Since starting his filmmaking career in 1969,Steven Spielberghas directed 34 feature-length films. The impact has had on cinema as a director and producer cannot be overstated. For better or worse, he created the modern blockbuster with 1975’sJaws,which was also the first film to be shot on the ocean. His directorial credits includesome of the greatest films ever made, many of which have influenced future filmmakers and changed the landscape of Hollywood.
Over his 50+ year career, Steven Spielberg has becomethe most commercially successful directorand one of the most important pioneers in cinema. His films have come to be known for their epic scopes, incredible John Williams scores, sci-fi elements and coming-of-age stories, and breathtaking cinematography.
From beginning to end, Spielberg’s movies are packed with impressive and beautiful shots. Some of these images have been engraved into both our minds and pop-culture. They’re as famous as Spielberg himself, and have come to define their respective movies. It isn’t easy compiling a list like this — but here are the ten of the most iconic single shots from Steven Spielberg’s impressive filmography.
10Lincoln Heading Toward His Assassination — Lincoln (2012)
Through Spielberg’s masterful direction and Daniel Day-Lewis' transformative performance, America’s iconic 16h president, Abraham Lincoln, is brought to life in the 2012 biopicLincoln.It’s been hailed as not only one of the best films of Spielberg’s career, but as one of the greatest films of the 21st century.Lincolnalso earned Day-Lewis yet another Academy Award for Best Actor.
Lincoln on His Way to a Seemingly Normal Night at the Theater
At the end of the film, Lincoln slips on his top hat and cheerfully departs the White House for the Ford Theatre. We in the audience want to shout at him, “No, don’t go!” It’s an iconic, sobering shot for viewers: watching a cheerful Lincoln walk down the hall while wearing his signature hat, knowing full what that tragedy is awaiting him.
Rent Lincoln on Prime Video
9Peter Pan Takes Flight — Hook (1991)
Hookcleverly imagines a unique spin onthe classic tale of Peter Pan: what happens when the boy who never grows up actuallydoesgrow up? Now an adult who’s forgotten about his legendary past, Peter (Robin Williams) is lured back to the magical world of Neverland when his arch-nemesis, Captain Hook (Dustin Hoffman), kidnaps his children.
Although it was a critical and commercial box office disappointment,Hookhas since become a fan-favorite in Spielberg’s catalog. Filled with iconic performances and movie magic, it’s a definitive childhood film for the Millennial generation.
Peter Pan Soaring Over Neverland
Spielberg does a masterful job at capturing the magic of Peter Pan. Coupled with John Williams' beautiful and epic score, every shot inHookseems to sparkle with fairy dust, immersing you in the wonders of Neverland. But the film’s most iconic shot comes right after Peter finally remembers his past. Our hero takes flight for the very first time, a look of boyish glee on his face, as he soars through the skies toward Neverland. In that moment, Robin WilliamsisPeter Pan.
Rent Hook on Amazon Prime Video
8Jim’s Airplane Shot — Empire of the Sun (1987)
Empire of the Sunis a coming-of-age war epic, based on the semi-autobiographical novel of the same name. It follows a young boy named Jim (Christian Bale), who’s separated from his wealthy British family in Shanghai and becomes a prisoner of war in a Japanese camp during World War II. The film marks Christian Bale’s breakthrough performance at only 13-years-old.
A Mesmerizing Silhouette
The most iconic moment inEmpire of the Sunis the “Cadillac of the skies” scene — when Jim is jumping up and down on the rooftop, cheering excitedly as the planes bomb his prisoner camp. But in terms of single shots, the most iconic one comes earlier in the film.
When he first arrives at camp, Jim becomes enchanted by an airplane. He approaches it slowly, reaching out a curious hand. The dark silhouettes of the boy and plane, illuminated by only the flying sparks in the background, makes for one of the most beautiful shots from any Spielberg movie.
Rent Empire of the Sun on Amazon Prime Video
7Celie’s Shadow Shot — The Color Purple (1985)
The Color Purple
Based on the novel of the same name,The Color Purpledetails the problems that African-American women faced during the early 20th century. It’s told mainly through the eyes of Celie Harris (Whoopi Goldberg) and her companions, showing the sexual and physical abuse, poverty, and racism they all experienced.
The Color Purpleis a significant milestone in Spielberg’s filmography: it was a departure from the blockbusters he usually directed, and it marked the film debut for Oprah Winfrey and a breakthrough performance for Whoopi Goldberg. Spielberg also played a role in producing 2023’s musical adaptation.
Time Passing Under a Shadow
Ever since she was a girl, Celie was the victim of childhood abuse. Crying, the young Celie (Desreta Jackson) sits in a chair off-screen and struggles to read a book. The film briefly cuts away, but it eventually brings us back to that shot of Celie, reading alone in her chair. We still only see her shadow, projected onto the wall.
When her abusive husband calls for her, we watch the shadow rise from the chair off-screen. Celie then walks into the shot, and for the first time, we’re introduced to the adult version of the character — and to Whoopi Goldberg. It’s a subtle shot that’s come to defineThe Color Purple, plastered on both its movie posters and paperback covers.
Stream The Color Purple on Max
6Child Opening the Door — Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
Close Encounters of The Third Kind
Close Encounters of the Third Kindis Steven Spielberg’s first of many sci-fi movies. Written and directed by Spielberg, it captures humanity’s first contact with extra-terrestrials. The plot follows a series of people who feel called to a place called Devil’s Tower, where they come upon an alien ship and try to communicate with it.
The Orange Glow of UFOs
The most iconic scene fromClose Encounters of the Third Kind,and one of the most iconic moments in cinema, is when humanity communicates with the alien’s mother ship through musical notes. But in terms of single shots, this film’s most famous one comes much earlier. A strange orange light is poking through a door’s keyhole.
