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 1993 R / War Drama Directed by: Starring: |
- Whoever saves one life, saves the world entire.
Summary Capsule
- Oskar Schindler only set out to make money - he never intended to save eleven hundred lives.
Mutant Meter
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Lissa's Rating: Um, the Mutant Meter was tough for this one. Really tough.
Lissa's Review: I've wanted to review Schindler's List for a long time. It's one of my favorite movies, and yes, I actually mean that. But I've held off because it's a tough movie to review. For one thing, I think that Spielberg did everything absolutely right in this movie, and I don't have a lot negative to say. But for another, I find reviewing films of this nature difficult. In this case, I truly believe this is a superior film, and in every way is Spielberg's master work. But I always feel awkward criticizing movies that focus on a subject like the Holocaust, because so many people find subjects like that to be… well, how to phrase it?
None of this is the case in Schindler's List. I truly believe this to be an exceptional piece of work, but I want to be clear that I'm not just saying that because of the subject matter — I really believe it is an incredible movie. I also will admit to Sue's excellent Black Hawk Down article being a catalyst for me reviewing this finally, because it's a movie I believe people should see.
Schindler's List is the story of Oskar Schindler, a businessman of dubious scruples who wants to make money the quick and easy way. He has a plan to buy an abandoned enamel-works plant in Poland, and then using cheap labor, turn out pots, pans, mess kits, and other items that a growing army needs. However, he needs a few items essential to running a business: money, laborers, and someone to actually do all the work. The Schindler we meet at the beginning of the movie is not an evil man by any means, but he's a playboy, lazy, and quite content to take the easiest route possible to a life of luxury. In his case, the easiest route is to plunder the Jewish community for what he needs.
Correctly assuming that desperate times will call for desperate measures, Oskar turns to the Jews, most of whom are now living in the ghetto. He taps into the black market. He finds investors who are able to see that, although they're getting the worse end of the deal, Schindler is offering them more than anyone else is. He finds a bookkeeper named Itzhak Stern (played wonderfully by Ben Kingsley), who not only keeps the books but essentially runs the business. And he finds cheap labor in the form of incarcerated Jews, who aren't being paid, but can at least get access to the outside world if they work for Schindler. But over the course of the movie, Schindler begins to open his eyes to the world around him, and what is really happening. He decides he can no longer sit idle — not because he understands anything but the most basic rudimentary tenants of the Jewish faith, but because he understands that these are people, and they are being murdered.
Crusades and campaigns have their place and time, but Schindler is smart enough to see that this is not it. Instead of attacking the Nazi party full force and getting himself hanged for his troubles, Schindler continues to play the game and go along as Nazi, but at the same time saves eleven hundred lives. The Jews working for him are eventually transported to a labor camp where summary executions are not permitted, and are safe for the remainder of the war. If Schindler had been caught, I'm sure the consequences would have been dire, but because people are so often blind to what they do not want to see, he is successful in his efforts.
The first time I saw Schindler's List, I was very focused on the actual stories of the Survivors. There's something about the Holocaust that I admit, twists a fascination in me. It's a true measure of man's cruelty to man, and I always wonder how something like that can come about. (Well, no, to an extent. I don't really wonder, because all I have to do is look at the world around me today.) But I remember seeing the movie up at college, where they showed it on one of those two real projectors. They gave us a break in between (probably because it was college students running it and we only had one projector, so there had to be a break), and it was right after the liquidation of the ghetto. I remember just putting my head down on my desk and flat-out crying after that scene. In fact, the whole movie beat me up so badly emotionally, I didn't think I'd ever watch it again.
I'm one of the few people I know who has watched it again, and I believe I've seen it seven times. And I have to tell you, it's worth the re-watch. What I found is that when I watched the movie again, my focus shifted from the obvious to the subtle, and I paid far more attention to Oskar Schindler and his transformation. It's odd that the main plot of the film would take a back seat, but it did for me on the first viewing, and I'm very glad I put in the subsequent viewings to take that in. However, I don't think the scenes depicting what those persecuted in the Holocaust were going through were at all gratuitous. Instead, we see them both through Schindler's eyes and as a contrast to Schindler's privileged life. The first adds humanity, the second poignancy.
I do admit I had trouble keeping some of the characters straight when I saw this for the first few times. I think part of it is the black and white filming, and that's a bit of an idiosyncrasy with me. But part of it is that you're seeing hundreds of faces. Some, Spielberg tells their story. Others, he doesn't. And because there are so many faces presented with so many names at the beginning, it's hard for me to tell which people will be bigger roles and lock their face together with the name. Additionally, the appearance of many of the characters — especially the women — is altered significantly throughout the movie. But again, I think this is me, and I'm betting other people don't have this problem.
The story is complex and rich, with strong characterization and good pacing. The acting is utterly phenomenal. Liam Neeson was the right choice for Oskar Schindler, Ben Kingsley was perfect as Stern, and Ralph Fiennes channeled Amon Goeth far too well. The movie is stunning to look at, the soundtrack is haunting, and the history is apparently about as correct as Hollywood is ever going to get. I don't recommend watching it at night if you have a vivid imagination, because I find some images stay with me a little too well and I end up seeing them in nightmares. However, regardless, if you haven't seen this one, I strongly encourage you to do so.
 Creating the list.
