I knew very little (nearly nothing) about Steven Spielberg the man before watching this excessively long documentary. I am pretty sure that Spielberg´s own editor would have whittled this down to a manageable length. (BBC has created some excellent ~50 minute documentaries of great directors which seem both thorough and satisfying...) I also find the general tone of idol worship a bit over-the-top. Spielberg is an interesting fellow, but he is, when all is said and done, a movie director.
Nonetheless, I did learn a lot--about his history and especially his family life, which appears to have informed and even motivated much of his filmmaking. I also enjoyed seeing the clear evolution of his movies from sensational blockbusters (beginning with Jaws) to more reflective works such as Munich and Schindler´s List, both of which are superlative, in my view. He has by now created so many successful films that I had lost sight of his directorship of even some movies which I´ve seen. Catch Me If You Can seemed to me quite Scorsese-esque, but it turns out that it was directed by Steven Spielberg!
All in all, this is worth watching for anyone interested in filmmaking and the life of a very creative person whose medium is movies. I recommend digesting it in two parts.
Nonetheless, I did learn a lot--about his history and especially his family life, which appears to have informed and even motivated much of his filmmaking. I also enjoyed seeing the clear evolution of his movies from sensational blockbusters (beginning with Jaws) to more reflective works such as Munich and Schindler´s List, both of which are superlative, in my view. He has by now created so many successful films that I had lost sight of his directorship of even some movies which I´ve seen. Catch Me If You Can seemed to me quite Scorsese-esque, but it turns out that it was directed by Steven Spielberg!
All in all, this is worth watching for anyone interested in filmmaking and the life of a very creative person whose medium is movies. I recommend digesting it in two parts.