Lives up to the hype

Rating: 9/10 (8 January 2008)

Finally watched it. And, even with everything it's been hyped up to be, I was still impressed. I thought it worked best when it was just focusing of Schindler, and showing his growing reaction to the horrors around him, rather than outright showing the atrocities, but you can't really fault Spielberg for showing bits like the Ghetto liquidation scene, or the shower scene, because they're so powerful without really being manipulative at all. The only bit that really falls into emotional manipulation is the final scene with the rocks, which really took me out of the movie and was obviously a personal, not artistic, choice by Spielberg.
I was also very surprised at how technically superb and inventive the film was. I expected the powerful impact, but I didn't expect some rather creative shots like the piano playing during the liquidation, or the distant shadow at the top of the long staircase. It's really a beautifully shot film, which is refreshing, because Spielberg could have easily gone for a gritty, raw feel and probably still got the same effect, but the near-noir like set-up made the on-screen horrors even more unbearable, due to their glamourized feel.
The acting is almost uniformly excellent, from Neeson's gradual growth over the film, to Fiennes' unredeemably evil yet almost sympathetic villain, to Kingsley's quiet nobility, and Embeth Davidtz's rather underrated turn as Amon Goeth's housemaid. It's really a shame that the film won no acting Oscars, as it truly deserved some, especially Fiennes for his tormented performance. The story is not the typical "exposition-build up-climax-denouement" but I liked that, as you really didn't know where the story was heading next, and it gave the whole thing a sense of danger and desperation, much like what the characters would feel.
This was probably the most well-known and well-received film that I hadn't seen, and now that I have, I have to say I'm not disappointed, though I don't know how many more times I'll be watching it. It really takes a lot out of you. Furthermore, despite how much I loved it, it's probably not even in my top five Spielberg films, which is really a testament to how many superb films he's made.