Re: Ranking Spielberg
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I think it's because a lot of people consider him a populist, when in fact he's simply making movies that are either very personal to him (Close Encounters, ET, Schindler's List) or films he think it'd be a blast to see (Jurassic Park, Raiders, Jaws). The fact that his movies just happen to be hugely popular is somehow seen as him selling out.
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His more intellectual points always seemed incredibly facile to me. I love Jaws and Indiana Jones, and while I've probably only seen less than half of Spielberg's oeuvre, there's just not that much depth there. Saving Private Ryan just seemed forced past the incredible Omaha Beach scene.
To me, he's like the filmmaking version of Stephen King - something about his work IS very poignant and he's a terrific crafstman. 'Literary' people have the same problem with him - which causes other people to rush forward and make ludicrous claims like King will one day stand beside Melville and Dickens. No, he won't. He's more than an 'entertainer', but less than an 'artistic genius'. To call him a sellout is absurd.
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