Schindler's List (1993)

User Rating:

8.9/10   

Director:

Steven Spielberg

Writers (WGA):

Thomas Keneally (book)
Steven Zaillian (screenplay)

Release Date:

15 December 1993 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | History | War

Tagline:

Whoever saves one life, saves the world entire.

Plot:

Oskar Schindler uses Jews to start a factory in Poland during the war. He witnesses the horrors endured by the Jews, and starts to save them.

Plot Keywords:

Factory | Jewish | Death | Businessman | Nazi

Awards:

Won 7 Oscars. Another 63 wins & 21 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Tue. July 14

6:45 PM

MAX

Cast

Liam Neeson	...	Oskar Schindler
Ben Kingsley	...	Itzhak Stern
Ralph Fiennes	...	Amon Goeth
Caroline Goodall	...	Emilie Schindler
Jonathan Sagall	...	Poldek Pfefferberg (as Jonathan Sagalle)
Embeth Davidtz	...	Helen Hirsch
Malgoscha Gebel	...	Wiktoria Klonowska
Shmuel Levy	...	Wilek Chilowicz (as Shmulik Levy)
Mark Ivanir	...	Marcel Goldberg
Béatrice Macola	...	Ingrid
Andrzej Seweryn	...	Julian Scherner
Friedrich von Thun	...	Rolf Czurda
Krzysztof Luft	...	Herman Toffel
Harry Nehring	...	Leo John
Norbert Weisser	...	Albert Hujar

MPAA:

Rated R for language, some sexuality and actuality violence.

Runtime:

195 min | Turkey:185 min (TV version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Hebrew | German | Polish

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | DTS-Stereo

Certification:

Finland:K-13 (re-rating) | Finland:K-14 (original rating) | Malaysia:18PL (re-rating) | Malaysia:(Banned) (original rating) | Brazil:14 | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Canada:R (Nova Scotia) | New Zealand:M | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:TE | Denmark:15 | France:U | Germany:12 | Hong Kong:IIB | Iceland:16 | Israel:PG | Italy:T | Netherlands:12 | Norway:15 | Peru:14 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:R(A) | South Korea:15 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R | Singapore:M18 (DVD rating) | Canada:13+ (Quebec)

Filming Locations:

Auschwitz, Poland

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

When Schindler berates Stern of sending too many force-labor camp workers to his factory, Stern (Ben Kingsley) reminds him about Amon Goeth shooting 25 men from Bejski's camp. The Bejski that Stern refers to is none other than Moshe Bejski - who eventually became Schindler's document forger and later the Israeli Supreme Court Judge from 1979 to 1991. He is mentioned in the book. In the list, he is #531 on the men's list and occupation was a draftsman.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Schindler is reprimanded for kissing the Jewish girl by the SS officer, the SS officer picks up his cup twice in the same sentence.

Quotes:

[first lines]
[a Hebrew prayer is chanted, followed by a flashback to 1940s Poland]
Krakow registrar: Name?

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "Robot Chicken: Donkey Punch (#2.19)" (2006)

Soundtrack:

DIE HOLZAUKTION

A film for all to see....and learn.

" I....pardon you."

These words spoken by Amon Goethe (Ralph Fiennes) during the film can be aptly used to signify the themes of this film: power and forgiveness.

I am part of the post war generation who has been lucky enough not to experience any major war. And after watching this film, I have deep respect and feelings for those who suffered during these times, be it the Holocaust or the Nam war. This film was just waiting to be made and I'm glad it was the right man who dared to take up the challenge. Any other person would not have done it justice.

The film focuses on how a German named Oskar Schindler saved the lives of thousands of Jews by employing them to work in his factory during WWII. However, I feel the film's primary aim is not to show us Schindler's kindness but the horrors of war. There are some of the most true and graphic scenes here ever captured on celluloid. People being shot for no particular reason, hiding in fear, stripped and gased, abused......so much so that viewers watching it for the 1st time will be deeply affected. We have never got to see this "flip side" of the war in many Hollywood productions which only focuses on action and their unrealistic "gung-ho" heroes. ( Another excellent film would be "Saving Pte Ryan" by Spielberg again ) War and its horrors are finally and faithfully recreated for the audience.

Like the film Raging Bull, its shot beautifully in black and white to reflect the era and tone of the film. Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes are excellent, esp the latter for his frightening protrayal of Amon Goethe. The scene where they discuss about power is a classic and the subsequent one where Amon 'pardons' a young jew remains as one of my many favs!