Erotism and Sexuality in Three Films Directed by Steven Spielberg in the Last Three Decades of the Twentieth Century

Abstract

This journal article deals with the treatmeant of sexuality and erotism in three films directed by Steven Spielberg: Close Encounters of the Third Kind, The Color Purple and Schindler’s List. Each of these films belongs to one of the last decades of the Twentieth century. After going through the three film texts in search of explicit or implicit references to both concepts, it can be concluded that it is possible to observe an evolution in Spielberg’s treatment with the passing of time. In Close Encounters of the Third Kind we find kisses and a subplot which mirrors the approach between a man and a woman. The Color Purple places sexual abuse at the centre of the narrative, without showing it explicityly, and dealing with lesbianism in a very delicate way. In Schindler’s List we can watch the protagonist making love with one of his lovers. But these are only samples of Spielberg’s filmography: the results we have reached invite us to keep on exploring these concepts throughout the whole of his work.