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I am thinking of Steven Spielberg
At 2 am because I had forgotten to
Write a monologue on Wednesday,
And I am trying to remember the
First Spielberg movie I ever saw,
But I can't, though I have a minor
Suspicion that it's Indiana Jones
And the Kingdom of the Crystal
Skull. Steven's movies are great
Because they have a lot of heart,
Which isn't what most great film-
Makers are known for; Spielberg
Is the sentimental master, and this
Is seen in everything from E.T. to
Amistad to Saving Private Ryan to
Schindler's List. No matter how grim
Or depressing the subject matter at
Hand, Steven handles it with the kind
Of compassion mostly reserved for
Cut pets. Steven's second forte is
Wholesale entertainment. Jurassic
Park, Jaws, the Indiana Jones flicks,
Close Encounters of the Third Kind,
The genre of action adventure would
Be a lot less entertaining of Steven
Never made movies. His ventures
Into darker territory, such as Empire
Of the Sun, Minority Report, Munich,
To name a few, are equally engrossing,
But still sentimental. It seems almost
Criminal for a Steven Spielberg film
To depict the unpleasant head-on, such
As in War Horse, an execution takes
Place at the foot of a windmill, and
The firing squad shoots just as the
Sails rotate in front of the camera
To obstruct the 2 young deserters
Getting shot. Even when things get
As bloody as they do in Saving Private
Ryan, the story at the core of the movie
Is a noble and good-hearted one. With
The possible exception of Munich, Steven
Has not made a single movie where a
Trace of innocence, or optimism, is not
Preserved. All the better, because while
Great films can make us confront reality,
They too can wrap us in a reality better
Than the one we occupy, which is why
In the arsenal of great directors Steven
Spielberg will always be my
Sentimental favorite.
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