Whoever saves one life saves the world entire.

Given the events since October 7th, 2023, I tend to feel that Schindler’s List would not be made today, such has been the moral decline we have witnessed across Western societies, and in particular the film industry, since that fateful day.

Schindler’s List is hardly the type of film one can consider a favourite in terms of enjoyment, its reach goes far beyond entertainment. It deserves its recognition as one of the best films of all time, its power resides in giving literal interpretation to the message never again. Tragically, that message has not endured.

However, Schindler’s List stands as one of the most important, illuminating, admirable, and beautiful films ever made. It is also one of the most enigmatic, unnerving, and demoralising ones ever made as well. This makes for a most interesting combination. Holocaust films are usually not very successful. Schindler’s List, along with The Pianist, remain as pre-eminent exceptions to this.

Schindler’s List is based on the 1982 historical fiction book, Schindler’s Ark by Thomas Kenneally. It tells the story of the efforts of Oskar Schindler, a German, who helped save over 1,200 Jews during the Holocaust. Played by Liam Neeson, Schindler is not an easy character to comprehend. It takes you time to fully understand who he is.

In the midst of the Second World War, Oskar Schindler, a social climbing opportunistic and womanising German businessman, arrives in Krakow in Poland and charms important Nazis to set up a factory manufacturing pots and pans to supply to the German army. 

Schindler hires a Jewish accountant, Itzhak Stern (Ben Kingsley) to manage the factory. Schindler provides the front, whilst Stern, using black market deals and advantageous connections, works tirelessly to save people. Stern hires many Jews who would have otherwise ended up in concentration camps. By getting German SS officials to believe that they have the important skill sets required for the factory, he cleverly sneaks many Jews out of the concentration camps.

As Schindler’s factory runs efficiently, the German SS commence, under the command of the psychopathic sadist Amon Goeth (Ralph Fiennes), brutally evicts all the Jews out of the Krakow Ghetto and into the labor camps at Plaszow. As Schindler and his mistress helplessly watch the liquidation of the ghetto from a hill overlooking it, he realises the dreadfulness of the war and that he needs to look beyond his own success and help the Jews.

Spielberg’s filming of the liquidation of the Krakow Ghetto is a brilliant piece of cinema (I actually rate it higher than his famed Omaha landing from Saving Private Ryan) in its depiction of the inhumane murderous barbarity that occurred.

As the war progresses, the state of the Jews worsens. The SS plans to exterminate all the Jews and hence gradually starts moving them from labor camps to extermination camps. Schindler’s pots and pans factory is not considered important enough for the war effort to continue employing the Jews anymore but he is determined to keep the Jews in his factory safe, he devises a new plan.

The film’s pacing is quite remarkable, it’s a three hour film that flashes by quickly and, despite the dark and appalling story-line, the movie has many snippets of humour – for example, the scene where Schindler can’t make up his mind what pretty secretary to chose so he hires them all.

The three leads are simply magnificent in their roles. Liam Neeson gave the performance of his life in a deeply complex role which captured the many ambiguities of his character. Ben Kingsley stands as the film’s moral compass and Schindler’s alter ego and conscience; whilst Ralph Fiennes gives an unbelievably superb performance as the evil SS commander, almost, at times making him pathetically sympathetic.

The emotional impact of the film is further enhanced by the music by John Williams. A deceptively simple and heart-rendering score that perfectly counter-balances the drama unfolding on the screen.

Spielberg’s choice to film in black & white illustrated his foresight and vision. Furthermore, his selection of what minimal colour would be used (bookend scenes and the young girl’s red coat) was pure genius. It gives the film a timeless quality, yet matching the feel and style of the time of the events, rather than the time of filming. Whether or not intended, the film also drew parallels to Italian Neorealism, traditionally filmed on location, with some unprofessional actors, telling the stories of struggle and everyday life. The girl’s red coat was a conspicuous way to make a visually beautiful statement. Our eyes are drawn to this unexpected, sparse, vivid infusion of colour. “Look at me” it says. “You can try to be in denial, but this is really happening. You cannot pretend it isn’t.” Schindler slowly realises the girl he observed so silently begins his dramatic character shift.

The second use of colour, in the bookends, seems to be primarily for the candles. Both scenes portray a family observing The Shabbat. In the opening bookend, before the start of the war, we watch two consecrated candles melt away into nothing; in a beautiful use of cinematography, the last of the smoke from the candles, lightly coloured, dissolves and transforms into the black and white smoke from a train arriving in Krakow, Poland. A title card announces World War II. In the closing bookend, to signify redemption and the renewal of hope, these same candles are relit; colour is renewed.

The epilogue shows many of the surviving Schindlerjuden and the actors portraying them visiting Schindler’s grave and placing stones on its marker, a traditional Jewish sign of respect for the dead, after which Liam Neeson lays two roses.

Spielberg had wanted the audiences to know that the film is based on real-life facts and he was concerned at the time that Holocaust denial was on the rise again. I wonder what he would make of events 30 years later.

I have viewed this film on numerous occasions, unlike many who only ever want to see this film once – it is indelibly etched on my mind as it blends the abject horror of the Holocaust with Steven Spielberg’s signature humanism to create the director’s dramatic masterpiece. It stands alone as a monumental piece of cinema, a magnificent accomplishment.

and the tease for my next post . . . All it takes is a little confidence.