The streaming service Netflix has recently come under fire, rather unnecessarily, following comments by esteemed filmmaker Steven Spielberg. The Schindler’s List director faced severe backlash after proposing that Netflix films should no longer be eligible for an Oscar. He said that as it is better suited to watch Netflix at home than at the theatres, Netflix films are better suited to win Emmy’s than Oscars.
This comment came at a crucial time for Netflix, who’s masterpiece Roma has just won 3 Oscars, along with one for Period. End of Sentence for Best Documentary. It would seem that Netflix have finally found their voice in the world of cinema, with many directors such as Alfonso Cuaron and the Coen Brothers working towards releasing their films on Netflix.
Steven Spielberg
Netflix however, didn’t sit down and take the insult, as is evident in their latest tweet:
https://twitter.com/NetflixFilm/status/1102418557760024578
It seems to be a battle of old versus new for the industry right now, with many traditionalists still skeptical of the streaming service’s involvement in the industry as an autonomous producer of films. A lot of the backlash faced by Steven Spielberg seems redundant as well. You have to remember that this is a man who has been releasing huge cinematic marvels in the theatres ever since the ’70s. It’s going to take him some time to adjust to the state of things. What we can say for certain is that Netflix won’t be stopping anytime soon, and with their successful run in this years Oscars, it would only encourage more filmmakers to join in.
