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Steven Spielberg: A Retrospective
Russian Book. Izdatel'stvo Eksmo OOO. 280. 2020. Hardcover.
278 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2012
38 people are currently reading
320 people want to read
About the author
Richard Schickel
99 books32 followersRichard Schickel is an important American film historian, journalist, author, filmmaker, screenwriter, documentarian, and film and literary critic.
Mr.Schickel is featured in For the Love of Movies: The Story of American Film Criticism. In this 2009 documentary film he discusses early film critics in the 1960s, and how he and other young critics, rejected the moralizing opposition of Bosley Crowther of The New York Times who had railed against violent movies such as Bonnie and Clyde.
In addition to film, Schickel has also critiqued and documented cartoons, particularly Peanuts.
Schickel was a recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1964. He has also lectured at Yale University and University of Southern California's School of Film and Television.
Mr.Schickel is featured in For the Love of Movies: The Story of American Film Criticism. In this 2009 documentary film he discusses early film critics in the 1960s, and how he and other young critics, rejected the moralizing opposition of Bosley Crowther of The New York Times who had railed against violent movies such as Bonnie and Clyde.
In addition to film, Schickel has also critiqued and documented cartoons, particularly Peanuts.
Schickel was a recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1964. He has also lectured at Yale University and University of Southern California's School of Film and Television.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
January 6, 2013
An extremely interesting book full of Spielberg's own quotes and thoughts on every movie he has ever directed. However, the book stumbles when Schickel attempts to provide his own evaluations of Spielberg's movies. A book like this is bought by fans who want to learn more about Spielberg and his craft; they already have their opinions, so including subject value-judgments is a superfluous waste of paper(I knocked off a star because he didn't like Hook).
February 4, 2016
Wonderful book that details (briefly) Spielberg's childhood, before launching into details on his major movies from Duel to War Horse. Has some fantastic images from his films and some great behind-the-scenes details, but mainly focuses on the whys and wherefores of Spielberg as an artist, as seen through his work. Well worth the read.
November 13, 2012
I saw this book on my library shelves last week and grabbed it, thinking I'd flip through the pictures over the weekend. I sometimes just look at the pictures in these huge photo bios because the pictures are quite stunning.
But after I flipped through the photos that begin with a young Spielberg and end with a sixty-something Spielberg, I realized that Spielberg's wonderful movies represent the decades of my life, starting in 1975 with my ten-year-old self standing in a line that wrapped around the theater to see Jaws.
Robert Schickel is a close friend and confidant of Spielberg's, and he brought great insight into what was going on in the movie world and Spielberg's personal life during the making of each of his movies. So I ended up reading every delicious word that accompanied the fantastic photos in this retrospective. Ah, the memories.
But after I flipped through the photos that begin with a young Spielberg and end with a sixty-something Spielberg, I realized that Spielberg's wonderful movies represent the decades of my life, starting in 1975 with my ten-year-old self standing in a line that wrapped around the theater to see Jaws.
Robert Schickel is a close friend and confidant of Spielberg's, and he brought great insight into what was going on in the movie world and Spielberg's personal life during the making of each of his movies. So I ended up reading every delicious word that accompanied the fantastic photos in this retrospective. Ah, the memories.
September 7, 2024
Intressant att få en bättre överblick på Spielbergs karriär i takt med att mediumet har utvecklats. Tyvärr (som jag visste) är ju boken inte en memoar skriven av Spielberg själv, utan den är skriven av någon annan som ständigt var tvungen att ge sina egna åsikter om hans filmer vilket var mindre uppskattat. Hade gått in på letterboxd om jag ville veta vad någon tyckte om Jurassic Park 😁
Väldigt fina bilder på filminspelningarna bakom kulisserna för övrigt! Hundra procent höjdpunkten i boken.
Väldigt fina bilder på filminspelningarna bakom kulisserna för övrigt! Hundra procent höjdpunkten i boken.
November 24, 2025
Interesting read on an interesting director. I do, however, wish the text of this book focused on him and the technical aspects of his film-making instead of simple summaries of plot and quick reviews from Schickel.
