I'm essential!

Rating: 10/10 (19 May 2007)

How could anyone say "The Pianist" is better than this film? You'll know it's an exquisitely made motion picture from the very first frame to the last. Not a shot misused or not an actor miscast. Not a line unnecessarily said.
All of Spielberg's sensibilities as a filmmaker are displayed in here, from his depiction of the elitist people whom Schindler hangs with at the start.. to the horrors of the Nazi oppression. Neeson and Kingsley are great, but just as infectious is Ralph Fiennes whom Neeson has many exchanges with that take you inside the mind of a fascist. Fiennes also is a holder of some of this film's more disturbing scenes.
What is great about Spielberg is his ability to tell a story in full circle, never compromising denouement and character arc, Oskar Schindler's transition couldn't have been portrayed any better. Perhaps the horrors of totalitarianism are what redeems a man of greed, arrogance and a cold heart. As usual, Spielberg frames every sequence with meticulous attention to biomechanics and composition... and I couldn't tell it was John Williams either in the scoring, which is a good, No - an excellent addition.
Was it Casablanca or North By Northwest as my top 1 greatest movie of all time? I forgot, maybe for now SCHINDLER'S LIST will have to take that place.