Steven Spielberg, who directed "AI" as a tribute to Stanley Kubrick, connects to darker feelings this time. Reviews in the US are raved about by Rick Layman
Jude Law and Haley Joel Osment in AI
For more than a quarter of a century, Steven Spielberg, 53, has been at the pinnacle of cinema
The American, as the director with the most consistent name and success in Hollywood.
He started out as a hair prodigy in the early 70s with a group of
Dreamers like him from the film school, revolutionized filmmaking
and refreshed the classic Hollywood division into genres. He grew up and was
For a director who, on the one hand, takes advantage of the creative pleasure of pure and immense cinema
dimensions, in films like "Jurassic Park" or the "Indiana Jones" series,
And on the other hand, he sometimes breaks the boundaries of the cinematic establishment with daring films
More like "Schindler's List" or "Saving Private Ryan".
Now, after ordering himself a three-year hiatus, he is back, after
who completed the film A.I. The project he started with director Stanley Kubrick continues
After Kubrick's death in 1999, the big surprise is that the film, which deals with
In the field known from films made by Spielberg two decades ago - a world of
Positive science fiction as it is perceived by a child - this time connecting to currents
the darker emotional ones, which rumbled in his later films. for the long work
The film with Kubrick surely has a part in the fact that this time the answers are simple
less.
In "AI" death is real, the world is cruel, innocents are fatally injured,
Legends have a cruel side and people magically come back to life only at a heavy price
and mr. Report" "Minority" is another science fiction film whose footage
Spielberg adds these days, may continue this dark direction.
"I made many of the films I wanted to make in the last 25 years," he says
Spielberg. "At this point in my life, I'm somewhat interested in going back a little bit
Towards me, to tell stories that I would like my children to see: between
'Schindler' to 'Saving Private Ryan' I heard a lot of complaints from them that I
I no longer make films for them."
But ""AI is not an easy-to-digest youth movie. On the surface it is though
Reminiscent of early Spielberg films. It is difficult, for example, to avoid comparisons
To "IT" (1982): In both films the main character is a boy and both
Take place in a world of science fiction, fantasy and wonder. But the chasm is wide open
Among them: in "AI" Spielberg tries to make the audience, even the young audience,
Dealing with harder truths and deeper feelings. he explains
that two decades ago there was no courage to make such a film.
The film takes place in the distant future, after global warming has caused a flood
The coastal cities and the remnants of society are served by humanoid robots that deliver
Services such as house cleaning, child care, and frankly amazing
Regarding a Spielberg film, also sexual satisfaction (Judd Law appears in the role
Secondary as a robot, Gigolo-Jo, who meets with single women in hotel rooms
wretched and tempts them with bragging about his sexual self). The film tells about
Scientists building a robot-child (played by Haley Joel Osment),
Capable of loving, to ease the loneliness of childish parents. What will happen,
Spielberg asks, if no one will return love to this synthetic loving creature?
Spielberg says he never thinks about the cultural implications
More extensions of movies he decides to make. He did hope
That "Schindler's List" would increase awareness of the Holocaust, but it was not
The reason he made it. "When I make a film, I don't try to change the
The culture", he says. "I know it sounds simplistic, but I am simple
Trying to put a story on the canvas that can be understood, and sometimes it is satisfying
And sometimes he causes controversy." Basically, he doesn't have enough, according to him
Self-confidence, even after all his successes. "My most striking reaction
There is a sense of relief for a film that is well received and successful when it hits theaters.
I don't celebrate. I don't organize victory parties."
Spielberg is always secretive when it comes to the films he is working on
works, and also his film "Minority Report" which stars Tom Cruise,
Samantha Morton and Colin Farrell is no exception. But because
that the film is based on a science fiction book by Philip K. Dick, and deals with society
A future where federal agents are allowed to kill murderers-by-force before
that they have time to commit their crime, one can guess that Spielberg is dealing with Penn this time as well
The new dark one with him (the film will be released in cinemas in June 2002).
According to him, last year, when he hesitated in choosing between different projects, he refused
To direct the film adaptation of "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone", in the studios
Warner Bros. "Every child in the world will be waiting to see how 'Harry Potter'
Similar to books", he says. "And if they make this film religiously and all
Stick to the book, the joy will be great." But that doesn't leave much room
Laman is a creator who wants to tell stories in his own way, without submitting to tyranny
of a sacred text.
