Quite Possibly the Best and Most Important Film of the 1990s

Rating: Null/10 (27 June 2000)

Steven Spielberg's "Schindler's List" is a top-notch film in every sense. The production values are extremely high, the cinematography (shot almost completely in black and white) is a sight to behold, the original score is amazing, the screenplay is complicated and unrelenting, and the performances are some of the best ever from any film ever produced. However, it is Spielberg's direction that makes "Schindler's List" the instant classic that it is. The film deals with a businessman (Liam Neeson in an Oscar-nominated role) who looks to profit from World War II by producing war goods for the Nazi Army and employing ghetto Jews as cheap labor. Ben Kingsley plays a Jewish accountant who acts as Schindler's right-hand man who makes sure that he gets as many Jews as he can to save them from imminent deaths at Nazi war camps. When Schindler witnesses what is really going on he has a change of heart and starts to save the Jews of Poland by buying them from a sadistic Nazi commander (Ralph Fiennes in an Oscar-nominated role). Needless to say, Schindler develops the "list" with Kingsley and over 1,000 Jews were saved from certain deaths at the hands of the Nazi army. "Schindler's List" is one of those utterly brilliant films that are rarely made today, or at any time for that matter. This is also one of the most important films ever made. When this film was initially released in 1993 some doubted the Holocaust had ever actually happened. Many professors from prominent universities were convincing young people that the Holocaust was a fictional tool of propaganda used by the Allied Powers to create support for their cause. Of course this is ridiculous, but many people were believing this trite. That is the primary reason why this film is such an amazing success. Spielberg had an urge to do this project way back in the early-1980s, but did not feel he was quite ready for the harsh material (he was probably right in waiting). He offered the project to Martin Scorsese (who also did not feel comfortable with the material) and even Stanley Kubrick (he was not interested). Billy Wilder, well in his 80s at the time, also showed considerable interest. However, Spielberg bought his time and went forward when he finally felt the time was right. The timing was perfect and this film is perfect. Easily one of the top 10 films of all time. 5 stars out of 5.