December 1, 2018
I like most of Spielberg's films, and I like coffee table books with lots of pictures, and I have great respect for Spielberg himself. So I liked this book a lot.
Here are some quotes.
When Sid Sheinberg offered a young Spielberg a seven-year contract with Universal Studios, within 10 minutes of their first meeting:
"In Sheinberg's recollection, Spielberg turned white as a ghost at this turn of events and hesitated briefly before responding... At which point, Sheinberg said the magic words: 'If you join us here at Universal I can guarantee you one thing: I will support you in success, but I will also support you in failure.'"
On the meaning of Close Encounters of the Third Kind:
"Here's the message: If you have any ambition about learning more about yourself, you're going to follow your God-given instincts and you're going to follow all the signs and you're going to go to the place where the party's going to occur and you're going to have a chance to commune with–whatever we have to offer you. That's really as simple as the story is."
On Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom:
"The prettiest thing that came out of that film was my future wife. And the PG-13 rating, which was invented because of it."
On shooting Schindler's List:
"I was pretty certain that whatever came my way in Poland I could tolerate, and just put my camera between myself and the subject, and protect myself, you know, by creating my own aesthetic distance. And immediately, on the first day of shooting, that broke down."
On Tom Hanks:
"I think most families would like their boys to grow up to be Tom Hanks. I think that's silent aspiration throughout America, maybe the rest of the world."
On War Horse:
"Every time I delve into an episode of history that I don't know very much about, my first reaction is anger that my teachers never taught me about it."
A few other facts from Spielberg's filmography: he was an uncredited executive producer for Shrek and Scorsese' Cape Fear and he executive produced both Animaniacs and Band of Brothers. He also executive produced the international version of Akira Kurosawa's Dreams.
Here are some quotes.
When Sid Sheinberg offered a young Spielberg a seven-year contract with Universal Studios, within 10 minutes of their first meeting:
"In Sheinberg's recollection, Spielberg turned white as a ghost at this turn of events and hesitated briefly before responding... At which point, Sheinberg said the magic words: 'If you join us here at Universal I can guarantee you one thing: I will support you in success, but I will also support you in failure.'"
On the meaning of Close Encounters of the Third Kind:
"Here's the message: If you have any ambition about learning more about yourself, you're going to follow your God-given instincts and you're going to follow all the signs and you're going to go to the place where the party's going to occur and you're going to have a chance to commune with–whatever we have to offer you. That's really as simple as the story is."
On Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom:
"The prettiest thing that came out of that film was my future wife. And the PG-13 rating, which was invented because of it."
On shooting Schindler's List:
"I was pretty certain that whatever came my way in Poland I could tolerate, and just put my camera between myself and the subject, and protect myself, you know, by creating my own aesthetic distance. And immediately, on the first day of shooting, that broke down."
On Tom Hanks:
"I think most families would like their boys to grow up to be Tom Hanks. I think that's silent aspiration throughout America, maybe the rest of the world."
On War Horse:
"Every time I delve into an episode of history that I don't know very much about, my first reaction is anger that my teachers never taught me about it."
A few other facts from Spielberg's filmography: he was an uncredited executive producer for Shrek and Scorsese' Cape Fear and he executive produced both Animaniacs and Band of Brothers. He also executive produced the international version of Akira Kurosawa's Dreams.
August 10, 2015
Best part (9/10) – Spielberg’s own quotes and observations as he looks back on his career (oh, for a memoir one day!). Second best part (8/10) – the photos, quite a few of which are new stuff that I’ve never seen before. Worst part – Schickel’s commentary (5/10). The retrospective isn’t objective or moderate or tempered enough. He slams Temple of Doom and Hook and raises The Terminal to the top tier of Spielberg’s work. I wanted less opinion and more rounded perspective. Schickel puts himself into it too much. But he can’t ruin the book. Because…well, hey! It’s Spielberg!
