The overwhelming majority of people want to be entertained when they watch movies, Private Ryan did that and tapped into people's emotions as well. This is Spielbergs greatest gift as a director and I put him probably as the best director ever, even though it pains me to say it. Kubrick, Malick, Coppola, Ford, Scorsese Tarantino, PTA, and many, many more are far more technically gifted and make better and more ivisual scenes. Personally I like these guys better, but I, just like many others on this board watch movies differently than most....but Spielberg's ability to connect with mass audiences of all ages, and sexes is superior to anybody.

If the goal is to make high quality, financially successful pictures, he's, quite simply, the best. And the fact that Thin Red Line is a whispery painting turns droves of people off.

P.S. - Ebert was a smart guy, but my god was he pretentious, his analysis of those John Wayne movies just drips of arrogance and "the audience is too unsophisticated for my taste" bullshite. People like simple, blow shite up movies, we might not, but millions do. Ebert's biggest problem was his inability to think lik a casual movie goer and not an uptight writer....that's why I always like Siskel better, he actually seemed like a real person.

This post was edited on 1/30/16 at 3:02 am

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Posted by RollTide1987

Baltimore, MD

Member since Nov 2009

70989 posts

Posted on 1/30/16 at 3:38 am to Jack Ruby

I can watch an action movie just as well as arthouse cinema. Malick did good work with The Thin Red Line but his main weakness is his pretentiousness. I see genius in his filmmaking but I also see glaring weaknesses in his style that brings the quality of his films down a few notches.

You can make a "painting" and still have it make sense. The Thin Red Line for the most part does this. His newer films, however, do not.

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Posted by Jack Ruby

Member since Apr 2014

27322 posts

Posted on 1/30/16 at 5:02 am to RollTide1987

quote:
I see genius in his filmmaking but I also see glaring weaknesses in his style that brings the quality of his films down a few notches.

You can make a "painting" and still have it make sense. The Thin Red Line for the most part does this. His newer films, however, do not

Completely agree. This is basically the consensus except for the few Malcick sycophants, which will worship his every frame even if it's total, incoherent dog shite and they know it. I actually enjoyed "To The Wonder", but I'm not loony enough to rave that it's the best movie ever made. I just think he's gotten into his own head now and thinks the voice-over dreams he makes now are great. There's a reason all his new movies make like $3 mil dollars at the box office...

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Posted by elprez00

Hammond, LA

Member since Sep 2011

31535 posts

Posted on 1/30/16 at 10:01 am to Jack Ruby

quote:

The overwhelming majority of people want to be entertained when they watch movies, Private Ryan did that and tapped into people's emotions as well. This is Spielbergs greatest gift as a director and I put him probably as the best director ever, even though it pains me to say it. Kubrick, Malick, Coppola, Ford, Scorsese Tarantino, PTA, and many, many more are far more technically gifted and make better and more ivisual scenes. Personally I like these guys better, but I, just like many others on this board watch movies differently than most....but Spielberg's ability to connect with mass audiences of all ages, and sexes is superior to anybody.

If the goal is to make high quality, financially successful pictures, he's, quite simply, the best. And the fact that Thin Red Line is a whispery painting turns droves of people off.

P.S. - Ebert was a smart guy, but my god was he pretentious, his analysis of those John Wayne movies just drips of arrogance and "the audience is too unsophisticated for my taste" bullshite. People like simple, blow shite up movies, we might not, but millions do. Ebert's biggest problem was his inability to think lik a casual movie goer and not an uptight writer....that's why I always like Siskel better, he actually seemed like a real person.

Who the hell downvotes this? It's a solid post and arguably very true.

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