You guys are being too hard on Spielberg. A.I. was just a mess because it was developed and then filmed by two directors with very different viewpoints.
Kubrick gave A.I. to Spielberg. Four years before his death. Spielberg didn’t swoop in after his death and conspire to take the credit.
I can’t say I have ever been a great Spielberg supporter, but directors like Spielberg and Scorsese and Coppola are known for taking inspiration from both old Hollywood classics and the European masters in creating their films.
Spielberg himself is a master of the reveal. While it’s true that most of his attempts at serious drama are marred by a sunny optimism, Schindler’s List was a wonderful exception. I honestly don’t think he will be wanting to do another film about the Holocaust, so there is really no point discussing Spielberg.
But whoever they do get will not be Kubrick. It will never be Kubrick. Kubrick is dead and the film either gets made by someone else or not made at all. So I am willing to accept a director like Ang Lee giving his take on a Kubrick script. And I’d actually prefer that he doesn’t try to imitate Kubrick.