7/10
7/10
January 30, 2013
The quotes from Spielberg are great, as are many of the production stills (when they are not mislabeled). But Schickel is a lightweight when it comes to film analysis, and many of his evaluations of scenes in films, and of the films themselves, are extremely shallow. Also, too often the book feels like a hagiography, rather than some kind of objective look at Spielberg's life and work.
April 29, 2024
You know, I like movies. I really, really like a lot of movies! I want to be a screenwriter out in the real world, and I believe the best way to practice being one (aside from constantly writing, of course) is to just watch things. Movies, TV, anything, really. I, like any other person, have done this a lot, and over time I have obviously acquired preferences for particular creators, and one of my favorite filmmakers of all time is none other than Steven Spielberg.
All of his work as a creator and producer has always been significantly inspirational to me, and when I was supposed to pick a book that would relate to the journey I want to take in the future for school, I originally decided to pick out a biography about Spielberg, but then realized that I could just watch The Fabelmans, which was made by him instead for a potentially better experience. Instead, I found and decided to check out Steven Spielberg: A Retrospective, which was not only significantly shorter, but it also appeared to be more interesting than a simple biography.
The book is what I would refer to as a “puzzle” of different sources. It begins with a brief introduction on the author’s thoughts on Spielberg and their relationship together before moving on to a very brief overview of his childhood and a slightly longer foray into his early days at Universal.
After the brief biographical section, it moves into an analysis of each of Spielberg’s films released up to that point, starting with Duel (1971) and ending with Lincoln (2012). Each of the analyses go over a brief summary of the film and its production history, Spielberg’s personal thoughts on them, and then the author’s.
This simple format is repeated for twenty odd films throughout the book, and it leads to some really interesting perspectives on both the filmmaking process and on the final end product of the movies themselves. Personally I found myself disagreeing with some of the opinions presented by the author (especially what he thought of Temple of Doom), but it was overall a very enjoyable read. It helped me to see films I have seen before in ways I hadn’t before and also discover new films I had not heard about in the past, and it also made me realize the value of being eclectic and diverse with the work I make, the same way Spielberg was and still is.
Personally, it was not super life-changing or fantastically written, but I would still recommend it for a simple, enjoyable read for movie fans.
3.5/5.
All of his work as a creator and producer has always been significantly inspirational to me, and when I was supposed to pick a book that would relate to the journey I want to take in the future for school, I originally decided to pick out a biography about Spielberg, but then realized that I could just watch The Fabelmans, which was made by him instead for a potentially better experience. Instead, I found and decided to check out Steven Spielberg: A Retrospective, which was not only significantly shorter, but it also appeared to be more interesting than a simple biography.
The book is what I would refer to as a “puzzle” of different sources. It begins with a brief introduction on the author’s thoughts on Spielberg and their relationship together before moving on to a very brief overview of his childhood and a slightly longer foray into his early days at Universal.
After the brief biographical section, it moves into an analysis of each of Spielberg’s films released up to that point, starting with Duel (1971) and ending with Lincoln (2012). Each of the analyses go over a brief summary of the film and its production history, Spielberg’s personal thoughts on them, and then the author’s.
This simple format is repeated for twenty odd films throughout the book, and it leads to some really interesting perspectives on both the filmmaking process and on the final end product of the movies themselves. Personally I found myself disagreeing with some of the opinions presented by the author (especially what he thought of Temple of Doom), but it was overall a very enjoyable read. It helped me to see films I have seen before in ways I hadn’t before and also discover new films I had not heard about in the past, and it also made me realize the value of being eclectic and diverse with the work I make, the same way Spielberg was and still is.
Personally, it was not super life-changing or fantastically written, but I would still recommend it for a simple, enjoyable read for movie fans.
3.5/5.
November 18, 2025
This is a coffee table books with lots of photos and brief descriptions of each film. The best part was learning that Mr. Spielberg spent a summer sneaking onto the Universal lot until he was actually given a job. Sadly, according to Snoops, this is a story that Steven tells and embellishes but isn't actually true.