This is perhaps the right time to check the opinions of Spielberg, 53 years old
The quarter of a century in which he was the most prominent figure in Hollywood cinema, and for his achievements
The last, if any, of the generation of directors who came of age with him
Professionally, in the fertile 70s.
"I don't remember when we said to each other, 'Come on, let's knock you down
The gates and we will take over Hollywood,'" says Spielberg. "I was a lot
more selfish When I started, I was mostly interested in getting a job, being successful
tell my stories You have to remember that I grew up in mainstream cinema. already
At the end of high school I hung out at Universal Studios and that continued for three years
College firsts. I never saw myself saving Hollywood.
To be honest, I didn't know if anything needed to be saved there. It was more important to me
To convince someone to approve the films I wanted to make."
Therefore, according to him, he has no perspective regarding the golden age, apparently,
of cinema in the 70s. I tend to leave that to the people who write
the book about our generation", he says. "I only remember a handful of movies
which were a crossroads in the late 60s, starting with Francis Coppola's film
'You're already a big boy', and then 'A man following his destiny' by Dennis Hopper
and George Lucas's THX 1138, after which I began to hope that I would get
Working. Suddenly there was a feeling that the guards at the studio gates had been instructed
And if the beautiful kids with the long hair try to get in, you have to let them in
them. that you can make a lot of money with them."
But according to Spielberg, as mentioned, the generation that brought directors to the forefront
Like him and like Coppola, Lucas, De Palma, Scorsese, Terrence Malick
and others, did not intend to take over the film establishment; And he and the other directors
The young people of the 70s were very different from each other. "When I did
Jaws, Marty knew that was something he would never want to do.
When he made 'Taxi Driver', I knew - then, at least - that it wasn't
A genre I want to engage in, it was too violent, too realistic.
Spielberg's evolution from an innocent to a grimmer future was greatly aided
From working with Stanley Kubrick. Kubrick was indeed a member of the generation of directors
the former, but he and Spielberg were friends for the last 18 years of his life,
Spielberg's number. They approached out of natural curiosity to get to know each other,
But the relationship deepened and became a close friendship, even if often from a distance
Geographical (Kubrick did not wander far from his home in London). They kept on
Almost continuous letter and phone contact, plus visits and meetings, until
Kubrick's death.
According to Spielberg, Kubrick is the greatest film artist in decades
the last ones "Kubrick couldn't have made AI in the 80s
When he told me about the story for the first time," says Spielberg. "He sent me
So the first brief and I asked him, 'How do you think of doing it?'
And he said to me, 'I don't know if it's possible right now. But soon we will be able to'. he
Jupiter. Now everything is possible. With the computer you can do anything,
show anything The only limit is your imagination."
In 1994, Spielberg says, Kubrick asked him to consider directing "AI".
According to a 0-page synopsis, written by Kubrick with Ian Watson, on
Short story base by Brian Aldis. "I agreed and knew that the next step would be
to write the script together", says Spielberg. "Stanley wanted the script to be written
in England, and he was supposed to have about 99% control of the script, but
I would be happy to shoot what Stanley would give me. I was ready for it, until
I realized that this is an idea that Stanley should actually take care of until the end. and hence,
Very carefully and diplomatically, I extricated myself from the project."
Only later, after Kubrick's death in 1999, did Spielberg play around
With the idea of taking the 90 pages of the synopsis and writing a script himself, directing the
The film in a way as a tribute to Kubrick, and release it in cinemas
In 2001, the year that brought Kubrick's name to fame, due to his film
"Odysseus." 2001″ I didn't pass it on to another writer, because I thought it was fine
The work that Stanley did to charge the story in me in 1994 all
The things he wanted to express in this story will not stand the test of time and will be lost
from their emotional power if I try to pass them on, to a third writer",
says Spielberg. "I felt it was better to go all out and try to write the
the script myself".
""AI went to screenings in the United States last weekend and still no
Sales data that will testify to his chances of economic success. but he
Already received rave reviews, although Spielberg was convinced, as always before
The release of his film, which will be a disaster. What worries him every time anew is not
The fear that he won't get another chance, but that he won't be able to pass the
his ideas. "What bothers me is that people won't understand," he said
says According to the reception of "AI", it seems that they understand.
