History Creator / StevenSpielberg

* GenreRoulette: While often associated with science fiction (''Film/CloseEncountersOfTheThirdKind'', ''Film/ETTheExtraTerrestrial'', ''Film/AIArtificialIntelligence'', ''Film/MinorityReport'', ''Film/{{Ready Player One|2018}}''), he's done monster movies (''Film/{{Jaws}}'', ''Film/{{Jurassic Park|1993}}''), action adventure (''Franchise/IndianaJones''), comedy (''[[Film/NineteenFortyOne1979 1941]]''), romance (''Film/{{Always}}'', ''Film/TheTerminal''), war epics (''Film/EmpireOfTheSun'', ''Film/SchindlersList'', ''Film/SavingPrivateRyan'', ''Literature/WarHorse''), crime dramas (''Film/TheSugarlandExpress''), disaster movies (''Film/{{War of the Worlds|2005}}''), fantasy (''Film/{{Hook}}'', ''Film/TheBFG''), {{biopic}}s (''Film/CatchMeIfYouCan''[[note]]Although later research found it was all widely BasedOnAGreatBigLie.[[/note]], ''Film/{{Lincoln}}''), {{period piece}}s and historical dramas (''Film/TheColorPurple1985'', ''Film/{{Amistad}}''), political thrillers (''Film/{{Munich}}'', ''Film/BridgeOfSpies'', ''Film/ThePost''), suspense thrillers (''Film/{{Duel}}''), comic book movies (''WesternAnimation/{{The Adventures of Tintin|2011}}''), even a musical (''Film/{{West Side Story|2021}}'').

Spielberg is also known for being a collaborator with other very popular films including ''Film/{{Poltergeist|1982}}'' and ''Film/TheGoonies'' (a team effort with Creator/RichardDonner and Creator/ChrisColumbus). Even recently he was found working in mega-blockbusters like ''Film/{{Transformers}}''. He was additionally a co-founder of the studio Creator/DreamWorksSKG in 1994 alongside Creator/{{Disney}} studio chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg and record producer David Geffen. [=DreamWorks=] and Spielberg (as producer) would later go on to make the first ''VideoGame/MedalOfHonor'' video game, widely regarded as the [=PS1=]'s ''[[VideoGame/GoldenEye1997 GoldenEye]]''. He still runs [[VanityPlate Amblin]] [[Creator/AmblinEntertainment Entertainment]].

* ''Franchise/{{Transformers}}''

* AdolfHitlarious: After applying it in some level on films like ''[[Film/NineteenFortyOne1979 1941]]'' and two of the ''Franchise/IndianaJones'' movies (''Film/RaidersOfTheLostArk'' and ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheLastCrusade'', he put on record that he swore off ever using this trope again after filming ''Film/SchindlersList'', thinking that portraying the Nazis as anything else but pure unmockable evil was just in poor taste. This is one of the various RealLifeWritesThePlot elements that led to a planned ''Film/WhoFramedRogerRabbit'' sequel set during UsefulNotes/WorldWarII to be scrapped and forced ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheKingdomOfTheCrystalSkull'' to use Russian Communists as the villains. ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheDialOfDestiny'' went back to using Nazi villains once Spielberg stepped down as director and Creator/JamesMangold took over, though Spielberg remained on board as a producer and loved the final film when he saw it.

* AssociatedComposer: All those {{leitmotif}}s you currently have stuck in your head are composed by Music/JohnWilliams, who has scored all but four of Spielberg's films since ''Film/TheSugarlandExpress''. (The sole exceptions are ''Film/TheColorPurple'', which they mutually agreed would be better served with music by Music/QuincyJones; ''Film/BridgeOfSpies'', due to a health issue; ''Film/{{Ready Player One|2018}}'', due to time constraints[[labelnote:*]]post-production for Spielberg's other film ''Film/ThePost'', as well as ''Film/TheLastJedi'', were both occurring concurrently with that of ''Ready Player One''[[/labelnote]]; and ''Film/{{West Side Story|2021}}'', due to the film having a built-in soundtrack from the [[Theatre/WestSideStory original musical]].)

* TheFilmOfTheBook: ''{{Film/Jaws}}'', ''Literature/TheColorPurple'', ''Film/EmpireOfTheSun'', ''{{Film/Hook}}'', ''Film/{{Jurassic Park|1993}}'' and ''Film/TheLostWorldJurassicPark'', ''Film/SchindlersList'', ''Film/CatchMeIfYouCan'', ''Film/{{War of the Worlds|2005}}'', ''{{Film/Munich}}'', ''Film/WarHorse'', ''{{Film/Lincoln}}'', ''Film/TheBFG'', and ''Film/{{Ready Player One|2018}}''.

