The greatest movie of the 90s

Rating: 10/10 (3 September 2006)

For the last thirty years or so, Steven Spielberg has been the greatest star to shine in the film universe. He is already claimed as being the greatest filmmaker of all time even if he still have time to make other movies.
And of all of these last thirty years, one of them must be especially highlighted: 1993. It's by far the greatest year of Spielberg's career. First, he broke the bank and revolutionized modern cinema with "Jurassic Park" which became (and still is) the most successful film of his career. It was the summer's highlight.
And for Christmas, Spielberg came out with his crowning achievement: "Schindler's List". Based on a true story (yes, a TRUE story!), this extremely dramatic and ultra-realistic tale of a Nazi businessman who saved 1,100 Jews during Holocaust ultimately ended up with seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture and a well-deserved Best Director Award for Mr. Spielberg.
The first aspect of the movie that strikes the viewer is the filming process. "Schindler's List" is mostly shot in black and white, because it matched with Spielberg's ideas about World War II. He said that the only images that came to his mind when he thought about WWII were in black and white. Thereby, the movie brings a very adequate mood which is fueled by fear, sorrow and the most inhuman cruelties and dark feelings that are parts of this abominable war.
But even if black and white is the most prominent filming process, colored parts appear in short, but crucial moments. The greatest example is the little girl with the red coat. She becomes the catalyst of Schindler's altruistic efforts. She is first spotted during the liquidation of Krakow's ghetto and then, Schindler sees her, unfortunately dead and about to be incinerated by the SS officers.
The main force behind "Schindler's List" is the depiction of the Nazis' cruelties and racist gestures made to the Jews. And also the Jews' efforts in order to stand and flee from these absurd and inhuman moves. This idea is particularly shown in the ghetto's liquidation scenes which are the greatest, hardest and most harrowing pictures of the movie.
"Schindler's List" is also a success because of its three leading actors. Liam Neeson is Oskar Schindler, this Messiah-like figure who used his recently-made fortune in order to save his people. Neeson's performance is extraordinary and we can feel his inner transformation throughout the movie. He is perfectly depicted as a greedy man, but also as a restless seducer and womanizer. Ben Kingsley is Schindler's Jewish assistant Itzhak Stern and he delivers his greatest role apart from Gandhi in the eponymous movie. Finally, there's Ralph Fiennes' unforgettable performance as Untersturmfuhrer Amon Goeth who is the main representative of the Nazis' horrors and his attractive physique hides a wildly devilish nature, which fuels each one of his atrocities.
Because it runs for about 200 minutes (three hours and twenty minutes), the movie includes several sub-plots which either highlight some passages of Thomas Keneally's novel or show other Holocaust-specific pictures, such as the 'selection' in Plaszow's camp.
Out of all the movies made in the last decade of the 20th century, "Schindler's List" is probably the greatest, followed by Quentin Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction". This is only a 'probable', but some things are surer. For instance, this is undoubtedly Steven Spielberg's greatest picture, which is somehow ironic because Spielberg is known for his blockbusters and action-filled movies. So, it's ironic to see that such a war drama can be considered as Spielberg's definitive masterwork.
But, in a sense, only Spielberg could have done a movie like this. He is a Jew himself and the Holocaust can only have more effect on him than any other filmmaker. Roman Polanski did well too with "The Pianist", but Spielberg's vision and direction were just superior. From now on, anyone could try to make a movie about the horrors of the Holocaust, but nobody will ever measure up to one of the most unforgettable true stories of the century: "Schindler's List".