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| Universal Pictures, 1993 |
When I first heard about Schindler’s List, I was writing an english paper in my sophomore year of high school about The Holocaust and used that as a section of the paper that briefly summarized what Oskar Schindler did when he saved roughly twelve thousand polish jews from being sent to the Nazi Concentration/Extermination camp, Auschwitz.
I wrote part of that paper without realizing that I had never seen Schindler’s List and did not watch it until about 2015 during a trip to Colorado. The first time I watched it, I thought it was great but I didn’t fully appreciate it. The second time was 2016 and this time I was emotionally wrapped into the film but still wasn’t completely appreciative. I went as far as to recklessly call Schindler’s List my favorite film of all time and I had no good reason why. Now after watching a third time during the 25th anniversary re-release of the film in theaters, I fully appreciate the film and understand why. Schindler’s List is everything that I’ve ever loved about film and Steven Spielberg crafted a Masterpiece that is emotionally powerful, uncomfortably heartbreaking, and forever iconic.
For those who don’t know the brief history, Schindler’s List takes place in Kraków, Poland during World War II. Germany has taken Poland and forces the local Jewish community to move into Ghettos of Kraków. Oskar Schindler, a businessman and Nazi member, arrives to run an Enamelware factory and make a fortune. In order to successfully run his business, he seeks two things, support from various Nazi SS officials to acquire the factory (who he bribes), and the skills of Itzhak Stern who has many connections to the local black marketeers of Kraków and can secure investors to the business. To save money, Schindler employs Jews that Stern helps to deem essential to the German war effort. Business goes really well for Schindler, but events began to take place that changes Schindler’s and roughly twelve thousand Jews’ (Eight hundred and fifty are depicted in the film) lives forever. Events range from the other Jews being liquidated from Kraków, surviving Jews (including the Schindlerjuden, which is translated as Schindler’s Jews) being sent to a Concentration Camp in Płaszów and are sporadically murdered by SS-Untersturmführer Amon Göth and others, to finally being liberated after Schindler is able to bribe SS Officials to send the Schindlerjuden to a factory Brinnlitz, Czechoslovakia (near his hometown of Zwittau).
As I said, Schindler’s List is everything I love about film. Great storytelling, great direction, great music, great cinematography, great acting, and great production. Everything that Spielberg and his crew went through to make this beautiful film payed off entirely as they won seven Oscars, including Best Director, Best Original Score, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Picture. One reason that I admire Spielberg so much for this film is because he had to develop the film at the exact same time as Jurassic Park and he achieved the impossible of releasing two of his universally beloved films in 1993. You can tell out throughout the film that Spielberg was painstakingly determined to do his absolute best of directing this film as there are so many iconic scenes that are done flawlessly. As far as performances, the best belong to Liam Neeson, Ben Kingsley, Ralph Fiennes. I can also argue that the best acting also goes to the ensemble cast that plays the Schindlerjuden Jews as they do a really amazing job of showing emotional fear and suffering. John Williams score is the best emotional score that he has ever done, all you just need to recognize Schindler’s List is the first few notes of Itzhak Perlman’s violin solo in the score.
In my opinion, there is not a single flaw that I can think of and honestly, I don’t want to think of any flaws. Schindler’s List is a film that is still relevant today, in light of what’s happening around the world. Steven Spielberg, in my opinion, has never made a film that is more iconic than Schindler’s List. Sure he’s made so many iconic pop culture films like Jaws, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Jurassic Park, but the pinnacle of Spielberg’s directing is in Schindler’s List. Schindler’s List is one of very few films that has made me cry and when I cry at a film, I know that I’m watching a masterpiece. Schindler’s List is an essential for film buffs and takes my highest honor of being my favorite film of all time.
10 out of 10
Great!