Powerful message conveyed with brutal honesty

Rating: 9/10 (27 September 2009)

One of the finest productions ever put on film; also one of the most difficult films to watch that you will ever experience.
It pulls no punches; therefore, it conveys just what a horrifying evil World War II's Nazi Germany really was. The reality of just what hatred and bigotry can influence one person to do to another is shown as ugly as it really is, and it's truly painful to see. The atrocities of this perverse dictatorship could easily be dismissed as a fluke of a violent era, but this film's underlying theme warns it could happen again.
Spielberg outdid himself in this brilliant work. The hopelessness that must have been experienced by the victims of this vile time are captured so well on every level. The acting is superb: the psychotic Nazi colonel was a standout. Liam Neeson is memorable as the guilt ridden German businessman Schindler who endeavors to rescue political prisoners right out from under the Nazis' noses. The many Jewish people targeted and viciously abused in concentration camps are ably portrayed by the cast with strong conviction.
Explicit scenes of ruthless killing and other abhorrent violence are not withheld, and this film is a rare case where such brutal honesty is appropriate and effective. There were scenes where I had to look away; I could almost feel the kick, the punch, the spit, the bullet. It was painful empathy for the terror of those in peril, and witnessing the many disgusting indignities they endured.
It's a guarantee this is not a pleasant watch; some of the imagery may horrify you, especially with the realization that these things depicted actually took place. You will see the lowest and most detestable behavior by people imaginable, and it will stick with you. However, it is a necessary precautionary message. This was Spielberg's finest hour.