, before the Nazis do. In pursuit of the Ark, Jones engages in impossibly spectacular chases, demonic evil, and amazing escapes. Notable for the beginning sequence, an incredible combination of suspense and surprise, a thrill ride that is second to none.

Starring: Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman, Ronald Lacey, and Denholm Elliot. Written by Lawrence Kasdan. Directed by Steven Spielberg.