Thursday, April 30

Movie Review: Schindler's List (1993)

Length: 3 hr & 16 mins
Released: 1993
Genre: Drama
Rating: R
Where I Got It: My shelf (Parents gave it to me) 

SUMMARY:
Based on a true story, Oskar Schindler, a German businessman in Poland who sees an opportunity to make money from the Nazis' rise to power. He starts a company to make cookware and utensils, using flattery and bribes to win military contracts, and brings in accountant and financier Itzhak Stern to help run the factory. By staffing his plant with Jews who've been herded into Krakow's ghetto by Nazi troops, Schindler has a dependable unpaid labor force. For Stern, a job in a war-related plant could mean survival for himself and the other Jews working for Schindler. However, in 1942, all of Krakow's Jews are assigned to the Plaszow Forced Labor Camp, overseen by Commandant Amon Goeth, an embittered alcoholic who occasionally shoots prisoners from his balcony. Schindler arranges to continue using Polish Jews in his plant, but, as he sees what is happening to his employees, he begins to develop a conscience. He realizes that his factory (now refitted to manufacture ammunition) is the only thing preventing his staff from being shipped to the death camps. Soon Schindler demands more workers and starts bribing Nazi leaders to keep Jews on his employee lists and out of the camps. By the time Germany falls to the allies, Schindler has lost his entire fortune -- and saved 1,100 people from likely death. 

TRAILER: 








REVIEW:
Such a good movie. I have watched this a handful of times and I've read the book twice. However, I gave it a re-watch with Boyfriend after the Holocaust Museum, because I was upset that Mr. Schindler was not on the list of saviors and good men. I think its because he did not save any one who settled in Michigan and I think the wall is for those that saved a person who would come to Michigan. That is my theory. It's the only thing that makes sense. 

Anyways.

I love, love, LOVE the black and white that they used. Once in a while a color would appear. Like the little girl with the red coat or the flame of the candle. It is simply beautiful. Like I told Boyfriend, this is a visual film more then an auditory film. There is not a whole bunch said. This only worked so well is because of the actors they got. All of them where fantastic. Especially Liam Neeson. He is fantastic of course. And he was younger in this film...a lovely, handsome man. 

Oh man...even after so many times of watching this, it still gets me. I still tear up and it makes me feel feelings. It has such a good message. Just one person can MAKE so much difference. Even a rich businessman who didn't at first mean to do something nice; after he seen what was going to happen to the innocent he decided to spend every last cent he had to save as many people as he could.

I loved the ending. It was a beautiful and gave the world hope. It was the perfect ending. 

The only negative about this film is the length (I felt there was some scenes they could have cut out, so I'm thinking about 2 hr and 30 min). Also, the beginning was very slow. However, it was needed to get to know Oskar. 

In the end, I loved this movie. One of the best films I think I've ever seen. It is for sure one of the best movies about the Holocaust. I highly recommend that anyone who has any interest in a human story. Out of five stars, I stamped this with 5 stars.


Re-watch?: Yes! 














3 comments:

Blodeuedd said...

I have never seen it....

Anachronist said...

I agree, it was a great movie, showing that not all heroes are actually noble gentlemen and sometimes it takes a scoundrel to save a lot of lives. Plus Ralph Fiennes as Amon Goeth was fantastic.

Carole Rae said...

B, you must!

Ana, agreed. :)