I Wish to Make Special-Effect-Free Movie

A movie set located in Ranci Street, downtown Los Angels was bustling with staff as you can imagine. They just remodeled the 100-years-old textile factory to use the site as a set. And there we had an interview with director Steven Spielberg, the “Emperor” of Hollywood, about his new movie “Catch Me If You Can.”

Just as one of the staff shouted “shooting,” the busy room fell into silence with the air conditioner and the light turned off. After shooting a scene, Spielberg came into the room located next to the set where we were waiting for him watching the monitor.

He was wearing a leather jacket despite the hot California weather with a cigar in his hand. In the first glance, he looked more like a kind old man living next to door than a film big wig in Hollywood. Once he took a seat, however, he didn’t hesitate to make his point loud and clear.

- I could see “Catch Me If You Can” set in the 1960s. Is it a going back to the past from the future, from your latest works like “A.I” and “Minority Report”?

“Let me say that I am thirsty about a movie without special effects. I think we have had enough of special effects-filled scenes via CNN (since the Sept. 11 attacks). Frank Abegnail, a real character in the 1960s, was a criminal known for his disguise skills. It’s wonder to me that a man could have thousands of faces. That was how I decided to make this movie.”

- How do you get all those ideas?

“(Smiling) I don’t know. If you really want to know, you might have to take me to a psychologist.”

- What does success mean to you?

“It gave me more chances to take challenges. We are now working under the conditions that are as good as those of Hollywood’s golden years. I have worked with this team on seven movies. In 1997, we made three movies together including “Amistad” during a-year period. If I had to work with a new team every time as other do, I would not be able to make more than one a year.”

- “Jaws” is considered the first blockbuster movie, and these days the scale of blockbuster movies is increasing to reach $100 million won. (“Catch Me” spends about an average $52 million in production costs.)

“Frankly, I don’t think “Jaws” would draw many moviegoers if it were released today. Fans are not as understanding about directors as they used to be. (Smiling) Ironically, audiences, who were first educated by people like me, are no longer generous to people like me.”

- How do you see Hollywood today?

“Making a movie is like taking a bet. You wish to lure tens of millions people with a film never been made before. Gamblers in Hollywood, however, are all gone. Managers at production companies are paranoiacs who are afraid of taking a bet.”

- When did it happen?

“(Laughing) Since my friend George (director George Lucas) made $3 million with the first “Star Wars” series.”

Hee-Kyung Kim susanna@donga.com