Schindler's List

[God of War]

Tonight, I watched "Schindler's List" for the very first time. For many many years I have been meaning to see this film. I have heard alot of great things about it over the years. As well, people have praised it almost no end on this and other forums. I managed to get ahold of the 2 disc black book ediiton. Very nice. The film itself is around 196 minutes long. And there is a nice documentary on disc 2 that runs for around 77 minutes. I watched that as well.

After seeing the movie, I felt quite depressed. Not surprising when you consider the subject matter. Well directed, well cast and beautifully filmed. Both Fiennes and Neeson give brilliant performances. Not to mention Kingsley and a great supporting cast. I love the fact Spielberg filmed it in black and white. Brilliant. It's not a subject I know much about. But after seeing Schindler's List, I have come to understand a bit more about the atrocities of war. The Nazi's of WW2 were so brutal and cruel to those Jews. Some scenes really made me think how it would have been living in those circumstances. Terrifying is a word that comes to mind. Some scenes really bothered me. One in particular is the one where the small girl dressed in red is found. For those who have seen the film, you'll know what I'm on about. And the look on Neeson's face when he sees her is imprinted on my mind.


http://connect.afi.com/images/content/photos/large_12975.jpg


Schindler's List, a Stephen Spielberg film, is a cinematic masterpiece that has become one of the most honored films of all time.

Winner of seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, it also won every major Best Picture Awards from the New York Film Critics Circle, the National Society of Film Critics, the National Board of Review, the Producers Guild, the Los Angeles Film Critics, the Chicago, Boston and Dallas Film Critics; a Christopher Award; and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association Golden Globe Awards. Steven Spielberg was further honored with the Directors Guild of America Award.

The film presents the indelible true story of the enigmatic Oskar Schindler, a member of the Nazi party, womanizer, and war profiteer who saved the lives of more than 1,100 Jews during the Holocaust. It is the triumph of one man who made a difference, and the drama of those who survived one of the darkest chapters in human history because of what he did.

Directed by Steven Spielberg, the film, which also won Academy Awards for Screenplay, Cinematography, Music, Editing, and Art Direction, stars an acclaimed cast headed by Liam Neeson, Ben Kingsley, Ralph Fiennes, Caroline Goodall, Jonathan Sagalle, and Embeth Davidtz.


My rating: 9/10

[sbunn10]

agreed, fantastic film. I just watched it a few weeks ago for the first time, 10/10.

[MightyCelestial]

I once made out in the theatre during this movie.

[floydtheater07]

My personal favorite movie of all time.

[DaMovieMan]

I once made out in the theatre during this movie.

Heh, did your parents go nuts when you told them? ;)

Yeah i bought this one a few months ago and it's the first Spielberg film to be added to my collection (possibly the one and only, I'm not a huge Spielberg fan but this film is a masterpiece and i love its black and white photography).

I'm gonna be re-visiting it soon but it's hard to watch due to its length and how depressing it is.

[Abbie Normal]

First time I watched it I really did not notice it was in B&W until the I saw the girl in the red jacket. Awesome movie and one of the top 25 ever.

10/10

[edonline]

"Schindler's List" works so well not only because of the artistry of Spielberg and the acting but because Schindler himself was such a contrast in character that he's compelling. No one knows why he purposely set out to help all of the Jews under his care, but the fact that he did so much, especially under the threat to his own business and life, is remarkable. It seems cliche to say but it seems as if his story, and the stories of those he saved, was meant to be told on a big screen.

(BTW, this was one of a few movies where I cried in the theater.)

[hoojib127]

Aside from Spielberg's usual 'let's get sentimental now' ending, this is definitely a wonderful film...though I don't think I love it much as most people. Maybe if I had seen it earlier in my life, and NOT after the totally unsentimental "The Pianist" I'd like it more. Still, it's better than the overrated "Saving Private Ryan" (pedestrian script, uninteresting characters, an even more overly sentimental ending; only Spielberg's inspired direction keeps it from being on par with "Pearl Harbor")...but my favorite of Spielberg's 'serious historical dramas' would have to be "Munich."

[sbunn10]

Personally, I loved Saving Private Ryan and Munich, but Schindler's List stands above those two as Speilberg's best, imo.

[DaMovieMan]

Yeah I lied earlier when I said it's the only Spielberg film I own. I forgot about A.I. which is my favorite Spielberg film, though List is technically better.

[Badbird]

I once made out in the theatre during this movie.

You and Jerry Seinfeld...


You know, I guess I have to be the one to say it, but I just really wasn't all that jazzed about this movie. I mean, yeah, it was depressing, but I felt strangely detached from it the whole time. And not only did I really not like the whole red dress thing, but I really felt the scene at the end with the real people felt out of place.

Guess I'm just a jerk.

[poopontheshoes7]

Like most of the world, I was blown away by this film. Can't say anything about it that hasnt been said. Pure cinematic poetry.


10/10

[DaMovieMan]

Well I re-visted it and I gotta say....it ages more like viniger than wine.

