Steven Spielberg could arguably be called the most well known Baby Boomer in the world. The famed director/producer is a poster boy for the drive and success that characterizes his generation, having produced well over 100 films and directed nearly 50 in a career that has spanned over 40 years. And he's not slowing down an iota as he recently celebrated his 65th birthday; in fact, he's doubling up his workload, rather than considering retirement.
Case in point: He's blasting into theaters this month with two incredibly diverse films, both of which he directed and produced. "The Adventures of Tintin" is his animated offering, his adaptation of the much-loved French comics created by Herge. That movie features the voices of Jamie Bell, Andy Serkis, Daniel Craig and and other familiar actors. Spielberg uses motion-capture techniques to create the unique look of the film, which has already been wowing crowds and raking in money across Europe.
But it is "War Horse," Spielberg's live-action adaptation of the Michael Morpurgo novel, that is already garnering awards buzz. With multiple nominations already from the Critics' Choice and Golden Globe awards, it seems a shoo-in for nods from the Academy Awards as well. The story of a horse named Joey, his young owner and their witnessing of the horrors of World War I, Spielberg's film is an emotional journey that is all about the horse.
"I don't consider 'War Horse' to be a war movie. It's not one of my war movies," Spielberg insisted during a press conference for the film in New York City. "This is much more of a real story between the connections that sometimes animal achieve, the way that animals can actually connect people together. It is really a homage to Joey and the effect that animals often have on people, in changing their lives for the better."
His personal connection to horses is a close one; there are plenty of them living with him at home, in fact.
"I live with horses because my daughter, who's just turned 15, is a competitive jumper. She travels the country in competition, jumping her horses," he explained. "We have stables for as many as 12 horses. Right now we have eight on the property living with us. We've had as many as 12 living with us. I've been living with horses now for about 15 years. So, when I saw [the stage version of] 'War Horse' I was maybe even more ready to tell the story because of that."
Spielberg only had to go out his back door to get inspiration, which is exactly what he did. "I went out to the stables and I just stood out there with my iPhone. I just started photographing the horses from all angles and I tried to see, like, 'How many expressions can I get out of these horses?' And when I realized that I couldn't get expression per se from the eyes and the face of the horse, I realized by standing back that the horse expressed himself in his entire bearing. The horses needed all four legs, the tail, the ears especially and how the ears move in directing its attention to what it's reacting to. So I realized that you needed to get back, to really, really see the magnificence of the horse."
That's something that Spielberg shows to great effect throughout the epic film, but he insists that it wasn't all his doing. It was all about the horse – and his trainer.
"The horse didn't listen to me very often!" he laughed. "Bobby Lovgren, our horse whisperer, listened to me very often and he's the one that's responsible for getting the performance out of Joey."
And now that Steven Spielberg has successfully wrangled horses and created a cutting-edge animated flick, what's next for the legendary director? He's tackling "Lincoln" next, making a biopic of the president's life starring Daniel Day Lewis. Look for that in theaters in time for Christmas 2012.
Jenny Peters' credits include writing on film, celebrities, restaurants and fashion for publications including “USA Today Weekend," the Los Angeles Daily News,” "Buzz" and “Cosmopolitan.” She currently pens the “Variety” "VPage" and "Seen and Heard" columns, and is the West Coast Bureau Chief of “Fashion Wire Daily.”
