A Beautiful, Haunting Masterpiece That Will Stick With Me For A Long Time

Rating: 10/10 (17 January 2015)

Out of all the movies I've seen in my lifetime, Schindler's List will always be a staple in my mind. The first time I watched it, I was just left in complete silence as the closing credits began to role. After the movie was completely finished and cut to black, I realized that I had watched what I consider to be the greatest movie ever made.
This movie really is an experience. Not only does it suck you into the time and place which it is set in, it makes you feel like you're there experiencing it all. You feel like you are here witnessing these events take place. The violence feels real, and the hand-held camera sequences give a reality and a look of how it must have felt to be there during this dark time in our nation's history. It's powerful and hits hard, especially during the liberation of the ghetto and the ending where we see Schindler break down because he feels like he could have saved more lives.
Liam Neeson gives what is probably his best performance still to this date as Oskar Schindler, and you really see his evolution as a character and his change in view as he watches the violence committed against these people. In the beginning he doesn't seem to care; he simply sees them as an opportunity to make money off of business. But as he sees these events unfold, and as we watch them as well, you see how much this impacts him, particularly when he sees the girl with the red coat in one of the movie's most famous scenes. Ben Kingsley also gives a powerful performance as Itzhak Stern, Schindler's adviser, and Ralph Fiennes gives a stunning performance as the menacing, hateful Amon Goeth, a merciless SS Officer. There are also some fine performances sprinkled across the supporting cast and many of the Jewish characters, and there is not a single poor performance here.
Some may feel that the 3 hour running time will be monotonous, but Schindler's List completely captures the viewers' attention throughout the entire motion picture. The situations these characters go through, the characterization of Schindler and Stern and their collaboration together, and simply seeing the brutality and merciless nature the movie depicts are all enough to keep one occupy, not to mention move them emotionally and thoughtfully. The black and white cinematography looks beautiful and helps with putting you in 1940s Poland, and the script and dialogue are so perfectly written by Steve Zaillian. Not to mention Steven Spielberg's direction on this is flawless. He pieces everything perfectly together, wraps it up in a bundle, and gives us an absolute masterpiece of a film.
Schindler's List is my favorite film. There has not been a single film that compares to my experience watching it. There has not been a single movie that has moved me and left me speechless like this movie has. The only movie that has come close to impacting me like this was Alfonso Cuaron's Children Of Men, and even that by comparison doesn't add up to how Schindler's List impacted me. I know some people will say "You need a movie that you can watch over and over again that is fun and enjoyable. How can you have something so depressing as your favorite movie?" Some will even say it's too obvious a choice. Well, you know what? It is an obvious choice, because it is obvious that this is a powerful, beautiful, and incredible film experience that excels in pretty much everything it has to offer. It's an incredible achievement and I can't wait to watch it again. Well done, Spielberg.