The cinematography and lighting are still astounding, technically dazzling, the performances are top notch from the three principal actors (Neeson, Kingsley and Fiennes...especially Fiennes) but it's got its structural flaws and then some. Its running time hurts it, the sequence where Oskar realizes the cruelty of his party runs for far too long and is layered with too much sentimentalism and way too many characters get introduced for example. The breaking of the black-and-white with the red and the yellow and especially the epilogue I'm not a fan of and there were too many statistics through-out the film that could of been related through more cinematic means.

The characterizations of Amon Goeth and Oskar Schindler are fantastic though and together with how stunning it looks its a solid 8/10 but definitely overrated and not deserving of a top 10 spot of Best American Films...that's too much.

[Monotreme]

Well, I think my opinion of this film is pretty known. There have been many Holocaust movies over the years, some better and some worse, but none have ever dealt with the subject quite like this one has. Spielberg chose one particular (and amazing and beautiful and incredible and unbelievable) character in the endless mesh of people involved and portrayed the entire pastiche of atrocities of the Holocaust through his specific story. It's a wonderful storytelling technique and it's used admirably. But that's just the thing. What makes this movie so unbelievably good is that it's not just important and depressing and meaningful, but also that it is, at its base core, a VERY good film. The cinematography is stunning, utilizing the black and white to the fullest in the lighting and compositions. The script is excellent. The film HAS moments of comic relief, early on. It's not a drag-fest. The progression is gradual as Schindler himself becomes aware of the atrocities. The acting is phenomenal, and the film features the best performances from both Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes. How they didn't win Oscars is beyond me, but whatever. Overall, there's not much else that can be said about this masterpiece. Munich was great and Saving Private Ryan was amazing, but neither of them come even close to Spielberg's stunning, crowning achievement with Schindler's List. It is probably the best movie of all time, and is a solid #2 on my top 100 list, behind only Eternal Sunshine which is a personal favourite, even though I think that overall Schindler's List is a better movie.

RATING: 10/10.

[Natty2]

Same as above basically, except its about #4 or #5 on my top list.

The relationship bewteen Schindler and Goeth is one of the best hero-villian relationships in cinema.

10/10

[athf1980]

I agree it's a very good film but I perfer pianst for mine holocaust movie

[FilmKing2000]

If I would ever consider a film to be a masterpiece of the purest form, it would be Schindler's List. It's one of those rare films that excels above and beyond the medium of film and becomes something so much more important and monumental. It's Spielberg's undisputed masterpiece, arguably the best film of the 90's, arguably the most important film ever made, and certainly my second favorite film of all time.

The most warranted 10/10 rating I can ever give a film.

[Le_Big_Mac]

I could probably make an argument for Raiders of the Lost Ark actually being a technically "better" movie than Schindler's List, but the latter holds a well-deserved second place for me in terms of Spielberg films and it's certainly his greatest directorial achievement and the only time, as far as I know, where he's completely successful in making a totally serious movie (even with the Holocaust, he could have screwed it up).

9/10

[Frosty_86]

One of my favorite films ever, no other director could do what Spielberg did with Schindler's List. 10/10

[KcMsterpce]

I thought it was amazing when I saw it in theater.
I have caught snippets now and then during the mid-90s, but now I'll wait for the bluray to see it again.

I am afraid of what I'll think of it "now", though. I hate SPR and I don't want to all of a sudden start to catch Spielberg's pretentiousness on my next viewing.

[DaMovieMan]

I am afraid of what I'll think of it "now", though. I hate SPR and I don't want to all of a sudden start to catch Spielberg's pretentiousness on my next viewing.

I think that and the fact that since the time I've seen it last til last night when i saw it again I've been seriously desensitized toward Holocaust films, is what made drop the rating from 10 to 9. There's just been too many films about it in one form or another that the Holocaust scenes in Schindler's List (the best film about the Holocaust surely) had me saying 'all right, you made your point, all right'.

And you can't shake off the sentimentalism of the ending, of all Spielberg endings this one takes the cake in that department.

Still, very important, almost perfect performances from Neeson and Fiennes and beautiful to look at. It deserves a 9/10. If I was Jewish maybe i would be rating it a perfect 10 but as a completely objective viewer I can't say it's as perfect as it can be.

[APzombie]

A masterpiece i'd say. One of the greatest films ever made.

[NuclearMisfit]

Id like to buy this but I cannot seem to find that big set Ive seen in the stores before.

[fever55]

Aside from Spielberg's usual 'let's get sentimental now' ending, this is definitely a wonderful film...though I don't think I love it much as most people. Maybe if I had seen it earlier in my life, and NOT after the totally unsentimental "The Pianist" I'd like it more. Still, it's better than the overrated "Saving Private Ryan" (pedestrian script, uninteresting characters, an even more overly sentimental ending; only Spielberg's inspired direction keeps it from being on par with "Pearl Harbor")...but my favorite of Spielberg's 'serious historical dramas' would have to be "Munich."

^^ I almost agree with what he said, except with regards to The Pianist being superior. I'd rank them about equal.

Downfall beats them both though.