Schindler's List (2004, DVD)

When looking back at the 90s, there were quite a few good films that were made. In 1991, the horrific, psychological thriller, Silence of the Lambs, was a critical success. Braveheart was an epic film that also gained both critical and commercial success. As much as I dislike to say this, Titanic tied the record for the number of Oscars for a single film. The 90s also saw the implementation of computer graphics into animated films and because of the innovative work in animated features, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences introduced an award for the Best Animated Feature in 2001. Coming to think about it, this decade has seen quite a few significant changes and on top of that, we have witnessed some of film's biggest blockbusters (Independence Day being an example). However, I think many will agree that Schindler's List is perhaps the greatest film of the 1990s.

I have always wanted to watch this film. As much as I wanted to watch this film, I never actually to find myself time to sit down and watch this film. However, I finally managed to get the tape of this film earlier this year (with the help of Jude, better known to you guys as artbyjude). However, I still did not get to watch this film until last weekend. I began to wonder why I never watched this film before.

The film essentially tells the story of Oskar Schindler (Liam Neeson), a Czechoslovakian millionaire and member of the Nazi Party during World War II. He lives the life of a selfish millionaire and this is shown by his multiple sexual love affairs with various women (despite being married) and going to luxurious clubs on a frequent basis for his own pleasure.

Since it is World War II and since the Germans need the basic tools needed to survive war, Schindler opens a factory selling pots and pans. However, Schindler lets Itzhak Stern (Ben Kingsley), a Jewish accountant, run the affairs of the factory. Also, Schindler hires Jews to do the factory work, while he sits in his office doing anything but work. By doing this, he gets all the profit while the Jewish workers barely earn enough to live.

However, because of the uprise of anti-semitism, a Nazi commander, Amon Goeth (Ralph Fiennes), has been told to liquidate all the Jewish ghettos and send all of the Jews to concentration camps where all the Jews prepare to face death (this sad moment in history is known as The Holocaust).

Schindler's business starts to deteriorate as a result of the termination of the ghetto and he tries to find his way to get his workers back to work in his factory. Despite the fact Stern is in a concentration camp, Schindler still gets to see him once a week and from here (after Schindler bribes Goeth telling him that he will run an artillery factory), they create a list of 1,100 Jews that will work in Schindler's factory and will be immediately removed from the concentration camp (or as Schindler tells Goeth, he is only moving the Jews to another concentration camp). However, Schindler is freeing Jews from their deaths, and even though he has told Nazi officials that he will run an ammunition factory, he refuses to let Jews work or even make a shotgun shell, so it can be said that he is committing a selfless act here.

From here, we see the change in Schindler as a person. Throughout the film, he remains quite a self-centered person and is merely concerned with how he can benefit from the war situation. However, he does realize that millions of Jews are being killed by Goeth and other Nazi commanders, so he saves the lives of over 1,000 Jews by performing the immoral act of bribery. In this case, the majority would believe that such an act is not immoral when it comes to saving lives. Either way, the film does very well to show that Schindler is still an extremely flawed person, but we notice that he does change and helps saves the lives of Jews. The film is essentially Schindler's legacy and how the war changed him as a person.

This film is a magnificent piece of film making. One can start with the film's musical score. The musical score is so powerful throughout the film that it evokes feelings from the audience. The constant downbeat theme of the film, the powerful song Jewish Town and the melancholy Remembrances all have their moments in this film, and it shows that John Williams has yet again produced a brilliant musical score to a film (you can read my review on the soundtrack at the following link: http://www.epinions.com/content_70925061764).

I also like the way the camera is used throughout the film. The mixture of color and black-and-white is prevalent throughout the film, although the color cinematography is used to a minimum and merely used to show subtle, powerful images throughout the film. The black-and-white cinematography basically shows how dark a subject the Holocaust really is, and this is shown by Goeth mindlessly killing innocent Jews while working or other Nazi soldiers blowing off the heads of other Jews and the most graphic image is shown when we see the bodies of thousands of Jews being incarcerated. The range of shots used is immense and how this is used to show emotionally powerful drama is done amazingly here.

The script is very good, and with lines such as "this list is life" and "whoever saves one life, saves the world entire", you will be left in awe by the brilliant script, since so much of what is said is so relevant to life on a whole.

The character development is also done very well here. Like the character of Oskar Schindler, Amon Goeth is a womanizing Nazi official with multiple affairs. He is also a sadistic person and he even enjoys abusing and killing the Jews around the concentration camp. He also is a greedy man, always wondering how anything benefits himself. He is essentially the Nazi psychopath, who fully believes in Hitler's anti-semitic beliefs. The character of Stern is also well-developed. He is a soft-spoken man and an official of the Judenrat (a place where Jews can file complaints). Essentially, he sits and works throughout the film, thinking how what he does can benefit other Jews other than himself. This selfless attitude towards life influences Schindler immensely towards the end of the film. The other supporting characters such as Jewish men/women/children, Schindler's wife and other Nazi officials are also developed and we clearly know what each character in this film is like.

Speaking of characters, it can be said that the acting is nothing short of spectacular. Liam Neeson is given a demanding lead role in this film, and he is able to show the subtleties of Schindler so well. He portrays Schindler as a very complex personality and although he does change, the transition in personality is done with extreme caution. It is hard to see this change, because many of Schindler's flaws at the beginning of the film still remain at the end, and I think Neeson showed these clearly. The accent also helps a lot. Kingsley is given the supporting role of the soft-spoken Jewish businessman and he also does well to portray this character very well. However, I think Ralph Fiennes gives the best performance as the sadistic, immoral Goeth. Fiennes performance of Goeth is frightening, because he makes it obvious that he hates Jews and that he would like to see all of them exterminated. He is intimidating to the audience, because the audience fear what act he will commit next. The supporting cast in this film also deliver stellar performances, particularly Caroline Goodall as Schindler's wife.

The direction from Spielberg is nothing short of spectacular. With so much experience on his hands, Spielberg creates such an unsettling depiction of Eastern Europe during World War II that it is so vividly real. The film is paced perfectly, showing the conflicts each character in the film faces and noticeable development of the characters in the film. Although Spielberg has been accused of manipulating a person's emotions with this film, I feel that it is hard to direct a film that shows the Nazis in a good light. Spielberg is also a Jew, so it makes it all the more difficult for him to show the Nazis in a good light. This film is a personal film and Spielberg clearly shows what he wants the audience to get out of this film, and he does a great job in doing so. Spielberg also tries to show that this film is the triumph of one man making a difference in the most difficult of times, and does this so well. This is Spielberg's masterpiece and he probably knows that it is.

The film deservedly won 7 Oscars (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Script, Best Score, Best Cinematography, Best Editing and Best Art Direction) during the 1994 Oscars ceremony. I think that this film should be watched by any teenager or any person who wants to see the atrocities of the Holocaust. If you have not seen this film, you must see it!

Thanks for reading the review.