Curious, a little boy flings open the front door of his home, unveiling the UFOs and their orange lights outside. It’s a beautiful shot that masterfully toes the line between sci-fi and horror.
Rent Close Encounters of the Third Kind on Prime Video
5The T-Rex Breaks Out — Jurassic Park (1993)
Jurassic Park
Through a mix of animatronics and digital effects, Steven Spielberg brings dinosaurs back to life inJurassic Park. The main characters' astonishment mirrors our own when we enter Jurassic Park, and we see dinosaurs walking the Earth for the first time. But as Dr. Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) points out, “Life finds a way” – and he’s proven to be correct when the dinosaurs break out of their barricades and unleash hell upon the park.
The Heart-Pounding Reveal of the T. Rex
Jurassic Parkis one of the most famous, critically acclaimed, and commercially successful films on Spielberg’s resume. It’s a sci-fi, adventure masterpiece, andone of the most important movies ever made. It was challenging to pick just one shot in a film that’s jam-packed with iconic shots: the helicopter soaring toward Jurassic Park’s island as John William’s iconic score plays in the background, our first sweeping look at Jurassic Park’s dinosaurs, the shot of computer code projected onto the Velociraptor’s face.
Even the close-ups of water, rippling from the T. rex’s booming footsteps, have become iconic. ButJurassic Park’smost famous shot has to be when the highly anticipated T. rex steps out of its cage in the dead of night, revealing itself for the first time, and releases a blood-curdling roar. It’s an awe-inspiring moment that looks better and more realistic than modern CGI, a shot that’s come to defineJurassic Parkand the franchise that followed.
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4The Shark Unexpectedly Surfaces — Jaws (1975)
Based on the 1974 novel of the same name,Jawsis set in a New England beach town that’s being terrorized by a massive, man-eating great white shark. Determined to end its reign of terror, a ragtag team is assembled to hunt and take down the shark, which includes a local sheriff, a marine biologist, and a 1970s version of Captain Ahab fromMoby Dick.
Our First Real Look at the Shark
Becausethe movie’s mechanical sharks kept malfunctioning, Spielberg was forced to cut down on the shark’s screentime and get creative with his cinematography. He offers us only quick snippets that tease our appetites, building up the suspense and terror around the shark. No shot encapsulates this more than our first frontal view of the shark.
Martin Brody (Roy Scheider), the sheriff, is carelessly dumping bait into the water when the shark unexpectedly pops out of the ocean, its jaws wide open. It’s a fleeting moment, only lasting a second, yet it’s one of the most frightening, powerful, and famous shots inJaws.
Stream Jaws on Netflix
3Final Shot in the Warehouse - Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
Raiders of the Lost Arkisthe very definition of an adventure film. Archaeologist Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) journeys across the world, racing the Nazis to uncover one of history’s most legendary artifacts: the lost Ark of the Covenant.
A Chilling and Memorable Finale
There are so many famous shots in this movie. But ironically, its most iconic shot doesn’t include Indiana Jones. At the end of the film, Indiana has secured the lost ark and wants to know what the US government has done with it. “We have top men working on it right now,” they assure him.
Indiana never does find out where the ark went — but we do. In the movie’s chilling final shot, we see the ark being carted off into an immense warehouse, filled with discarded and forgotten top-secret projects. This finale has since become of the most iconic,and most parodied, endings in cinema.
Stream Raiders of the Lost Ark on Disney+
2The Girl in the Red Coat — Schindler’s List (1993)
Schindler’s List
Schindler’s Listis a harrowing look at the concentration camps that claimed millions of innocent Jewish lives during the Holocaust. Oskar Schindler (Liam Neeson) is a wealthy German industrialist and member of the Nazi Party. But his allegiance gradually shifts by the end of the film, prompting him to save 1,200 Jewish lives from certain death.
A Flash of Color in a Black-and-White World
Schindler’s allegiance changes after he’s exposed to the horrors and prejudice inflicted by the Nazis upon the Jews. This shift is captured in one poignant moment: when he sees a little girl in a red coat, walking down the street amid the chaos.She stands out among the black-and-white cinematography, the only flash of color we see, a stark contrast to the dull and abysmal world around her.
According to her screen time, she’s a very minor character. We see her for barely a minute. And yet, the little girl in the red coat plays a major role, symbolizing Schindler’s change. Her close-up has become a definitive piece ofSchindler’s List;her red-sleeved hand can be found on the movie poster.This isn’t just one of the most powerful and beautiful shots in Spielberg’s filmography; it’s one of the most iconic shots in all of cinema.
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1The Moon Shot — E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
While filmingRaiders of the Lost Ark, Spielberg developed a sense of loneliness that reminded him of his imaginary, alien best friend that he’d created during his parent’s divorce. He shared this notion withscreenwriter Melissa Mathison, who pumped out a scriptbased on this idea.
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrialisn’t your typical alien movie, where beings from outer space invade Earth. Rather, it captures the endearing friendship between a boy and an alien that’s been left behind on Earth and wants to return home.
Soaring Past the Moon
Does this one even need an explanation? E.T. has a number of abilities, including telekinesis. At one point, Elliot (Henry Thomas) is riding through the woods on his bike, carrying E.T. in the front basket. E.T. decides to jazz things up a bit and uses his telekinesis to lift them both, bike and all, into the air.
And then it happens: the silhouettes of Elliot, E.T., and the bike go soaring past a brilliant full moon, while John Willams' beautiful score plays in the background. This beautiful, wondrous shot is the epitome of movie magic.
It’s an image that’s been engraved into the mind of every movie fan, probably since their childhood. Even Spielberg used this shot in the logo of his production company, Amblin Entertainment, Inc. Since 1982,E.T.has been regarded asone of Spielberg’s greatest works.