August 10, 2024
Steven Spielberg: a Retrospective by Richard Shickel
Is there anyone who hasn't heard of this amazing man. It's hard to find someone who doesn't know his movies but it's so interesting to learn about them from the inside out. I believe Schindler's List will always be one of my favorites. Hard to believe that such a thing is true, that such a man existed. I
Is there anyone who hasn't heard of this amazing man. It's hard to find someone who doesn't know his movies but it's so interesting to learn about them from the inside out. I believe Schindler's List will always be one of my favorites. Hard to believe that such a thing is true, that such a man existed. I
November 9, 2024
This is an updating of a profile that came out about a decade ago, freshened up to include the director's recent output. There are lots of wonderful photos, and Schickel's writing is just good enough that you want more of it. An updated Steven Spielberg is long overdue.
May 22, 2025
It’s everything you want in a coffee table book about Spielberg. Never gets super in depth with any particular film, but you get a good sense of how each picture determined the next project and so on.
September 3, 2018
For a thick book, rather thin on information.
November 19, 2018
Lots of good pictures. Wanted more anecdotes and less opinion.
May 28, 2020
A quick, interesting, upbeat book covering Spielberg’s work. It’s not a biography - more of a collection of movie reviews with some interesting stories and anecdotes mixed in.
January 13, 2024
這本書我沒讀完，看得出來原作者寫法較流水帳，沒主軸性，然後很多人物和作品背景都沒有交代清楚。更糟的是中譯版本也沒翻好，很多語意地方讀起來非常不順，感覺對書沒有熱情，也沒有另外在一些知名的人物或是電影加註註解，整本書只有劇照漂亮，閱讀體驗非常不好。
February 20, 2018
I devoured this book.
I now wish I hadn't.
For anyone interested in or admiring of the work of Spielberg, this book is a must-have. It contains most (not actually all, though Something Evil may as well be forgotten) of his movies. It provides some valuable insight into what went on behind certain films. The only downside, I think, is that this is essentially a book for the coffee table. Don't go in expecting a detailed autobiography like I did. For the most part, this book simply lists and describes his movies, rather than looking deeply into them.
I was hoping for comprehensive accounts by Spielberg of how each film came to be, how each one might have tested and rewarded him throughout those years. But this book doesn't really have any of that. There was very little of John Williams and how he composed and arranged his iconic music for each films. There was only an occasional insight from Spielberg himself, where he gives us his current opinion of his own films - both the successes and failures.
Basically it just wasn't what I hoped it would be. I'm still waiting for that first-hand account by Spielberg himself. Goddammit, I'm even waiting for him to release a commentary for his films. The guy seems obstinate in keeping his privacy, and while I respect and appreciate that, I do wish he'd indulge in a little self interest.
Anyway, the book was still worth reading. There are some excellent pictures also. In retrospect it has actually raised my opinion of another Spielberg book I read last year, which at first I wasn't impressed with. In hindsight, that book (though it wasn't authorised and the author was kind of lame) gave me much more than what this book ultimately did.
For anyone who likes this book, but would like a deeper look into this man, I would recommend this book by Ian Freer: The Complete Spielberg
I now wish I hadn't.
For anyone interested in or admiring of the work of Spielberg, this book is a must-have. It contains most (not actually all, though Something Evil may as well be forgotten) of his movies. It provides some valuable insight into what went on behind certain films. The only downside, I think, is that this is essentially a book for the coffee table. Don't go in expecting a detailed autobiography like I did. For the most part, this book simply lists and describes his movies, rather than looking deeply into them.
I was hoping for comprehensive accounts by Spielberg of how each film came to be, how each one might have tested and rewarded him throughout those years. But this book doesn't really have any of that. There was very little of John Williams and how he composed and arranged his iconic music for each films. There was only an occasional insight from Spielberg himself, where he gives us his current opinion of his own films - both the successes and failures.
Basically it just wasn't what I hoped it would be. I'm still waiting for that first-hand account by Spielberg himself. Goddammit, I'm even waiting for him to release a commentary for his films. The guy seems obstinate in keeping his privacy, and while I respect and appreciate that, I do wish he'd indulge in a little self interest.
