"The best story teller of our time"
the special "J100" magazine will come out this weekend; Reshef Levy writes about Steven Spielberg, who enriched Levy's poor childhood with dreams about aliens, sharks and heroes
All the kids knew who Steven Spielberg was - the best story teller of our time. We didn't watch "Jaws", but out older brothers would tell us at night about the huge, scary shark Spielberg created in his film. Thanks to Spielberg, everyone knew that sharks can break even into wooden boats, and there was no way to be safe from them.
I saw "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" when I was very young. We went as a family to watch the story about a man driven crazy by aliens, building mud structures in his living room.
But when "E.T." arrived, we didn't have any money left. My brother and I went to the cinema everyday - that is, outside the cinema - and tried to imagine what's going on inside. Doron told us the plot: he had heard that it was about a kid, who finds an alien and raises it, then someone takes the alien away from him and they both die, but then come back to life. I told Doron that he's a liar, and there's no way that that's the plot. My brother dragged me aside and said: "Remember the back window in the bathroom? Why not go and find out for yourself?"
I didn't like the thought of stealing, and was very scared to be caught. Doron and my brother helped me reach the window, which smelled of rust and dust. I pushed my way in, which wasn't easy - and I watched. I watched the second half of "E.T." It was a defining moment.
I was surprised to find out Doron was right, and the plot was not far from what he described, but Spielberg made it look like a dream you don't want to wake up from. A wonderful fairytale that makes you want to fly to the moon on a bike. I went outside, and for weeks would tell everyone about it.
As I grew up, Spielberg took me on other dreams: "Saving Private Ryan", "Schindler's List", "Jurassic Park", "Minority Report" and dozens other films from the greatest story teller of our time.
Only when my daughter turned five, I remembered that I had never actually seen the first half of "E.T.". I brought the move home with me, and we watched it together.
Reshef Levy is a script writer, a playwright, a comedian and a film-director.
