As near perfect as anyone has been

Rating: 10/10 (17 May 1999)

An extremely difficult subject done to near perfection by a director no-one would previously have thought capable of this level of expression. All style choices complemented the subject matter perfectly, and the film veered away from the mawkish to leave real emotions. The colourised coat has been criticised, but there is really no other way to show the individual tragedies of the holocaust so well. Lifetime best performances are given by all of the leads, Neeson in particular giving a magnificent portrayal of Schindler's moral conversion. Spielberg uses the medium to the limit, to create a lasting and moving testament to those who died.