New Kid on the Block

Steven Speilberg is the undisputed top dog of Hollywood filmmaking. However, when it comes to historical films, there’s a new kid on the block. His name is Edward Zwick, and he has made four historically based films that rival some of Speilberg’s best. I went through the director’s films and picked out the four historical films from each director that I think are best. Here is what I came up with:

Speilberg
Schindler’s List (1993)
Amistad (1997)
Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Munich (2005)

Zwick
Glory (1989)
The Last Samurai (2003)
Blood Diamond (2006)
Defiance (2008)

This astonishing list of films is difficult to decipher because each film is so unique and interesting in its own way. However, if I had to choose one from the list it would be Saving Private Ryan. I absolutely love this film. Saving Private Ryan is in my opinion, the greatest war movie of all time. The opening is one of the most visually stunning sequences of film to date. The way Speilberg captured the feeling of actually storming the beach was unbelievable. The audience got to experience what it was like to tread through the bloody sand with mortars and bullets narrowly missing them. Not surprising that Speilberg took home the academy award for best director in 1998.

Despite all of my praise for Speilberg, I have to say that Edward Zwick’s list of historical films is overall more consistent. The only respectable historical piece from Speilberg in the last decade was his film Munich in 2005. I say respectable,” because Munich was decent, but was certainly nothing to write home about.

Ever since his triumphant return to directing with his film The Last Samurai, Zwick has been on a roll. In my opinion, all of his last three films are absolutely amazing. His best film so far came with the release of Blood Diamond in 2006. He was able to elicit amazing performances from both Leonardo DiCaprio and his supporting actor Djimon Houndou. This film will keep your attention fully locked in from start to finish. Not only that, it is one of those films you keep thinking about for weeks.

Zwick’s most recent masterpiece came with the release of Defiance in 2008. This movie flew under the radar in a lot of respects. Despite having a big name like Daniel Craig in the leading role, the film did not do as well as expected. I think a big reason for this is because of when it was released. It stayed in the shadow cast by the talked about films such as Gran Turino and The Wrestler. Commercial success or not, Defiance was a great film. The directing and acting in this film are absolutely top class. Zwick elicits what is easily the finest performance of Daniel Craig’s career.

Defiance is a true story that takes place in Holland during WWII. The touching and heroic tale follows three Jewish brothers, who start a community in the woods for Jews trying to avoid the wrath of the Nazis. The story is so intense and overwhelming that it is difficult to believe that the film is actually based on a true story. Depending on how you look at it, the story may even be more dramatic and heart wrenching than that of Speilberg’s 1993 film, Schindler’s List.

Although Steven Speilberg’s body of work is absolutely insurmountable, it is clear that Zwick is making his move in a big way. When it comes to directing historical pieces, he is clearly the man to beat. His last three films have catapulted him into a league made up of Hollywood’s greatest filmmakers. As usual, I can’t wait to see what will come next from these two amazing directors.