Schindler's List (A- or 3.5/4 stars)
'Schindler's List' (directed by Steven Spielberg) tells the true story of Czech-born Oskar Schindler, a man who managed to save 1,100 + Jews from being gassed in Auschwitz. But this tale begins in Sept. 1939 in Krakow, Poland; with the Jewish community feeling constant pressure from the Nazis. In steps Schindler (Liam Neeson), a greedy Nazi businessman interested in getting Jewish backing for a factory he hopes to build. He 'saves' Jewish accountant, Itzhak Stern (Ben Kingsley), & makes him get his finances in order. By March 1941, the Krakow Jewish community had been forced to live in 'the Ghetto', where $$ means nothing, anymore. A handful of elders agree to invest in Schindler's factory & the Deutsche Emailwarenfabrik begins - a place where pots (in bulk) are manufactured.
To do the work required, Schindler 'hires' Jews (exploiting them, really, because they're cheaper to pay than Poles), & the German army winds up being his best customer. But by March 1943, Germany's grand intentions towards the Jews became clearer. The Ghetto gets liquidated, with occasional survivors being herded into the Plaszow Labor Camp. Many are murdered, & still others are shipped by train to who-knows-where ... never to return. Throughout all of this, Oskar Schindler has managed to get in good with local commander, Amon Goeth (Ralph Fiennes), a merciless Nazi who kills Jews for fun. But via his relationship with Amon, Oskar starts to hate what he sees, & begins to secretly campaign to help the Jews; saving men, women, & children from further extermination.
There are more than 6 million atrocities that happened during the Holocaust. And there are a plethora of those atrocities chronicled in this film. That said, I'll always remember Oskar Schindler, the vainglorious Nazi who becomes an unlikely humanitarian amid the horrific Nazi reign; turning his factory into a refuge for the Jews. That was Oskar Schindler. Despite the grim, uber-serious subject matter, this film is really about the good in all of us; finding a light in the darkness of genocidal tragedy. 'Schindler's List' is wonderfully acted (so naturalistic in execution), smartly written, gorgeously filmed (in Janusz Kaminski's scintillating black & white cinematography), beautifully dressed (sets, costumes), & exceptionally directed. After all, anyone who can take-on this subject matter, run it smoothly, & direct scenes with crowds/herds of injured, dying, downtrodden people is an amazing feat.
Now, the movie can be dissected, if you will, into 3 large subplots. The 1st tells about the Holocaust, itself; showing the horrors (Spielberg doesn't hold back with showing the gruesome brutalities). The 2nd is that of Schindler, his money-hungry manufacturer start, then the eventual heartbreak he has in not saving more Jews than he wanted. And the 3rd is of mad-man, Amon Goeth. He hates Jews, yet uses his poor Jewish housekeeper, Helen (Embeth Davitz) for sexual & violent release. All that said, the character is written so as to give him some complexity/depth, as well. Who'd have thought that a villain would get such treatment?
The trifecta of Neeson, Fiennes, & Kingsley should all get Oscar nominations. I loved the complexity of Neeson's transformation from self-centered antagonist to incidental hero. The morality of the situation he's in wears down his conscience to good effect. Ben Kingsley brings modesty, sincerity, & a little disdain as Oskar's 'lucky' Jewish accountant, Itzhak. It's probably the most studied, subtle performance in the film. Embeth Davitz impresses as Helen, Amon's object of interest. And as Amon, Ray Fiennes' portrayal is unbearably savage. He repulsed me, and yet, I was still fascinated by his unflappable malice.
Each scene (in this very long movie) contains small moment(s) of brilliance. i.e., the colorful 1st & last scenes, the way the swastika is shown (and around whom), one character's hanging, the quote - "goodbye, Jews!", a rabbi's brush with death, the Jewish couple who marries in the camp, the little girl in the red dress, 2 candles burning ... I could go on & on. In closing, 'Schindler's List' shows all levels of hatred, compassion, & everything in between. And it should be a huge hit all over the world. I wasn't viscerally bowled over or shaken to the core, but I was deeply moved. And the running time made me antsy, at times (in the middle, & at the too-sentimental ending). But 'SL' is just epic cinema; and an excellent example of powerful filmmaking & emotional storytelling.
To do the work required, Schindler 'hires' Jews (exploiting them, really, because they're cheaper to pay than Poles), & the German army winds up being his best customer. But by March 1943, Germany's grand intentions towards the Jews became clearer. The Ghetto gets liquidated, with occasional survivors being herded into the Plaszow Labor Camp. Many are murdered, & still others are shipped by train to who-knows-where ... never to return. Throughout all of this, Oskar Schindler has managed to get in good with local commander, Amon Goeth (Ralph Fiennes), a merciless Nazi who kills Jews for fun. But via his relationship with Amon, Oskar starts to hate what he sees, & begins to secretly campaign to help the Jews; saving men, women, & children from further extermination.
There are more than 6 million atrocities that happened during the Holocaust. And there are a plethora of those atrocities chronicled in this film. That said, I'll always remember Oskar Schindler, the vainglorious Nazi who becomes an unlikely humanitarian amid the horrific Nazi reign; turning his factory into a refuge for the Jews. That was Oskar Schindler. Despite the grim, uber-serious subject matter, this film is really about the good in all of us; finding a light in the darkness of genocidal tragedy. 'Schindler's List' is wonderfully acted (so naturalistic in execution), smartly written, gorgeously filmed (in Janusz Kaminski's scintillating black & white cinematography), beautifully dressed (sets, costumes), & exceptionally directed. After all, anyone who can take-on this subject matter, run it smoothly, & direct scenes with crowds/herds of injured, dying, downtrodden people is an amazing feat.
Now, the movie can be dissected, if you will, into 3 large subplots. The 1st tells about the Holocaust, itself; showing the horrors (Spielberg doesn't hold back with showing the gruesome brutalities). The 2nd is that of Schindler, his money-hungry manufacturer start, then the eventual heartbreak he has in not saving more Jews than he wanted. And the 3rd is of mad-man, Amon Goeth. He hates Jews, yet uses his poor Jewish housekeeper, Helen (Embeth Davitz) for sexual & violent release. All that said, the character is written so as to give him some complexity/depth, as well. Who'd have thought that a villain would get such treatment?
The trifecta of Neeson, Fiennes, & Kingsley should all get Oscar nominations. I loved the complexity of Neeson's transformation from self-centered antagonist to incidental hero. The morality of the situation he's in wears down his conscience to good effect. Ben Kingsley brings modesty, sincerity, & a little disdain as Oskar's 'lucky' Jewish accountant, Itzhak. It's probably the most studied, subtle performance in the film. Embeth Davitz impresses as Helen, Amon's object of interest. And as Amon, Ray Fiennes' portrayal is unbearably savage. He repulsed me, and yet, I was still fascinated by his unflappable malice.
Each scene (in this very long movie) contains small moment(s) of brilliance. i.e., the colorful 1st & last scenes, the way the swastika is shown (and around whom), one character's hanging, the quote - "goodbye, Jews!", a rabbi's brush with death, the Jewish couple who marries in the camp, the little girl in the red dress, 2 candles burning ... I could go on & on. In closing, 'Schindler's List' shows all levels of hatred, compassion, & everything in between. And it should be a huge hit all over the world. I wasn't viscerally bowled over or shaken to the core, but I was deeply moved. And the running time made me antsy, at times (in the middle, & at the too-sentimental ending). But 'SL' is just epic cinema; and an excellent example of powerful filmmaking & emotional storytelling.