"There is something about killing people at close range that is excruciating. It's bound to try a man's soul"

In this quote, Steven Spielberg is revealing the extreme emotional toll that taking someone's life at close quarters can have on an individual. He suggests that the act of eliminating another human being in such an individual and intimate manner is excruciating, suggesting extremely agonizing and difficult to endure. This experience is not just physically challenging, but likewise deeply impacts a person's soul. Spielberg indicates that the act of killing somebody at close quarters is a test of one's character and can have a profound effect on their mind. This quote highlights the destructive repercussions of violence and the weight it continues a person's conscience.