A lesson in history

Rating: 10/10 (16 June 2006)

Standard classroom issue for high school students across the world, SCHINDLER'S LIST is a poignant reminder of the Holocaust. Masterminded by Steven Spielberg and enriched with lamenting tones from Itzhak Perlman, the hearts of these sons of Zion went into the making of this film of films.
The viewer is spared none of the harrowing realities of the Holocaust. Jews with proper education were hated the most, and were killed viciously. Some were spared and mocked rather than killed, as long as they provided entertainment for Nazi soldiers. Not all German officers were iron-hearted. Some were driven mad by the slaughtering. As Schindler said best, "war always brings out the worst in people." In only a few hours, the film exposed more truths than months spent reading history textbooks.
Meticulous attention is paid to the development of characters. At the start, Schindler is shown to be a self-serving, wily businessman who takes advantage of Jewish labour to the benefit of his factory. By the end, the horror he witnesses has transformed him into a saviour. He forgets every dream of wealth he ever held, and agonizes over being unable to save more Jews. Amon Goeth, the commander at the concentration camp in Krakow, is a mirror-image of Hitler. Goeth possesses a blind and irrational hatred of Jews. He kills them for pleasure and considers them to be worthless, yet he is attracted to one named Helen Hirsch. Hitler's similar hypocrisies need not be explained. We are given such polar personalities to consider in this portrayal of the human condition. We are witness to inexplicable kindness and ruthless savagery. Through it all, Neeson and Fiennes give such dynamic performances that we forget we are looking at actors, not men.
This is a thoroughly disturbing film. Children who barely know the definition of hate participate in the verbal and physical bombardment of Jews. In countless scenes, families are ruthlessly separated. When Jews are mercilessly shot, the action is quick and brutal. There are no "Hollywood" deaths. The sequences are all realistically frightening. Another sickening scene shows Amon Goeth sniping Jews from his balcony simply for enjoyment and target practice. It is hard to imagine such twisted men could exist. Elsewhere, Jews rub their own blood on their faces to look livelier and stand a better chance of being selected for work. Why? Unselected individuals are gassed. After a shake of our heads, we realize that these horrifying details are a testament to the film's true quality.
There is good reason for the lack of colour. It helps emphasize key moments of the story featured in colour, such as the vibrant candles that are lit for a Jewish couple's marriage. Colour signifies hope, and is used sparingly as hope is not something that existed in any great quantity during those days.
In many ways, this is a unique film for Spielberg. He has departed from providing glowing, satisfying, heart-warming cinema. Yet there are bold elements of action and adventure passed on from his earlier works. Look how Schindler's suspenseful dealings with suspicious German officials are played out. See how he dramatically saves the Jews on numerous occasions. We are kept to the edge of our seats by methods only Spielberg could conjure.
Steven Zaillian provides an immaculate script. Nothing feels out of time or place. A few have complained that the spoken language is unauthentically English. Does it matter what language the Holocaust is portrayed in? Can the impact be reduced in any way? Nothing is changed, for the message is universal.
When one thinks back to the Holocaust, one thinks of despair. Within the hopelessness rose an unlikely hero. This movie is a tribute to the Jews, to their struggle, and to the gentile who lent a righteous hand.