SCHINDLER'S LIST
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1993 James Berardinelli
Rating (Linear 0 to 10): 9.6
Date Released: 12/15/93 Running Length: 3:15 Rated: R (Violence, Holocaust images, nudity, sex)
Starring: Liam Neeson, Ben Kingsley, Jonathan Sagalle, Caroline Goodall, Ralph Fiennes, Embeth Davidtz Director: Steven Spielberg Producers: Steven Spielberg, Gerald R. Molen, Branko Lustig Screenplay: Steven Zaillian based on the novel by Thomas Keneally Music: John Williams Released by Amblin Entertainment through Universal Pictures
Steven Spielberg has directed two of 1993's releases. One is the top money maker, and the other has a legitimate shot at winning the Best Picture Oscar. JURASSIC PARK is, of course, the former, while SCHINDLER'S LIST is the latter. Even as fickle as the Academy is, I find it hard to believe that Spielberg will be overlooked this time. His Holocaust tale is simply too good.
There have been numerous documentaries and dramatic productions focusing on the Holocaust, including a television mini-series which many consider to be the definitive work. As a result, in deciding to film SCHINDLER'S LIST, the director set for himself an imposing task. His vision had to be different from that of the many film makers who went before him, yet the finished product had to remain faithful to the unforgettable images which are the legacy of six million massacred Jews. Those who see this motion picture will witness Spielberg's success.
The film opens in September of 1939 in Krakow, Poland, with the Jewish community under increasing pressure from the Nazis. Into this tumult comes Oskar Schindler (Liam Neeson), a Nazi businessman interested in obtaining Jewish backing for a factory he wishes to build. He makes contact with Itzhak Stern (Ben Kingsley), an accountant, to arrange financial matters. For a while, there is no interest and nothing happens.
March 1941. The Krakow Jewish community has been forced to live in the "Ghetto," where money no longer has any meaning. Several elders agree to invest in Schindler's factory and the DEF (Deutsche Emailwarenfabrik) is born--a place where large quantities of pots are manufactured. To do the work, Schindler hires Jews (because they're cheaper than Poles), and the German army becomes his biggest customer.
March 1943. Germany's intentions towards the Jews are no longer a secret. The Ghetto is "liquidated," with the survivors being herded into the Plaszow Forced Labor Camp. Many are executed, and still others are shipped away by train, never to return. During this time, Schindler has managed to ingratiate himself with the local commander, Amon Goeth (Ralph Fiennes), a Nazi who kills Jews for sport. Using his relationship with Goeth, Schindler begins to secretly campaign to help the Jews, saving men, women, and children from certain death.
Spielberg elected to film this motion picture in black-and-white, and it's impossible to argue with his decision. Having viewed the movie thus, it's impossible to imagine it any other way. Director of Photography Janusz Kaminski has made beautiful use of shadow and light. In much the same way that it's cinematic blasphemy to suggest colorizing CITIZEN KANE, so it's impossible to imagine SCHINDLER'S LIST in anything but black-and-white.
That's not to say that there's no color in this movie, but its use is kept to a premium. The opening scene is in color, as is the closing sequence (which features the surviving "Schindler Jews," each accompanied by the actor who played their character, placing a stone on their savior's grave). There are also two instances during the movie when color is allowed to bleed into the blacks, whites, and grays. One little girl's jacket appears red so that she stands out from the masses, and a pair of candles are allowed to burn with orange flames. When color is used, it's noticeable, and Spielberg has definite reasons for utilizing it.
SCHINDLER'S LIST gives us three major stories and a host of minor ones. First and foremost, it tells the tale of the Holocaust, presenting new images of old horrors. These are as ghastly and realistic as anything previously filmed, and Spielberg emphasizes the brutality of the situation by not pulling punches when it comes to gore. Although in stark black-and-white, the blood fountains when men and women are shot in the head or through the neck.
The second story is that of Oskar Schindler, the Nazi businessman who saved 1200 Jews from death. Schindler starts out as a self-centered manufacturer, concerned only about making money. He hires Jews because they're cheap, not because he likes them. But his perspective changes, and he risks losing everything to save as many lives as he can. His eventual lament that he couldn't save more is heartbreaking.
The third story is that of Amon Goeth, the Nazi commander of Krakow, a man who teeters on the brink of madness. He enjoys killing, and despises Jews, yet he inexplicably falls in love with his Jewish housekeeper, Helen Hirsch (Embeth Davidtz). Rather than allowing himself to touch her, however, he beats her ruthlessly. Goeth is a man to despise, but Spielberg works carefully to show enough character depth to paint him with narrower brush strokes that show more than a conscienceless monster.
In many ways, the smaller stories are the best parts of SCHINDLER'S LIST, and these often provide the most lasting images. Helen's story is especially memorable, as is the plight of young Danka Dresner and her mother as they strive to stay alive and together. There's a Jewish couple that marries in the Plaszow camp, even though their chances of survival are dim, and a Rabbi who survives a close encounter with a Nazi gun.
Of course the Holocaust images are grim, but scenes of mass graves and exhumed bodies are not unique to SCHINDLER'S LIST. While it's impossible to deny their power, potentially more distubing are the instances of callous, individual murder. Spielberg doesn't spare his audience when it comes to sudden violence or the dehumanizing factors involved in such events. After all, Jews were viewed as "vermin." SCHINDLER'S LIST is replete with moments like this.
Yet despite the grisly background, this movie is essentially a story of triumph in the midst of a monstrous tragedy. Not a happy story, to be sure, but one that offers a glimmer of hope. Schindler's story, and all that he sacrifices for the Jews, is what sets this apart from the other Holocaust dramas. For, in SCHINDLER'S LIST, there is cause for thankfulness amidst the mourning.
The acting is uniformly excellent; there's not a bad performance in evidence. Liam Neeson's Schindler is shown in all his complexity, and his transformation is played with beautiful control. This is no sudden reversal of philosophy, but a matter of conscience that slowly dawns on the man. With skill and a keen sense of Schindler's character, Neeson depicts the metamorphosis from self-centered businessman to crusader.
Ben Kingsley, whose Gandhi transfixed audiences years ago, may have the most understated role in the movie. His is not a flashy part, but it's as essential as Neeson's to the story, and he plays it with simple sincerity. Equally as impressive is Embeth Davidtz, who snares the viewer's attention during her limited screen time as the helpless Helen Hirsch, the object of Amon Goeth's twisted affections.
Speaking of Goeth, Jonathan Sagalle is solid in his portrayal of the Nazi commander, a man fascinated by power and murder. Caroline Goodall has a small role as Schindler's wife Emilie.
There's much more that could--and eventually will--be said about SCHINDLER'S LIST. This is the kind of movie that's ripe for discussion. Not only is the quality of the production high, but the picture is pregnant with meaning and memories. However, at least for now, I've said enough. This is a movie that speaks for itself anyway, with its images being far more eloquent and gut-wrenching than anything I could write. One-hundred ninety five minutes (the running length of SCHINDLER'S LIST) is a long time, but it's hard to imagine anyone being aware of the time while watching this film. And when the final credits have rolled, this won't be an experience easily shunted aside or forgotten.
- James Berardinelli (blake7@cc.bellcore.com)
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