Bracket Challenge - Steven Spielberg's Greatest Film - Round Two (Part One)

We begin round two with a pair of matchups featuring a shark that wouldn't work against, the Pentagon Papers, America's most beloved President, and a hidden gem on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The poll that I recently posted on the greatest film in the Spielberg canon sparked a great deal of a discussion and a ton of questions. You’ve all clearly got myriad feelings on the subject, and so do I for that matter. So, let’s have a good old fashioned tournament, and pick the favorite Spielberg film for the WAIM community.

With a bit of research and some objective appraisal, I have seeded the 32 films presented here from top to bottom. These seeds take into account my own personal tastes as well as your comments on the poll from last week and any number of lists to be found in cyberspace on the issue.

What Am I Making is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

The first round of the Steven Spielberg Bracket Challenge is complete. With the exception of The Color Purple sneaking out a minor upset win in round one, things went according to plan. Round two is where things start to get a little more interesting.

We open the second round with a pair of intriguing matches. First up, we have the #1 seed and overall favorite, Jaws pitted against The Post. In the second matchup, Munich and Lincoln face-off.

This pair of contests is an interesting peek at some of the better work in the later part of Spielberg’s career. Lincoln features a remarkable performance by Daniel Day Lewis and is stunningly captured, if not perfectly rendered. Munich is a dark, moody treatise on identity, revenge, and so much more. It’s a disturbingly good film that never feels like it was directed by the man that gave us E.T. The Extra Terrestrial.

Obviously, Jaws has its own immense set of qualifications. It is pitted against The Post, a workmanlike re-telling of The Washington Post’s quest to publish sections of the Pentagon Papers. Much like Munich, it’s a true-life story that often fails to show off the touch of its master.

Voting will close at 6:00 am on Friday, October 27, 2023. Vote early and often and make sure that your friends, enemies, colleagues, co-workers, and neighbors are voting as well.

Cheers,
Matty C

Round Two - Part One