Anyway, the book was still worth reading. There are some excellent pictures also. In retrospect it has actually raised my opinion of another Spielberg book I read last year, which at first I wasn't impressed with. In hindsight, that book (though it wasn't authorised and the author was kind of lame) gave me much more than what this book ultimately did.
For anyone who likes this book, but would like a deeper look into this man, I would recommend this book by Ian Freer: The Complete Spielberg
March 9, 2025
Large, impactful, and resourceful, this book, perfect for a spacey bookshelf or on your coffee table, is indeed a retrospective. Famed movie director Steven Spielberg, of such greats as "Jurassic Park," "Schindler's List" and "Catch Me if you Can," also contributes the foreward. There is an adequate length and description of every movie Spielberg directed until the book's publication date in 2012. From what life experiences that led him to direct specific movies to his most challenging, each movie provides full-coloured photos and a detailed explanation on how they were directed.
While direction is the primary focus of author Richard Schinkel, there is some emphasis on Spielberg's production credits, and the book concludes with a complete compilation of his movie and television directorial, production and executive production, and writing credits. The reader can walk away knowing this is one of Hollywood's most creditable directors because of his focused attention on each movie, and what defines him within his movies.
While direction is the primary focus of author Richard Schinkel, there is some emphasis on Spielberg's production credits, and the book concludes with a complete compilation of his movie and television directorial, production and executive production, and writing credits. The reader can walk away knowing this is one of Hollywood's most creditable directors because of his focused attention on each movie, and what defines him within his movies.
July 27, 2016
Steven Spielberg is a man that needs no introduction. Arguably the most successful (and versatile) director of all time, Spielberg has shockingly yet to have gotten a definitive biography or critical study that not only respects his work but also sees him as a restless, wide-ranging artist (Joseph McBride tried but came too short while Lester Friedman's excellent "Citizen Spielberg" is hardly available in retail stores). Richard Schickel's "Spielberg: A Retrospective" tries to right all wrongs: to provide a critical analysis on Spielberg's work, see his growth as a filmmaker, delve a little bit into his personal life and become the definitive Spielberg book to buy in public domain. In most cases, the book does its job but while "A Retrospective" is an entertaining read, to quote Oskar Schindler, it "could've done more".
If anything else, the book is worth purchasing for the photos. The photos are wonderful to look at, some that have never been available in public before, while others range from sentiment from genuinely funny to haunting to awe-inspiring. But while these photos are fabulous to view, the real strength in "A Retrospective" is Spielberg himself, who is shown to be an insightful, passionate filmmaker not afraid to admit his flaws and defend himself and his work
So Schickel's "A Retrospective" is far from a definitive book about Spielberg, but it's definitely worth purchasing for the photos and for Spielberg's quotes and comments. But if you want a critical study about Spielberg that is more honest, rich with fascinating detail and genuinely informative,
If anything else, the book is worth purchasing for the photos. The photos are wonderful to look at, some that have never been available in public before, while others range from sentiment from genuinely funny to haunting to awe-inspiring. But while these photos are fabulous to view, the real strength in "A Retrospective" is Spielberg himself, who is shown to be an insightful, passionate filmmaker not afraid to admit his flaws and defend himself and his work
So Schickel's "A Retrospective" is far from a definitive book about Spielberg, but it's definitely worth purchasing for the photos and for Spielberg's quotes and comments. But if you want a critical study about Spielberg that is more honest, rich with fascinating detail and genuinely informative,
July 2, 2013
3.5 stars
I'm a big fan of Spielberg so I had to get my hands on this book. It is a gorgeous collection of photos, a beautiful coffee table book that any hardcore fan should have on their shelf.
BUT there really isn't too much new inside the book for those fans. The text is mostly summaries of the films with a few anecdotes thrown in, though many of those you have read elsewhere if you're a big fan. There's not enough meat to the entries for someone studying film or Spielberg.
That didn't stop me from flipping through it over and over to look at the prettiness of it all. It's a great book to have around right after you watch one of the movies and just want a quick bit of bonus commentary.
