Many consider Steven Spielberg to be one of the greatest storytellers of all time. As a director, Spielberg seems to be drawn to stories about ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances. This is probably why he's made so many movies that are based on true stories.
Not only is he attracted to telling fictional stories about how characters overcome obstacles to ultimately become the hero, but he seems particularly interested in showcasing instances of real people overcoming obstacles who prevail in the end. During his extraordinary forty-year career, he's directed several acclaimed biopics and movies based on incredible events in history.
The Terminal - 61%
The Terminal tells the story of Viktor Navorski (Tom Hanks), a man from the fictional Eastern European country of Krakozhia, who due to a coup occurring in his country while he was traveling to the United States, finds himself stuck at JFK airport. The film then chronicles his life and adventures living in the airport.
While not exactly based on a true story, it is inspired by the life of Mehran Karimi Nasseri, an Iranian man who spent 18 years living in the Charles De Gaulle airport in Paris, due to his refugee status. Despite not being about his life, The Terminal producers paid Nasseri $250,000 for the rights to his story. The movie is a charming, feel-good film.
Empire Of The Sun - 75%
Based on the semi-autobiographical book by J.G Ballard, a young Christian Bale plays the book's author, Jim, a boy who gets separated from his wealthy British family in Shanghai during World War II and finds himself being sent to an internment camp for prisoners of war.
The material was perfect for Spielberg to tackle having just started making more mature films like The Color Purple. Combined with his pension for making films about growing up, Empire Of The Sun is a great child's-eye view of war and depicts having to mature very quickly due to turmoil. Empire Of The Sun is a powerful film that was a sign of more great grown-up films from Spielberg to come.
Amistad - 77%
Amistad is based on the true story of enslaved Africans who took control of their ship and the ensuing legal battle after their capture. Anthony Hopkins gives an Oscar-nominated performance as John Quincy Adams, who assists in defending the men. He's joined by great performances from Morgan Freeman, Matthew McConaughey, and Djimon Hounsou.
Like Schindler's List before it, Amistad is a film about good people trying to do the right thing within an evil environment. While generally praised by critics and audiences, some historians criticized the film for its historical inaccuracies.
Munich - 78%
Based on the response to the Munich massacre at the 1972 Olympics, Eric Bana plays Avner, based on Yuval Aviv, a Mossad agent tasked with leading a crew to exact vengeance on those who planned the attack.
In the past, Spielberg has been criticized for not being a "risk-taking filmmaker," but Munich displays his vast skill set, and his ability to craft a dark, espionage thriller that tackles real-world controversies and doesn't pull any punches. Munich was on many 2005 top ten lists and received Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, and several more.
The Sugarland Express - 85%
For Spielberg's second feature film and first theatrically released film, he told the story of a real-life couple who took a police officer hostage and drove across Texas in order to get to their child in time before he's placed in foster care.
The film starred Goldie Hawn and marked the first time Spielberg worked with his frequent musical collaborator, John Williams. The film was praised by critics who called it a great big-screen debut for Spielberg, with film critic Pauline Kael calling it "one of the most phenomenal debut films in the history of movies."
The Post - 88%
The Post depicts The Washington Post's struggle to publish the infamous Pentagon Papers, which detailed America's controversial involvement in the Vietnam War. At the center of the film is the Post's publisher Kay Graham (Meryl Streep), her editor Ben Bradlee (Tom Hanks), and how Graham, then the first female publisher of a major newspaper, risked her career and legacy to print the documents.
Spielberg was compelled to make the film when he felt the freedom of the press was under attack and saw parallels between the situation depicted in the film and the current state of political discourse. The Post was released to critical acclaim and received two Oscar nominations for Best Picture and Best Actress for Streep.
Lincoln - 89%
A passion project for Spielberg for many years, Lincoln starred Daniel Day-Lewis as the 16th president of the United States. The film focuses specifically on Lincoln's fight to pass the Thirteenth Amendment, which abolished slavery, and ultimately concludes with his assassination.
Despite being an austere film about backroom politics, Spielberg manages to make Lincoln a fascinating and thrilling account of one of the most important times in United States history. Historians praised the film for perhaps the most accurate portrait of Lincoln ever depicted on screen, as Day-Lewis paid close attention to details like how Lincoln sounded, playing him with a much higher voice than usually portrayed. The film received universal acclaim and was nominated for twelve Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, and won Best Actor for Day-Lewis' amazing performance.
Bridge Of Spies - 90%
After 11 years, Spielberg finally reteamed with Tom Hanks for Bridge Of Spies, which tells the story of lawyer James B. Donovan who was tasked with negotiating the release of an air force pilot, shot down over the Soviet Union, in exchange for a spy. The case took the New York insurance lawyer all the way to Berlin to make the prisoner exchange.
It's part spy film as well as being about ordinary people thrust into extraordinary circumstances, ultimately standing up for values and what is right, which are themes Spielberg seems most interested in. The film received critical acclaim and received six Oscar nominations including Best Picture and winning for Best Supporting Actor for Mark Rylance.
Catch Me If You Can - 96%
Catch Me If You Can's tagline advertised the film as "The True Story Of A Real Fake." Based on the life of con man Frank Abagnale, Leonardo DiCaprio stars as a young man who successfully posed as an airline pilot, a doctor, and a lawyer, racking up millions of dollars before his eventual capture.
The film was a lighter and more humorous film for Spielberg, but he succeeded in making a charming and touching crime caper. Catch Me is one of Spielberg's more re-watchable and endlessly entertaining films, and critics and audiences agreed, as it was a huge box-office hit and Christopher Walken was nominated for the Best Supporting Actor Oscar.
Schindler's List - 97%
Often considered not just Spielberg's greatest film but also one of the greatest films ever made, Schindler's List tells the true story of Oskar Schindler (Liam Neeson), a businessman and member of the Nazi party in World War II, who ultimately saved the lives of over a thousand Jewish workers during the Holocaust.
After helming sci-fi classics like E.T and adventurous epics like Indiana Jones, Schindler's List proved Spielberg could do anything and succeed. He crafted a visually audacious, emotional tour-de-force and, through documentary-esque black and white cinematography, a realistic portrayal of a truly horrifying time in history. In true Spielberg fashion, he spotlights hope and the goodness of people during unimaginably awful situations. Schindler's List was nominated for twelve Oscars, winning seven, including Best Picture and rightly giving Spielberg his first Best Director Oscar.