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- In the epilogue scene, each actor walks with the Schindlerjuden that they portrayed and place a stone on Schindler's grave. The placing of the stone is a Jewish tradition that's a mark of respect. The last person leaves flowers - which is a Christian tradition. I'd always assumed that the person who places the flowers on Schindler's grave is Spielberg. It's not - it's Liam Neeson, which makes sense. Obviously, Neeson isn't walking with Schindler given the scene, and Neeson does not portray a Jewish character, but rather a Catholic (I think) one.
- Steven Spielberg as one of the liberated Jews, walking towards the village?
- Czechoslovakia apparently exists in 1945? (Okay, I had to look that one up.)
- When Oskar Schindler takes his meal he uses his fork with the right hand and his knife with the left. Not being left-handed this would be a very unusual thing for a German man to do. (I had to look this one up too)
Is It Worth Staying Through End Credits?
Depends on how in love with the soundtrack you are… or if you're capable of movement at that point.
Intermission! [some sources: IMDb]
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Okay, Sue, you'll be really, really pleased to hear this one. Spielberg did not accept any money - we're talking salary, royalties, or other perks - from Schindler's List, saying it would be blood money. Anything that would have gone to him was donated to the Shoah Foundation.
The girl in the red dress was a real girl named Roma Ligocka. Unlike her film counterpart, she survived the war, and wrote a memoir entitled "The Girl in the Red Coat: A Memoir".
In reality it was not Itzhak Stern who helped Schindler put the list together, but Marcel Goldberg. Many survivors who speak of Goldberg do so with disdain, as he was unscrupulous in deciding who ended up on the list, reportedly accepting bribes from some Survivors, taking names off the list to add theirs instead.
The Krakow ghetto "liquidation" scene was only a page of action in the script, but Steven Spielberg turned it into 20 pages and 20 minutes of screen action "based on living witness testimony". For example, the scene in which the young man escapes capture by German soldiers by telling them he was ordered to clear the luggage from the street was taken directly from a survivor's story.
The film, as shown in most countries, had the song "Yerushalayim shel Zahav" - Jerusalem of Gold - at the end. When the film was shown in Israel, audiences laughed at this, as this song was written after the 1967 war as a pop song! They then redubbed a song "Eli Eli" which was written by Hannah Sennesh during WWII over the end which was more appropriate.
Ralph Fiennes put on 13kg by drinking Guinness for his role. Steven Spielberg cast him because of his "evil sexuality".
The Krakow ghetto "liquidation" scene was only a page of action in the script, but Steven Spielberg turned it into 20 pages and 20 minutes of screen action "based on living witness testimony". For example, the scene in which the young man escapes capture by German soldiers by telling them he was ordered to clear the luggage from the street was taken directly from a survivor's story.
Director Steven Spielberg was unable to get permission to film inside Auschwitz, so the scenes of the death camp were actually filmed outside the gates on a set constructed in a mirror image of the real location on the other side.
Steven Spielberg began work on this film in Poland while Jurassic Park was in post-production. He worked on that film via satellite, with assistance from George Lucas.
Martin Scorsese turned down the chance to direct the film in the 1980s, as he felt he couldn't do as good a job as a Jewish director. He agreed to swap films with Steven Spielberg, taking over Cape Fear instead.
The most expensive black & white film ever made to date. The previous record was held for over 30 years by another film about World War II, The Longest Day (1962).
The original missing list of Schindler's Jews with a speech sheet was found in a briefcase hidden underneath the bed at Schindler's flat in Hildersheim, Frankfurt in 2000. Schindler stayed there during the last few months before his death in 1974.
About 40% of the film was shot using a handheld camera.
At his insistence, all royalties and residuals from this film that would normally have gone to director Steven Spielberg instead are given to the Shoah Foundation, which records and preserves written and videotaped testimonies from survivors of genocide worldwide, including the Holocaust.
Groovy Quotes
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Itzhak Stern: This list... is an absolute good. The list is life. All around its margins lies the gulf.
Oskar Schindler: Stern, if this factory ever produces a shell that can actually be fired, I'll be very unhappy.
Oskar Schindler: Look, all you have to do is tell me what it's worth to you. What's a person worth to you?
Amon Goeth: No, no, no, no. What's one worth to you!
Itzhak Stern: Let me understand. They put up all the money. I do all the work. What, if you don't mind my asking, would you do?
Oskar Schindler: Power is when we have every justification to kill, and we don't.
Amon Goeth: You think that's power?
Oskar Schindler: That's what the Emperor said. A man steals something, he's brought in before the Emperor, he throws himself down on the ground. He begs for his life, he knows he's going to die. And the Emperor... pardons him. This worthless man, he lets him go.
Amon Goeth: I think you are drunk.
Oskar Schindler: That's power, Amon. That is power.
Itzhak Stern: It's Hebrew, it's from the Talmud. It says, "Whoever saves one life, saves the world entire."
Oskar Schindler: My father was fond of saying you need three things in life - a good doctor, a forgiving priest, and a clever accountant. The first two, I've never had much use for.
Itzhak Stern: There will be generations because of what you did.
Chaim Nowak: Not essential? I think you misunderstand the meaning of the word. I teach history and literature, since when it's not essential?
Soundtrack Review
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Normally, I don't bother with a soundtrack review, but here, I must. The violin work of Izhtak Perlman is haunting and will stay with you long after you've seen this movie. One of the best and most memorable instrumental scores ever.
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This review page was last updated on 11.9.06
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