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[hedwig-96]

JACK AND MASTER OF ALL TRADES!

Seldom do we come across personalities who have achieved success in every field they ever tried hands on. Film direction is one such field where it is extremely difficult to taste success in different genres. All the established filmmakers of modern times (up to 4 decades) have their own safe zone or strong zone, where they have established themselves by creating masterpieces in specific genres. Be it Tarantino and his flair for violence, Scorsese and his tales of gangsters that is deep twitched with faith and repentance, Fincher and his thrillers, Nolan and his science-fictions, Cameron and his visual extravaganzas…the list goes on.

Then there is one man who had captured the imagination of billions over decades in story telling irrespective of the kind of the story, where it takes place or when it happened. Yes, the 2-time Academy award winner, Steven Spielberg. Having directed 37 films, Spielberg is the highest grossing director at the world box office, having collected over 10 billion USD!

Having started the journey with the road movie Duel in 1971, more than 5 decades ago, it is difficult to find a genre he hasn’t tried yet. From Action adventure (Indiana Jones) to sci-fi, (Extra Terrestrial) War dramas (Saving Private Ryan) to biopics (Schindler’s List), horror (Jaws/Jurassic Park) to comedies (Terminal) , thriller(Munich) to animation (Tintin), feel good (Empire of the Sun) to musical (West side story) he had done it all!!!

The best part of it is that it’s not just about numbers, like the superhero jokes that have been forced upon us 3 times an year. Its more about quality than quantity. While there have been the use of visual effects or computer graphics in his movies, that never stood above the plot of the film. He didn’t make movies just to spent 100m on graphics. He always followed linear narration in his stories. He tells his stories in the simplest ways connecting the audiences emotionally. He is a master in recreating incidents from the past in his own artistic ways (Schindler’s List, Bridge of Spies, Munich etc.) He had introduced visual and audio techniques that was revolutionary to the cinematic universe. The advent of digital surround system (dts) for example.

Spielberg is known for his filmmaking techniques like the Spielberg face or the tracking shots. Spielberg face is a name given to the technique of zooming in on a character’s face when they are looking at something or someone. The object in question is not revealed before showing the expressions on the character’s face. The tracking shot is a commonly used technique, but Spielberg does it with his own charm. Take Empire of the sun or Ready Player One for instance.

The best directors never construct a single shot. By switching different compositions, they create numerous shots within a single shot. Given the change in shot size, this is one of Steven Spielberg's best trademarks. Hence, he successfully Evokes emotion, directs attention, Keeps things interesting. Especially with the kind of movies Steven Spielberg makes, the objective is frequently to get the audience to willingly suspend their disbelief. He cannot run the risk of cutting abruptly during a crucial scene. Of the 37 movies directed, Steven Spielberg had 131 Oscar nominations and 34 wins, 2 of them for best director. He continues to wave magic in silver screen even in his 70s and the world is waiting for his next adventure in the Fabelmans.

#movies #steven spielberg #blockbuster #fiction

[hedwig-96]

Kerala, the Latin America of India!!!

The small state of Kerala, located to the very south of India, might be famous for way many stuffs. The cuisine, the backwaters, the waterfalls, ayurveda, boat race, culture etc. etc. It is fondly nicknamed as the god's own country due to its moderate and pleasant climate all round the year, making it a tourist’s haven. But something that is not much celebrated outside is the state’s unparalleled passion for the game of football. In a country that is crazy for cricket, with practically no other sport managing to pull crowds to that extend, Kerala holds a special place (may be along with West Bengal) What makes it unique is the immense fan following that foreign football clubs and international teams enjoy in the small state. Notably the two Latin American giants, Brazil, and Argentina. The Keralities, often referred to as Malayalees (people who speak the language Malayalam) traditionally take sides of two upon anything and anyone. Be it their taste of politics, its either the Left (Democratic Communist Party) or the right-wing (Congress Party). When it comes to movies its Lalettan or Mammookka since the latter half of 80s, (Two reigning superstars, Mohanlal and Mammootty) before that it was Sathyan and Nazir. Even among the neighbouring state language’s cinema there is this grouping of two among Malayalis, to Vijay or Surya. (Tamil superstars) So here they are…. when it comes to the beautiful game, the people of Kerala had sided with two of the most successful and aesthetically playing teams in the world, The Canaris and The Albicelestians.

Like all the above-mentioned crazes, this one too wasn’t developed overnight. Brazil had traditionally produced superstars and won 3 world cups even before the 1980s, that is relevant because the revolution of television hit the country during that decade. Players like Pele, Garrincha, Vava and Socrates had already been part of the Kerala folklore, as much as they been to that of Rio De Janero or Sao Polo. The Malayalam newspapers, sports magazines and radio stations made poetry out of their games.

That was when the Mexico world cup of 1986 arrived. That was also the time of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi who were a strong advocate of television culture, with nationalised television serials and government programs already up and running among the limited TV audience of the country. Like most of the country, the not so rich Kerala also dived into the trend. If not in every household, at least in every neighbourhood, came TV.

In that world cup, Argentina was led by a new and young captain. A short statured, curly haired young man, Deigo Armando Maradona!!! The name had already started to make waves in the footballing world. What happened in Mexico was history, but it also marked the beginning of unending love towards Argentine football, nearly fifteen thousand kilometres away from the mainland of Argentina. That was followed up by another stellar performance by the legend, making Argentina runners up in the next world cup.

All these paved way to the formation of numerous fans clubs and associations for both Brazil and Argentina all over the state. Not just the fandom, but the game too grew with them. Hundreds of football clubs were formed, tournaments held, even involving foreign clubs. Today seldom will you find an empty gallery for any tier of football match in the state, a craze that matches the streets of Latin America. A feat that was admired even by foreign star players when they got a taste of it through the Indian Super League. The Kerala Blasters FC once had an average attendance that ranked them among the top 10 in the world.

#argentina #brazil #kerala blasters #football