Everyone should watch this film

Rating: 10/10 (18 July 2001)

This is almost certainly the finest film I have seen to date, with Saving Private Ryan, another Spielberg film coming a fairly close second. Everything about this film is designed to try and raise awareness of actual events in their gruesome detail. Spielberg should be credited for using moderation to get the message across. There are scenes of violence, but overall the film is all the more effective for the implication of what is to come. Fiennes is chilling as the camp commandant, doubly so when you realise that this was an actual person who actually did the things shown, and all this less than a lifetime ago. Cinematography was superb throughout, and the brave decision to shoot in black and white adds to the authentic feel of the film. The final scenes are particularly emotional, and many people in the cinema were crying at the end. This film should be required viewing for any holocaust denier types, or just to those who have no concept of how evil men can be to their fellow man. Many people in Germany were left shocked after watching this film, because it's not the sort of thing that is discussed in depth over there (according to my German friend). 10/10