I'm a big fan of Spielberg so I had to get my hands on this book. It is a gorgeous collection of photos, a beautiful coffee table book that any hardcore fan should have on their shelf.
BUT there really isn't too much new inside the book for those fans. The text is mostly summaries of the films with a few anecdotes thrown in, though many of those you have read elsewhere if you're a big fan. There's not enough meat to the entries for someone studying film or Spielberg.
That didn't stop me from flipping through it over and over to look at the prettiness of it all. It's a great book to have around right after you watch one of the movies and just want a quick bit of bonus commentary.
April 29, 2013
This is a gigantic coffee table book that dedicates 5-6 pages to every movie Spielberg has ever directed up until War Horse.
After college I made a point of watching every single movie of his so this was just like a giant collection of behind the scenes info and pictures that felt like rewatching all the movies again without taking nearly as much time and effort. My only complaint would be that the writer has a tendency to get a little kissass-y at times which can make it feel more like Inside the Actor's Studio than an objective summary of such a legendary career. Regardless, I enjoyed it immensely. Highly recommended for all fans of film.
After college I made a point of watching every single movie of his so this was just like a giant collection of behind the scenes info and pictures that felt like rewatching all the movies again without taking nearly as much time and effort. My only complaint would be that the writer has a tendency to get a little kissass-y at times which can make it feel more like Inside the Actor's Studio than an objective summary of such a legendary career. Regardless, I enjoyed it immensely. Highly recommended for all fans of film.
September 2, 2016
Coffee table style book by former Time magazine film critic Richard Schickel. This is a film by film analysis of all of Spielberg's films from Duel through War Horse with a brief afterword about Lincoln. The two highlights of this book are reading Spielberg's own thoughts on all his films (did you know he was not a fan of Hook but has come around to it in recent years?) and gazing at the beautiful stills from all of the films (the pictures from A.I. are particular well done). This is a must have for any fan of our greatest living storyteller. A+
December 14, 2016
I devour any book about filmmaking, but with Spielberg being my favorite director, I was underwhelmed. Although the book is interesting and the structure is straightforward--divided by films in the order they were made--Schickel can't decide (with overwrought, comma-heavy prose) if this book is a quick overview of Spielberg's feelings on the films, a behind-the-scenes exploration, or Schickel's own cinematic criticism. Any of these as a focus would have made a worthy book, but all three jumbled together create an unsatisfying taste test of each film.
May 19, 2013
Steven Spielberg is one of my favorite (top three) directors. I found this book at the library and thought it would be fun to look at all the movies he has made and the stories behind them. Very interesting man, a tremendous talent and amazing movies. What a lot of people don't realize is how many movies he has had a part in, as a producer, and not just as a director. His hands have influenced so many of the "greats". Love him!
December 18, 2015
A thorough review of the films up to just before the release of Lincoln. There are some movies I never knew he was involved in. All of them get pictures and a review, with some of Spielberg's thoughts about the films. It's definitely not a biography, though there's some information about his early years. It's a coffee-table book with lots of great photos.
January 24, 2013
Okay, read it, I didn't. Look at the over 250+ pictures, I did. This huge coffee table book is a chronological look at Spielberg's film career up to "Lincoln". Need to return to it when I have time to savor the text instead of just salivating over the photos. Quite a guy...
April 10, 2013
A beautiful picture book - a little big for my usual bed-time reading, but worthy a look-see. You can tell Schickel isn't too hard on ole Stevie boy. If you like most of Spielberg's work, you'll like this book. Read it and then leave it on the coffee table where it belongs!
June 3, 2013
A great book about the movies Steven Spielberg has done. Beautiful pictures and his thoughts about how each of those movies came about. His least favorite to his most personally satisfying. Be warned - it is a coffee table book and it weighs a lot. Don't drop on your toes.
June 26, 2020
This is a must have for all Speipberg fans, as it includes in depth details about the making of every film The Beard has done from Duel to Lincoln. It is filled with superb set photos and behind the scene shots.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews