One of the Best Films I've Seen

Rating: 10/10 (24 June 2007)

I've read a lot of the comments on this movie and while everyone is entitled to their opinion, it pained me to see that many people missed the point of the movie altogether. Many people have labeled this as a horrible movie simply because it was made by Spielberg. Others criticize the way he used Black and White film (with the exception of the Girl in the red coat) and still others claim that there was no Schindler.
Just because a movie is made by Spielberg, doesn't mean it's going to be trash. This has to be the first movie of his I've seen that I actually really learned something from and left me wanting to make the world a better place. Maybe that seems stupid to some people, but knowing what Schindler did makes me believe that maybe one day I can help someone too.
As for the black and white film, I think it fit beautifully. In the 30's and 40's there really wasn't a lot of color film used, especially for Journalism and the news. It fit with the time period very well. Also, the little girl in the red coat was a wonderfully sentimental touch. There actually was a little girl wearing a scarlet coat the day of the Karkow Liquidation that caught Schindler's eye and it completely disgusted him that people could commit such atrocities in front of a child. What happens later is symbolic of what was happening to the millions of people (Jewish, Gypsies, Homosexuals, etc.) and the fact that no one was standing up for them. The little girl and seeing her running through the crowd and what happens later helps to open up Schindler's eyes in the movie.
Many people here have claimed that the character of Oskar Schindler was completely fabricated so that Sielberg could get some money. Fortunately enough for those 1,200 people, there was a real Schindler and he really did help them. He wasn't the best of men and he certainly had his faults. He drank excessively, he was a renowned womanizer, he supported slave labor, and he was a member of the Nazi party. . . but despite all that, he still did something good for other people. Oh, and contrary to what some people have claimed, while Schindler did in fact make a fortune during the war, he spent practically all of it to save the Jewish workers. He lost everything he had gained during the war to save them.
Liam Neeson, I felt, did a great job portraying Schindler and Ralph Fiennes was brilliant as Amon Goeth. Fiennes in particular was rather frightening at how well he portrayed such a feared member of the Nazi party.
There is a lot of nudity in the movie. Some people complain about that, but honestly, what do you expect? Do you really think that the Nazis told them that they'd turn away while they got changed? No. The nudity in the film (as portrayed by the Jewish and other victims) was necessary because it helps to demonstrate exactly what these poor people had to endure.
In closing, don't listen to all the negative reviewers out there claiming it's bad because of nudity, Spielberg, or any other number of things. This is truly a movie that you can't judge until you've seen it for yourself.