Paul Schrader and Steven Spielberg go way back. They were part of the New Hollywood generation of filmmakers in the 1970s. They were part of the same circle that included Martin Scorsese, Brian De Palma, George Lucas, and Francis Ford Coppola. They all competed intensely as filmmakers with one another.
One of the most significant connections between Spielberg and Schrader is that the latter wrote an early screenplay draft of “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.” He ultimately rejected the script. Spielberg later said Schrader’s version was too dark for what he wanted to make.
That history makes it especially intriguing to see Schrader take aim at Spielberg’s latest film, “Disclosure Day,” on social media. His review consisted of just eleven words, but he left little doubt about his opinion:
DISCLOSURE DAY: A master chef makes a soufflé out of leftovers.
So, according to Schrader, despite Spielberg being a master craftsman, what he delivers in “Disclosure Day” is familiar, recycled material.
In the comments, Schrader expanded on his criticism by agreeing with a user who described the film as “a tepid two-hour chase to 10 minutes of brilliance.” He went even further, arguing that the film ends where it should have begun: “He told the wrong story. The story is what happens after the evidence is revealed.”
There have been so many wildly different takes on “Disclosure Day” this weekend that no clear consensus has emerged. Reactions are all over the map: some have praised its old-school craftsmanship, while others have criticized what they see as a ridiculous and implausible story.
For what it’s worth, Schrader has been highly supportive of Spielberg’s last few films, including West Side Story and The Fabelmans, both of which he praised publicly and included on his year-end best-of lists.