Steven Spielberg (Masters of Cinema)

Steven Spielberg (USA, b. 1946) was the boy wonder of the new Hollywood of the 1970s. Taking Orson Welles as his model, he made Duel aged only 25, following it up with a string of successes that brought him the adulation of the studios. As a fan of special effects, and entirely attuned to the shift towards younger film audiences, he took entertainment to new heights with films such as Jaws (1975), Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), ET (1982) and Jurassic Park (1993). His more recent incursions into science fiction (AI, 2001; Minority Report, 2002; War of the Worlds, 2005) and historical films (Schindler's List, 1993; Saving Private Ryan, 1998; Munich, 2005) have brought him international critical recognition. He is also involved in production through his studio Dreamworks and is undoubtedly one of the most influential figures in contemporary film.