Movie Brats

(From left to right) Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, Brian De Palma, George Lucas, and Francis Coppola

There was a group of young directors, sometimes called the Movie Brats, who came to the limelight of the film industry. They were Francis Coppola, George Lucas, Martin Scorsese, Brian De Palma, and Steven Spielberg. These young directors differed in their purpose on producing films. Some considered the public and produced films that moved everybody while others produced films that considered just themselves.

Coppola's The Godfather

Francis Coppola is a kind of director who wanted to own everything such as the lights, sounds, cameras, etc. His dream was to run his own studio to be called American Zoetrope. This dream came into reality. He also became one of the dominant forces in Hollywood. His movie, The Godfather, became the biggest grossing film of all time in January 1973. Coppola considered himself rather than the public.

George Lucas, on the other hand, considered the public and produced movies that moved everybody, unlike Coppola. His movie, Star Wars, introduced film to merchandising. Star Wars-themed products became infamous after the release of the movie. Lucas’ film, American Graffiti, was also a massive surprise. Moreover, he also became one of the dominant forces in Hollywood like Coppola.

Lucas' American Graffiti

For Martin Scorsese, technique was not important. He was second to Coppola to enter Hollywood industry through Roger Corman. Scorsese initially produced documentary-like films making films narrative cinema in America. He wanted movies that moved him. Therefore, like Coppola, Scorsese considered himself rather than the public.

Most of Brian De Palma’s films were remakes of Alfred Hitchcock’s films. He wanted to involve the audience in films and interact with them. Therefore, he was a director who considered the public rather than himself.

Lastly, Steven Spielberg also considered the public rather than himself. He was originally from the television industry where he considered it as a job and not an art form. He also became one of the dominant forces in Hollywood. In fact, the success of his movie, Jaws, put the idea of blockbuster movies firmly on the map. Producer David Brown said that he was the biggest movie maker of all time.