An Ode to Spielberg

Wed, 12 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Throughout the years, I have always felt a strong desire to write about movies, but I found myself unsure of where to begin. Should I delve into the countless films I have watched, risking boredom for both myself and my readers? However, a couple of months ago, everything changed when I watched “The Fabelmans.” In that very moment, I knew exactly what I should write about: the profound journey of discovering film and how we fall in love with this extraordinary artistic medium.

I had the privilege of engaging in conversations with those fortunate enough to have witnessed cinematic masterpieces like “E.T.” or “Jaws” in the theaters. Their lives were forever transformed by these experiences. I vividly remember my mother watching “E.T.” with me when I was just a little boy. One of my favourite films, “Saving Private Ryan,” holds a special place in my heart, reminding me of the first summer holiday we spent on a beach, where my mother tried to scare me with “Jaws.” Even during my fascination with history, I found myself engrossed in stories about Abraham Lincoln and eagerly watching films such as “Lincoln.” I couldn’t forget the time I insisted my parents buy me a cowboy hat after being captivated by Indiana Jones. Tales of people being awe-struck by “Jurassic Park” resonated deeply within me. There is a common thread connecting all these films spanning decades, and that thread leads to one man.

When contemplating the early eras of film history, from silent films to the advent of New Hollywood in the 1970s, one can debate at length about who captivated audiences the most over an extended period. The names that come to mind include Alfred Hitchcock, Orson Welles, John Ford, and Powell and Pressburger. It’s a subjective matter open to interpretation. However, in the past half-century, I firmly believe that no other filmmaker has birthed more filmmakers, moved a larger audience, or so profoundly defined his era of cinema through his work alone as Steven Spielberg.

Spielberg’s influence is ubiquitous. Everybody knows him, and almost everyone has experienced at least one of his films. He has touched the lives of countless individuals. What makes Steven Spielberg so fascinating is the fact that he is one of us: an individual who simply loves movies. If you have ever cherished even a single moment from one of his films, understand that you were granted that gift because Spielberg loves movies for the very same reasons you do. I don’t believe he has ever made a film out of anything less than sheer adoration for the power and meaning of cinema. Every frame of his work exudes his profound love for the medium.

And now, from the deepest wells of his heart, Spielberg presents “The Fabelmans,” his semi-autobiographical ode to the very thing he cherishes. This film is set in two worlds: the world of his own discovery, where he grew up amidst cinematic wonders, and the world of cinematic discovery itself. It was in this realm that Spielberg realised his lifelong passion for filmmaking.

Memory and Cinema

Wed, 12 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Last year, I watched Charlotte Wells’ Aftersun. In the movie, we see that Sophie, played by the lovely young actress Frankie Corio, remembers perhaps the last holiday she had with her father. The film beautifully captures how memories are often incomplete, distorted, and emotionally charged, offering a touching exploration of the past and its lingering impact on the present. Like many others, this film profoundly impacted me, reminding me of the holidays I had with my family as a child. I almost felt the sun burning my skin. Then I was very inspired with the theme of memory in cinema.

Cinema is obsessed with memory in many ways. Films are a storehouse of collective and individual memories; they frequently explore our memory processes and the things we choose to forget. A number of well-known films, including Hiroshima Mon Amour, 12 Monkeys, La Jetée, and Vertigo, examine this subject in interesting and varied ways.

In La Jetée, Chris Marker uses still images to tell the story of a man haunted by a childhood memory that becomes the key to his future. This film, a science-fiction short made in 1962, tells the story of a man haunted by a childhood memory at an airport. The memory becomes crucial when, in a post-apocalyptic future, he is sent back in time to retrieve a solution to save humanity. The still images create a sense of static memory, where each photograph represents a frozen moment in time, much like a snapshot of a memory. 12 Monkeys, inspired heavily by La Jetée, extends this exploration by delving into time travel and the reliability of memories in a dystopian future. The protagonist’s quest to understand his past and prevent a catastrophic future highlights the instability and subjectivity of memory.

Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo also delves into the labyrinthine nature of memory. The protagonist, Scottie, is consumed by his recollections of a lost love, leading him into a spiral of obsession and deceit. The film’s exploration of memory’s power to distort reality and the human psyche’s vulnerability to its influence is both haunting and profound.

Among these films, Alain Resnais’ Hiroshima Mon Amour stands out as a masterful meditation on memory and its cinematic representation. Resnais, primarily a documentary filmmaker, brings a unique perspective to this narrative. The film intertwines the personal memories of a French actress and a Japanese architect with the collective memory of the Hiroshima bombing. This dual narrative structure serves to highlight the interplay between personal and historical memories.

Resnais’ documentary background is evident in his meticulous attention to detail and the film’s layered narrative. He uses memory as a means to explore the characters’ identities and their shared trauma. The fragmented, non-linear storytelling mirrors the way memories resurface and intermingle, often blurring the boundaries between past and present, personal and collective.

In Hiroshima Mon Amour, memory is not just a theme but a narrative device that shapes the film’s structure and emotional resonance. The characters’ recollections are interwoven with newsreel footage and poetic imagery, creating a tapestry of memory that is both intimate and universal. Resnais’ innovative use of memory challenges the viewer to reflect on the nature of remembrance and the ways in which it shapes our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.

In conclusion, cinema’s preoccupation with memory reflects a deep-seated desire to understand and preserve the past. Films like Aftersun, La Jetée, 12 Monkeys, Vertigo, and Hiroshima Mon Amour offer diverse and nuanced explorations of memory, each contributing to our understanding of how memories are formed, altered, and recalled. Through these films, we are reminded of the power of memory to shape our identities, influence our perceptions, and connect us to the broader human experience.

Movie Reviews | Ege Küçükkömürcü

An Ode to Spielberg

Memory and Cinema