New film The Fabelmans tells the story of Steven Spielberg’s childhood trauma - four reasons why the director is the star of the film

The Fabelmans is Spielberg’s most personal film. The film will be released in cinemas in Finland today, Friday.

The film, which has received seven Oscar nominations, premieres in Finland tonight.

En ung man häldt i en filmkamera Medan människor omrking honom jublar. — Young Sammy (Gabriel LaBelle) under the spell of the movies. The Fabelmans tells the story of a young boy’s growth and his love of cinema.

1. Identifying stories

A Spielberg film may be about a hero archaeologist, a killer shark or an alien, but they are always about something much simpler.

– *E.T.* (1982), for example, is a science fiction film, but ultimately it’s a story about a boy, a home and a longing for friendship, says Anna Möttölä.

The red-hooded boy and the tender-looking brown alien look at each other. The background would seem to be a spaceship. — Elliott (Henry Thomas) and E.T. Steven Spielberg’s E.T. in 1982. Spielberg has said that the story was inspired by his parents’ divorce.

The themes discussed are often relatable to the general public and presented with open cards. Few major directors have dealt with divorce and broken families as often as Spielberg – in his science fiction films.

– There are hardly any hidden meanings in his films. They are very transparent, although multifaceted.

– The stories I’ve told have probably been more therapeutic for me than anything I could have done in Freudian or Jungian therapy, the director told The New York Times.

2. Technical skills

Spielberg belongs to the *movie brat* generation of the 60s and 70s. With the collapse of traditional studios in the United States, numerous new director names emerged who were graduates of film schools.

Harrison Ford as archaeologist Indiana Jones in The Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981).

Spielberg can be considered one of the most technically skilled American entertainment filmmakers alive. According to Möttölä, he combines the skills of a storyteller with a mechanic-like attitude and interest in filmmaking.

-Spielberg is characterized by the smoothness and effortlessness of the narration. They convey enormous respect for cinema and professional pride, says Anna Möttölä.

3. The frantic pace of action

Spielberg has directed almost 40 films in fifty years. The topics have been diverse, but Möttölä recommends also looking at Spielberg’s recent works before *The Fabelmans*, which have received less attention.

– Doing it seems so easy that you might not even be able to appreciate it anymore. Although the way the tension is condensed in the picture narrative of *Bridge of Spies* (2015) is insanely accurate work.

A man dressed in a woolen coat and fedora is talking to a cap-wearing, gray-haired man in the snow. — Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg on the set of Bridge of Spies (2015). The film is set during the Cold War.

According to Möttölä, the appreciation of Spielberg’s life’s work by critics and the film industry has only grown.

– For the past 15 years, his films have received mixed reviews, but his overall significance and influence on the industry is increasingly understood.

As an example of this, Spielberg will receive a Golden Bear for his life’s work at the Berlin Film Festival currently underway. However, the popularity of the director’s new films in the eyes of the public has fluctuated, they have no longer reached the audience hits like his older works.

– Spielberg is a blockbuster king who understands movies as a shared, fan experience. Just over ten years ago, it would have seemed incredible that the public would not rush to see the new Spielberg.

4. Spielberg magic

When it comes to the director, we often talk about Spielberg magic. What does that mean?

– He has a moving faith in humanity. Spielberg is interested in childhood and his films have a strong belief in human ability and determination, Möttölä describes.

A crowd of people in the glare of powerful spotlights. — The tertiary connection (1977). In the film, Roy Neary (Richard Dreyfuss), a telephone repairman, becomes obsessed with UFOs, at the expense of his family.

Williams from *The Fabelmans* is again nominated for an Oscar for best film score. He is also the living person with the most Oscar nominations, as this is his 53rd nomination.

Spielberg’s own style can be harder to identify, he adapts to genre than genre. But as Möttölä puts it: \”Williams is always Williams\”.

– Over the decades, a common filmmaking language has developed among the credit producers.