* GenreRoulette: While often associated with science fiction (''Film/CloseEncountersOfTheThirdKind'', ''Film/ETTheExtraTerrestrial'', ''Film/AIArtificialIntelligence'', ''Film/MinorityReport'', ''Film/{{Ready Player One|2018}}''), he's done monster movies (''Film/{{Jaws}}'', ''Film/{{Jurassic Park|1993}}''), action adventure (''Franchise/IndianaJones''), comedy (''[[Film/NineteenFortyOne1979 1941]]''), romance (''Film/{{Always}}'', ''Film/TheTerminal''), war epics (''Film/EmpireOfTheSun'', ''Film/SchindlersList'', ''Film/SavingPrivateRyan'', ''Literature/WarHorse''), crime dramas (''Film/TheSugarlandExpress''), disaster movies (''Film/{{War of the Worlds|2005}}''), fantasy (''Film/{{Hook}}'', ''Film/TheBFG''), {{biopic}}s (''Film/CatchMeIfYouCan''[[note]]Although later research found it was all widely BasedOnAGreatBigLie.[[/note]], ''Film/{{Lincoln}}''), {{period piece}}s and historical dramas (''Film/TheColorPurple'', ''Film/{{Amistad}}''), political thrillers (''Film/{{Munich}}'', ''Film/BridgeOfSpies'', ''Film/ThePost''), suspense thrillers (''Film/{{Duel}}''), comic book movies (''WesternAnimation/{{The Adventures of Tintin|2011}}''), even a musical (''Film/{{West Side Story|2021}}'').

* GrowingUpSucks: Many of Spielberg's films thrive on innocent, naïve and escapist adventure stories, often shown from a child's point of view. Half of the time they are boyish fantasies. This has lead many movie critics to compare him to a cinematic ''Literature/PeterPan'' character, whose films never touch upon real adult issues. Spielberg even made a Peter Pan film, ''Film/{{Hook}}''! The criticism has died out a little from the moment Spielberg started making more adult films such as ''Film/TheColorPurple'', ''Film/SchindlersList'', ''Film/SavingPrivateRyan'', ''Film/{{Munich}}'' and ''Film/{{Lincoln}}'', but even in these serious films you'll find lighthearted and comedic moments. Creator/TerryGilliam once (quite unfairly) criticized Spielberg for always wanted to leave his audience with ''happy endings and answers to everything.'' A few of Spielberg's films. most notably ''Film/{{Hook}}'' and ''Film/{{Ready Player One|2018}}'', set out about averting this trope, emphasizing the joys of adulthood and engaging with the world and forming relationships in a more mature way.

* PatrioticFervor: Spielberg is quite proud of his home country and likes to show it in his work, especially when American soldiers fight Nazis. However he is also critical of blind patriotism as in ''[[Film/NineteenFortyOne1979 1941]]'', racism (''Film/{{Amistad}}'', ''Literature/TheColorPurple'', ''Film/{{Lincoln}}''), the RedScare (''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheKingdomOfTheCrystalSkull'', ''Film/BridgeOfSpies''), anti-immigrant attitudes (''Film/TheTerminal''), and also corruption (''Film/ThePost''). He also took a small jab at imperialism in ''War of the Worlds'' with a character commenting "occupations never work", referencing the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003.

** Music/JohnWilliams has composed the scores to all but four of his movies: ''Film/TheColorPurple'' was scored by Music/QuincyJones, ''Film/BridgeOfSpies'' which was scored by Music/ThomasNewman, ''Film/{{Ready Player One|2018}}'' which was scored by Music/AlanSilvestri, and ''Film/{{West Side Story|2021}}'', for which Music/DavidNewman rearranged Music/LeonardBernstein's original score.

In 1985, Spielberg branched into directing dramas with his ultra-serious ''Film/TheColorPurple'', which was nominated for several [[UsefulNotes/AcademyAward Oscars]]; it would not be his last excursion into this genre. He went on to make ''Film/{{Hook}}'' in 1991, and ''Film/{{Jurassic Park|1993}}'' in 1993 (his ''third'' time making the most successful movie of all time), which revolutionized the use of CG animation in film. ''Film/SchindlersList'', released the same year, won the Oscar for Best Picture, ''Film/SavingPrivateRyan'' won a handful of Oscars itself, and ''Film/AIArtificialIntelligence'' saw him taking over directorial reins from his good friend Creator/StanleyKubrick, who died in mid-production. ''Film/CatchMeIfYouCan'' teamed him with Creator/TomHanks for the second time after ''Saving Private Ryan'', and became another acclaimed hit.

* ''Film/TheColorPurple'' (1985)