The true story of how businessman Oskar Schindler saved over a thousand Jewish lives from the Nazis while they worked as slaves in his factory during World War II.
WHAT I LIKED: First and foremost, Steven Spielberg and Steven Zaillian's 'Schindler's List' is - for my money - the most successful portrayal of the Holocaust ever put to film, but the way it brings the nuances and reality of the horrors home with such an incredible true story and such a great set of characters makes it even more moving than it otherwise would have been - resulting in one of the most affecting films I've ever seen. Yes it's one thing bringing the terror of Jewish ghettos and concentration camps to life in vivid detail (something Spielberg does indeed do very well with a huge cast of extras and unbelievably authentic location-shooting) but the fact we're brought into it all so intensely on an emotional level - beyond what documentary footage enables - is brilliant, and is mainly unlocked by the script's character development.
Many Jewish victims are given real exploration - we see them in their homes, with their families and in work, and as a result we understand the nuances of many of them as individuals so when they're continually shunned, abused and murdered, it doesn't just hit you right in the heart, it pulls the damn thing out. But the character development doesn't stop there, as the evil enablers of these acts are also given genuine development to build a picture not only of all the awfulness, but also of the personal nuances of the context behind it. SS officer Amon (Ralph Feinnes) in particular gets a surprising amount of exploration as a despicable man drunk on his power sitting in an insane position of authority and control over human life who we equally understand would have ended up on a different path were it not for the war.
And then of course you've got the portrayal of Oscar Schindler himself - a war profiteer turned factory owner who eventually saves hundreds of Jewish lives after the horrors of what he witnessed began to eat away at his initial blindness and into the humanity of his conscience. He's initially rather despicable, but we grow to truly admire him as the truth of his incredible story unfolds, and by the end of the film his actions are deeply moving.
All of that nuanced exploration is enabled of course by a great set of performances - from Ben Kingsley as the humble, repressed Jewish employee of Schindler, Ralph Fiennes as the unhinged, power-crazed little boy in big SS boy shoes, and most of all Liam Neeson who does a great job of painting Schindler as someone who externally stays blind to the horrors of the Holocaust but who underneath everything grows increasingly affected - accumulating in one very effective and emotional final few moments where he addresses the Jews he saved as a modest, understated hero.
All of that - along with what is possibly John Williams' most effective score and
the black-and-white cinematography which somehow brings everything to life more vividly than colour ever could - makes for one very affecting film about the Holocaust indeed. The horrors are shown very well, but it's the nuances of the character portrayals within this incredible story which means it's such an intelligent and moving picture. It's Spielberg's best work this, and is a movie that I believe everyone should watch.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: There really is nothing to dislike about this film - it's one of cinema's truly perfect achievements. That's all the more impressive for something that's over three hours, but it can definitely be said that no minute from Schindler's List should or could have been cut out.
VERDICT: An intelligent and deeply moving portrait of the Holocaust and an incredible story within it that works most of all because of its nuanced character portrayals, 'Schindler's List,' should be seen by everyone. It's probably one of the best films ever made.
