Even after 25 years since its original release, Schindler’s List still holds the same power it did so many years ago.
There isn’t much left to say about a film considered one of Hollywood history’s greatest masterpieces. The subject material is touchy, the performances are heart-wrenching, and the story of how one guy saved so many is unparalleled.
Long before Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes became household names for a whole new generation, they were polar opposite characters during World War II. Both men would go on to receive Oscar nominations for their roles as Oscar Schindler and Amon Goeth. These two were powerful men during a time when the world around them was crumbling. What each did with their power still lingers to this very day. Some people followed orders because that was their job, while others risked their lives to save unknown strangers.
Schindler’s List took one of the world’s most horrific stories and told it through the eyes of so many victims and survivors. The events covered in the film would never show up in a history textbook or someone’s Wikipedia page. Watching people be marched to their death or beaten to an inch of their life will not be for the faint of heart. In 1993 this was all acted out, yet this was all real during the Second World War.
I am not here to start a political firestorm, but people out there believe the Holocaust never happened. It is sad to think that people have those thoughts in their minds, for when you watch something as compelling as Schindler’s List, it is hard to argue this was all fictional.
There are so many aspects of the story that will linger with you well beyond the end credits. Moments like the little girl in the red dress (the only colour aspect of the entire black and white film) or the way Schindler breaks down at the end when he realizes he could have saved so many more. Moments when Goeth abused and tortured people for the fun of it, or the fear many characters like Itzhak Stern felt as they tried to live another day.
Schindler’s List collect seven Oscars based on their 12 nominations. Considered one of Steven Speilberg’s greatest works, this film has been preserved because of its importance to film history and human history. It is safe to say that out of the thousands of films you should watch before you die, that Schindler’s List would appear on nine out of ten of them. Whether you love this movie and watch it all the time, or just have the guts to watch it once in a blue moon, this 1994 Best Picture is a must-watch (at least once) for everyone. 8/10
Ten Stars or Less 