The comedian is still deeply missed.
Steven Spielberg has always been a prolific director but 2018 was one of his busiest years in recent memory with the release of The Post and Ready Player One. This being said, Spielberg is used to multitasking because he’s also responsible for one of greatest achievements in the history of cinema, releasing both the global box-office hit Jurassic Park and the incredibly powerful Schindler’s List the same year.
In fact, when Spielberg was in Poland filming Schindler’s List in early 1993, he was simultaneously editing Jurassic Park at night. Jurassic Park premiered on June 11, 1993, and Schindler’s List debuted on November 30, 1993. That’s incredible.
In filmmaking terms, both films are rightfully regarded as masterpieces but Spielberg has frequently spoken about how emotionally challenging it was to make Schindler’s List.
During a recent panel at the Tribeca Film Festival, the director reunited with the cast of the Holocaust drama to talk about the film’s legacy and impact. Despite the fact that it won seven Oscars, Schindler’s List was more than just a film to the Jewish community and countless other people. Simply put, it’s an important historical document about one of the most heinous and horrific acts of evil that has ever been committed.
In 2007, the American Film Institute ranked the film 8th on its list of the 100 best American films of all time. The Library of Congress also selected it for preservation in the National Film Registry in 2004.
Despite the various pressures – both logistical and emotional – that Spielberg was facing during the shoot, the director revealed that he always had one outlet to make him laugh and smile, Robin Williams.
As film fans will know, Spielberg and Williams worked together on Hook and the director revealed that the comedian was always there to provide him with inspiration and positivity during the production of Schindler’s List.
As reported by Deadline, Spielberg said: “He would call and do 15 minutes of stand-up on the phone. He would never say goodbye; he would always just hang up on the biggest laugh he got from me. Mic drop.”
Williams would also go on to make a film based on the Holocaust, Jakob the Liar, but this story is just another insight into the man he was.
A true icon.
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