Steven Spielberg delves into various different genres, tones and styles in his films, but there’s often one consistent theme throughout all his work: the use of the dinner table.
Vimeo user De Filmkrant notes that this tendency generally comes from the filmmaker’s focus on family, although his work also highlights first dates and meals involving older couples and dysfunctional father and son relationships. It has been a staple in his filmography, from the “Indiana Jones” films to “Catch Me If You Can” to “The Terminal” to “Munich” to “E.T.,” and it’s explored in detail in De Flimkrant’s video essay, “Steven Spielberg: Setting the Table.”
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Humans need to eat, and so Spielberg’s inclusions as such is hardly unusual. However, video essay editors Joost Broeren and Sander Spies note that there’s generally a particular way in which Spielberg employs these dinner table scenes.
They’re often found a third of the way into a given film and generally provide a moment of calm before the frenzied actions occurring later. They can also provide turning points for the characters or a last look at the family life they’re about to leave behind — see last year’s “Bridge of Spies.” It’s another defining way in which Spielberg can make the hero an everyman, which ultimately makes our main characters more relatable and human.
To see for yourself how Spielberg has used to common thread throughout his career, sit down and dig into the video below.