Not entirely convinced

Rating: 7/10 (27 April 2010)

Impressive job by Spielberg, but still a little too melodramatic for this (European) viewer. Sweeping, understated scenes alternate with Hollywood's patented pulling of the heart strings, which feels wholly unnecessary given the fact that the subject is so obviously tragic.
Don't get me wrong, this is a must-see, if only for several key scenes that will be stay with you forever - the haunting images of Auschwitz and the cleaning of the ghetto had me transfixed and visualized the plight of the Polish Jews more than anything I've ever seen or read about the subject. Here, the decision to film and black & white proved a stroke of genius.
In the end, I found myself agreeing more with Polanski's take on the Holocaust (The Pianist). More economically told, more powerful.