I’m using this series as a motivation to take a look at all of the Best Picture winners from the past 86 Academy Awards. This may take awhile… This Oscar winning drama is known as not only one of the most moving depictions of the Holocaust put to film, but one of Steven Spielberg’s best films ever made. It won 7 out of its 12 nominations, making it the overwhelming victor at the 66th Academy Awards.
Directed by: Steven Spielberg Written by: Steven Zaillian Starring: Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, & Ben Kingsley.
Seeing the opportunity created by World War II and the segregation of Jews, Oskar Schindler, a member of the Nazi party, opens a factory in order to attain wealth and a higher social position. He inserts himself among the local Nazis and SS, while running his factory using residents of the Kraków Ghetto in Poland and later the Płaszów concentration camp, enjoying his success with apathy towards the suffering surrounding him. As conditions worsen and Schindler becomes familiar with the camp commander Amon Goeth, his disposition turns around to make his life’s work not obtaining wealth, but using all he has to ensure the survival of around 1100 Jews.
My Thoughts:
I consider Schindler’s List to be a supremely crafted film. Despite the subject matter, I don’t find it to be either overly sentimental or emotionally manipulative. It’s put on screen in such a matter of fact manner that you feel like you are watching a documentary. Everything is too realistic. It’s horrifying.
Spielberg’s direction, the camera handwork, and black and white cinematography unite to create this effective documentary approach. I’ve seen other Holocaust films in color without finding it ill-suiting, but I cannot imagine Schindler’s List presented differently. It instantly recalls those photographs and historical footage that you’ve seen in history class, making the experience extremely visceral.
Of course, there’s Liam Neeson in an incredible role that stands in stark contrast to the action roles he’s consistently taking on currently. I always enjoy his screen presence, but the range he’s displaying here has to be his career high. Oskar Schindler is an interesting character to base a Holocaust film around, not just because of his amazing life-saving efforts but the complexity within the man. He’s certainly no saint and only comes around to compassion after using the Nazi Party for his gain first. He’s not just some Christ figure savior that does no wrong.
Slightly overshadowing Neeson however, is Ralph Fiennes as the detestable Amon Goeth, also a real person known for committing the atrocities you’ve seen on film (one of the only SS officials who were charged with murder for his killings that went beyond carrying out orders to almost an enjoyable sport for the man). Fiennes is, to put it mildly, scary as hell in this role. He embodies this soulless man devoid of empathy or regard for human life (not that he considered Jews humans, as Goeth says to his maid Helen in the film). I have to imagine Fiennes and Leonardo DiCaprio split the vote allowing Tommy Lee Jones to take the Best Supporting Actor win over those performances.
Not as discussed, but certainly worth much praise is Ben Kingsley as Itzhak Stern, Schindler’s accountant who essentially ran the factory. He used his position to save the Jews in the ghetto and camp by having them assigned to work at the factory so they were considered essential workers. Notably many were amongst the most vulnerable, such as the elderly, disabled, women, and children. Kingsley as Stern shows such a deep determination to save any person possible despite all the risks taken, as well as a grudging partnership with Schindler so that he can be in this position.
But beyond those three men are an expansive cast of names you don’t know but make this film so incredible. There are so many faces that you follow throughout this horrible journey, allowing the real heart of the film to be their experiences and will to survive. One performance that I cannot go without mentioning is Embeth Davidtz as Goeth’s maid Helen Hirsch. She is almost completely silent throughout as she shakily attempts to stay alive in the presence of such a deadly and unpredictable man, but Davidtz is perfect in the role. It also presents another side to Goeth as he obviously yearns for her.
To me, Schindler’s List isn’t mostly about one German man’s personal change in character, but the people that he saved. Spielberg used this fascinating story to touch on the major touchstones of the Jewish experience during the Holocaust. The extended scene of the liquidation of the Kraków Ghetto is one of those moments. It doesn’t need to be as long as it is to benefit the main storyline of Schindler, but Spielberg gives it the gravity of the real horrors that occurred. Again and again, Speilberg detours from the main plot to show the realities, such as the humiliating medical examinations, illogical random killings and punishments, separation of families, death camp gas chambers, and I could go on. By expanding the focus of the film to include all these details in such a raw presentation it gives those killed and those who survived proper respect and attention. God, it’s painful to watch and I wanted to close my eyes so many times and make it go away. But it happened and it’s important to see it.
This film is completely deserving to win Best Picture. It’s not just your standard shoe-in for the Academy, being a period piece about an emotional real life story, but one made with incredible craftsmanship and personal, brutal honesty. Spielberg has an amazing filmography filled with entertaining blockbusters (by the way Jurassic Park came out the same year!), slick action films, innovative sci fi’s and thrillers, but this must be considered his masterpiece.
Academy Award nominations and wins:
Won:
Best Picture
Best Director – Steven Spielberg
Best Adapted Screenplay – Steven Zaillian
Best Original Score – John Williams
Best Film Editing
Best Cinematography
Best Art Direction
Nominated:
Best Actor – Liam Neeson
Best Supporting Actor – Ralph Fiennes
Best Sound
Best Makeup and Hairstyling
Best Costume Design
The Other Guys:
- The Remains of the Day – A butler who served his employer loyally throughout World War II recalls his past with doubt over his judgement – Nominated in 8 categories
- In The Name of the Father – A drama based on the true story of wrongfully convicted men charged with bombing a pub, starring Daniel Day Lewis – Nominated in 7 categories
- The Fugitive – An action film about a man on the run to find his wife’s killer while authorities believe that he’s the culprit – Won Best Supporting Actor (Tommy Lee Jones), & nominated in 6 other categories
- The Piano – A drama by Jane Campion about a mute piano teacher in an unexpected romance while raising her daughter – Won Best Lead Actress (Holly Hunter), Best Supporting Actress (Anna Paquin), Original Screenplay, & nominated in 5 other categories
