The fact is obvious: Steven Spielberg is one of the greatest filmmakers, and without a doubt the most popular director of contemporary cinema. Of the Jaws and his legendary musical theme to his version of West Side Story passing through E.T.the saga Indiana Jonesthe first two Jurassic Park, Schindler’s List, We must save Private Ryan and his chilling dive into the heart of the Landings, and so on, this major artist demonstrates rare mastery and visual talent. He is also an outstanding storyteller who has written countless unforgettable stories. But how did it all start? The American director was obviously best placed to tell his own story.
The Fabelmans : is the film autobiographical?
If the Fabelmans are not called the Spielbergs, the filmmaker has made no secret of the fact that he is recounting his childhood memories in this initiatory and autobiographical story. Those of a kid from New Jersey that his parents take to see Under the biggest marquee in the world by Cecil B. DeMille. Both frightened and fascinated, particularly by a train accident scene, young Sammy reconstructs the sequence with the family’s super 8 camera. The first in a long series of films… If he had already mentioned a few snippets of his past, particularly the separation of his parents which is reflected in his filmography, Steven Spielberg, also a producer of cult works, opens up this time entirely in a screenplay he co-wrote. “Most of my films echo events that happened to me during my years of training. As soon as a filmmaker takes on a project, even if he didn’t write the script, he inevitably talks about himself in one way or another, whether he likes it or not.“, explained the filmmaker in the press kit for his film. “But with The Fabelmans, it wasn’t just metaphorical because the story was directly inspired by my memories.“The result is a story as intimate as it is dazzling, a portrait of a middle-class American family, with its joys, its sorrows and the years that pass. Both astonishingly true, Michelle Williams, who for a time put her career in parentheses, and Paul Dano embody the parents to whom the director pays homage, without avoiding the family heartbreaks.
The Fabelmans : a declaration of love from Steven Spielberg to the cinema
Released in 2022, Spielberg’s latest film is also, and above all, a fiery declaration to cinema, to directors, to their talent and their ingenuity. It is with real emotion that we discover Sammy/Steven’s first steps behind the lens and his fierce desire to keep the camera rolling. Especially when we know what will become of this young enthusiast. Now aged 78, the filmmaker, marked by a sci-fi film released in theaters in 2008, also pays homage to the golden age of Hollywood, when the studios were run by lovers of the 7th art. A testimony not to be missed, for movie buffs and others. Because Spielberg is unique, and (himself) offers an inspired tribute.
