What Does Steven Spielberg Think is the 'Greatest American Film Ever Made'?

Steven Spielberg and Francis Ford Coppola were part of a group of influential 70s filmmakers, along with Martin Scorsese, Brian De Palma, and George Lucas, called the Movie Brats (first coined by film critic Pauline Kael).When I think about their friendships and lasting influence on one another, it really warms my heart. I think collaboration and this kind of support are incredibly important to have a long-lasting career. It was really cool to see a lot of these guys come together to watch Coppola get the 50th AFI Life Achievement Award from the American Film Institute. While presenting the award to Coppola, Spielberg said, “On one hand, you are a warrior for independent artists, you always champion their causes, but also, and always, you’re fearless in how open you are to ideas, opinions and inspiration.”He continued to talk about Coppola's films, talking about seeing an early cut of Apocalypse Now and giving feedback. “When the film ended, you asked us to tell you what we saw, how we felt. You invited all of us in, so one by one, we told you where we were lost and where we were found, and I sat there in awe, learning that leaving yourself open and searching was, in fact, your superpower.”And Spielberg finished giving Coppola maybe the best platitude of all when it comes to his work. "The Godfather, for me, is the greatest American film ever made. Many artists can and do take a bow from their work on a page, on a canvas, on a screen, but our applause for you, Francis, is from a different kind of audience. When we’re young, it’s our parents we want to make proud, and then it’s our friends, and then it’s our colleagues, and finally, it’s our peers, but you, sir, are peerless.” Spielberg continued, “You have taken what came before and redefined the canon of American film, and in so doing, you’ve inspired a generation of storytellers who want to make you proud of their work, proud of our work, and I always want to make you proud of my work.”All of this stuff is so deserving, and it's great to see friends and family lauding Coppola for what he's given to film over the last 70+ years of his life. Like I said up top, I'm not sure we have the illustrious careers of all of those men mentioned without them working together and being there for each other when the going gets tough. Having them back to award Coppola is so fitting and so wonderful, and seeing the respect they have for each other's work is inspirational. Let me know what you think in the comments.

Apr 29, 2025 - 01:29

What Does Steven Spielberg Think is the 'Greatest American Film Ever Made'?

Steven Spielberg and Francis Ford Coppola were part of a group of influential 70s filmmakers, along with Martin Scorsese, Brian De Palma, and George Lucas, called the Movie Brats (first coined by film critic Pauline Kael).

When I think about their friendships and lasting influence on one another, it really warms my heart. I think collaboration and this kind of support are incredibly important to have a long-lasting career.

It was really cool to see a lot of these guys come together to watch Coppola get the 50th AFI Life Achievement Award from the American Film Institute.

While presenting the award to Coppola, Spielberg said, “On one hand, you are a warrior for independent artists, you always champion their causes, but also, and always, you’re fearless in how open you are to ideas, opinions and inspiration.”

He continued to talk about Coppola's films, talking about seeing an early cut of Apocalypse Now and giving feedback. “When the film ended, you asked us to tell you what we saw, how we felt. You invited all of us in, so one by one, we told you where we were lost and where we were found, and I sat there in awe, learning that leaving yourself open and searching was, in fact, your superpower.”

And Spielberg finished giving Coppola maybe the best platitude of all when it comes to his work.

"The Godfather, for me, is the greatest American film ever made. Many artists can and do take a bow from their work on a page, on a canvas, on a screen, but our applause for you, Francis, is from a different kind of audience. When we’re young, it’s our parents we want to make proud, and then it’s our friends, and then it’s our colleagues, and finally, it’s our peers, but you, sir, are peerless.”

Spielberg continued, “You have taken what came before and redefined the canon of American film, and in so doing, you’ve inspired a generation of storytellers who want to make you proud of their work, proud of our work, and I always want to make you proud of my work.”

All of this stuff is so deserving, and it's great to see friends and family lauding Coppola for what he's given to film over the last 70+ years of his life.

Like I said up top, I'm not sure we have the illustrious careers of all of those men mentioned without them working together and being there for each other when the going gets tough.

Having them back to award Coppola is so fitting and so wonderful, and seeing the respect they have for each other's work is inspirational.

Let me know what you think in the comments.