A very powerful, authentic film, but like all successful films, has its flaws.

Rating: 9/10 (11 October 2006)

Schindler's List has been hailed as Steven Spielberg's best ever film, and is #6 on IMDb's top 250. It won loads of awards, including seven Academy Awards. Despite the fact that it is not quite an epic with its relatively low budget, it justifies its existence with great acting, directing, a very well-written script, rich characters, and authenticity that no other film has yet equalled. But unfortunately, it is marred with a slow pace, some pointless scenes, extremely unnecessary sex scenes and nudity and the lack of any real originality in the acting. No acting awards were won, but the most memorable performance was hammered home by Ralph Fiennes, who played Amon Goeth. His real villainy and spite made the film even colder. This film not only hammered home the true horrors of Nazi regime, it also shows that there are good people in even the most villainous clans, and those good people end up being remembered for what they did.
This is not a gory action flick like "Saving Private Ryan" - there are only a few shootings in the whole three hours. But there is lots of blood when there is a death, and the complete unfairness of the killings make this film even more shocking and powerful. But the main problem of this film is that none of the characters really change. Goeth does learn a lesson from Schindler, who gives some wise words, but he is still a Nazi through and through. Schindler does get some inspiration on and off, but he never really deteriorates, and Liam Neeson really does not own the role 100%. The last minutes of black and white are reminiscent of many Western films (you see my point - man rides into a village on horseback to liberate people, a huge crowd of people come over the horizon of a desert), and John Williams' score is not used enough. However, Mr. Williams actually put some care and thought into his music, unlike in the Jurassic Park score of the same year, which was just full-on Hollywood ham. On the whole, all of the characters in Schindler's List do deliver good performances, unlike "Aeon Flux" in which every character was flat and dull.
To mouth off about Schindler's List is wrong - there is nothing duff about this film, and every second comes from the heart. Though it isn't gripping, it will fascinate, and will take you back 60 years with ease. However, it is not quite perfect, and perhaps a teensy bit overrated. I may need to watch it again. But on the whole, Schindler's List engaged, and worked perfectly as a film. However, I am still more with "Saving Private Ryan" as Spielberg's best war film. But may I make this clear - this is the most authentic film ever made, and must be seen. A stunning job! 9/10