Perhaps the western world's most famous living filmmaker, Steven Spielberg succeeded in combining the intimacy of a personal vision with the epic requirements of the modern commercial blockbuster. Though his astonishing success delayed his acceptance as a serious artist for many years, few could deny that Spielberg’s work decisively influenced twentieth century filmmaking through his potent visual imagery and universally recognizable emotion. If nothing else, Spielberg’s films were landmarks in special effects, both in their visual and aural aspects, and they additionally possessed an uncanny knack for eliciting audience response....