left me speechless....

Rating: 10/10 (21 August 2001)

After having finally seen 'Schindlers List', I can say that it is an absolutely fantastic and emotional experience. When I was finished watching the film I was left completely speechless. I couldn't actually find the words to describe it. I'll give it a try now.
On technical aspects of the movie, everything was solid. It was a very beautiful film to look at. Shot in black and white, there was very little color, except at the very end of the movie. Also, a little color is inserted into the film highlighting the often mentioned girl in the red dress. It is a beautiful scene, but I am a little unclear as what the symbolism of it actually was. Even being unclear about it, one theory I saw was that it highlighted her as an individual, and in doing so it creates and individual story, showing that every person there was an individual in and of themselves. I'm not sure if that is true, but it makes sense. I often found myself wondering about her fate, so my theory is that Spielberg gave us a person to wonder about, if they had lived or died. Then we may feel like all the Jewish families who were not positive of the fate of there loved ones until much later on.
There are way too many powerful, and at times sad and disturbing scenes to talk about right now. Of these scenes, there is the all to disturbing liquidation of the ghetto. The forced labour camp scenes as well were very disturbing. They were mostly disturbing because of the head of the camps, Amon Goeth, a very ruthless and awful human being that just seems to shoot people for fun. Just because. And its disturbing to watch the disregard with which he does it.
Amon Goeth was played disturbingly by Ralph Fiennes, who should have won an Oscar, but thats neither here nor there. He was some absolutley disturbing scenes that are just brilliantly played out. I can point out a few, for instance a scene when he is talking with his Jewish servant(I will not tell you about what)and he does the whole conversation himself. Watching him just change his tone, psychologically, in a matter of seconds is amazing. Another I remember, is one when he is going to shoot a Jew in the back of the head, and his gun won't work. Its just a terrifying scene in many ways, but Fiennes plays it in such a way that you can tell he has no morals or cares for Jews, but a blood lust. Other than that though, his stare, his evil stare showed nothing but hatred, and I don't know how Fiennes did it, but it is a horribly evil stare. His eyes said everything. This was the highlight performance in the movie.
However, Liam Neeson and Ben Kingsley put together two great performances as well. What is amazing between these two is watching their relationship change throughout the movie, until Neeson(as Schindler) is repentent and changed, and really sad he didn't do more, as he felt he could have. Really, one of the most heart wrenching scenes in the film is when Schindler feels he could have done more and that he just didn't do enough. In the film he goes from an opportunist to a true hero, an unselfish one. The gift he gets from the Jews, and his embrace of Itzhak Stern(Kingsley)are truly wonderful and, apparently real moments. Its hard not to be touched.

Not surprisingly however, the direction was absolutely brilliant. Spielberg made a movie that was close to his heart and this was a labour of love, and it will stand as his masterpiece. You can always tell you are watching the hand of a master, and I knew that when I started this film, Spielberg was going to give me something special, and he did.

The only mild flaw, most people seem to think, is the small portion of the film at the end that is in color. It seems a little out of place, and that Spielberg added it on maybe for himself. And I think he should be allowed to do so after the three hours before hand that were extremely emotional. I didn't hate the very end like some people though, because to me it was a way to show us that this disaster, the Holocaust, happened only very recently, only fifty years ago(at the time this movie was released). The fact is that some people who lived through this tragedy are still alive, and Spielberg, I feel, uses the end of the film to bridge that generation gap and remind us how recently this all happened.
So finally, all I can say is wow. Not many movies has left me speechless. This was one of the most emotional films I may have ever seen, remembering that I ended up crying a bit in three different places. Usually I might cry once, but not three times. It is subject matter that isn't taken lightly, and shouldn't. Everything in its three hours are necessary and brilliant. Everyone should see this movie once, if for nothing else than an education. Just a brilliant film. 10 out of 10.