THE SUGARLAND EXPRESS (1974). Along w/ Bong Joon-ho's MEMORIES OF MURDER (2003), this is probably my personal Platonic ideal for how to direct. Less overtly affirming than most Spielberg's films though his clear-eyed affection for the human animal seeps into every scene.

I may be getting a little obsessed. This was my second rewatch in three days. I'm absolutely in thrall with how Spielberg and Vilmos Zsigmond use the camera, stitching together 15 to 45 second takes with the camera sliding between 2-3 different compositions in a single take.

There's a long shot showing a patrol car coming up a road that pans to a two-year old playing in the middle distance. Then that patrol car rolls back into frame & the camera pivots to show it parking in front of a large white house.

It's not one of the big "look at me" oners that everyone goes ape shit over. It's a more invisible uncut shot, but something about how it unfolds allows you to gradually realize that this 2-year old is the central point of the whole story. A series of cuts wouldn't quite suffice.

When we return to the child again, after the foster mother gets word of what's going on, the way that the child is lovingly framed tells us visually all we need to know about how the parties feel about him. Because of that, the film doesn't really even need to talk about it.

I also love how Spielberg takes the time to give just about every character who passes through the film -- no matter how minor -- a moment to have their humanity revealed. Even the shitheads are worthy of a momentary portrait, if just to allow them to reveal their foolishness.

I think it's also a great '70s car movie. I wouldn't be shocked if George Miller screened this sucker a bunch of times while prepping for the first MAD MAX. It's like taking Hal Needham's muscular second unit work from WHITE LIGHTNING & giving it an impeccable visual sensibility.

There's also a great move that Spielberg pulls off twice, where the camera's on a moving vehicle & tracks the picture car at a distance, but then gradually moves in closer & closer til finally the camera's close enough that we hear & see the dialogue going on in the speeding car.

David Mackenzie does a similar move after the 1st heist in HELL OR HIGHWATER & it's thrilling there, too. I'm sure the move's in a bunch of other films but I'd just been missing out on noticing it. Anyway, almost every scene in the film is made up of these modestly perfect gems.

And here is young Spielberg during the filming of THE SUGARLAND EXPRESS, riding in the "Bullitt" car originally designed to film the famous chase sequences in Peter Yates' film.

Also, Spielberg discussing coordinating the Texas landscape and the camera to deliver small storytelling surprises.

Vilmos Zsigmond on working with Spielberg on THE SUGARLAND EXPRESS, technically Spielberg's first major feature (DUEL was shot for TV on a TV schedule):