Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Steven Spielberg almost quit directing after making Schindler's List

'It was the trauma of telling the story and forming the Shoah Foundation'

Jack Shepherd
Thursday 16 June 2016 09:29 BST
Comments
Liam Neeson in Shindler's List
Liam Neeson in Shindler's List

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Steven Spielberg will go down in history as one of Hollywood's most prolific directors; even now in his later life, he’s helming Disney films (BFG), blockbusters (Ready Player One, Indiana Jones 5), and documentaries (The Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara).

However, there was a time when Spielberg almost gave up on directing altogether. Despite giving him two Oscars in 1994, after working on Schindler's List, he didn’t want to go back to work. "I just didn't," he told The Hollywood Reporter. "I could not.”

Asked by the trade whether he was depressed, Spielberg - at first - said yes, before correcting himself: "I've never been depressed. I was sad and isolated, and as well-received and successful as that movie was, I think it was the trauma of telling the story and forming the Shoah Foundation. [Spielberg's non-profit organisation hoping to preserve the rememberance of the Holocaust]

"I started to wonder, was Schindler's List going to be the last film I would direct?"

Thankfully, for the movie going world, Spielberg was drawn back to Hollywood soon enough, the urge to work "seized me one day like a thunderbolt.I just needed time.” It was then, in 1997, that he returned to direct the sequel to Jurassic Park, The Lost World.

Read our retrospective of Spielberg’s prolific career.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in