Spielberg's films: E.T. and Schindler's List

by Elaine Aparecida Queiroz and Natália da Silva Matte

Steven Spielberg is a very well-known film director from Hollywood. Most of his films are a huge success and are seen by thousands of people all over the world. Two of his very successful films are E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) and Schindler's List (1993), which share some characteristics but obviously have some contrasts too.
Both are classic films. But unlike E.T., that is a science-fiction film, Schindler's List is realistic and historical, as it tells a true story, dealing with the Nazism in the World War II. On the other hand, E.T. has a light theme that focuses specially on young kids. Although it is from colorful films era, Schindler's List was shot in black and white, which was a director's decision, probably to give a more dramatic atmosphere and to make it look like a film shot at the time of its plot. E.T. not only uses colorful shot but also many visual effects that were truly amazing in the 1980's. And finally, a great similarity is that both movies were a box office hit and won many important awards, entering the cinematography history of Hollywood.