Schindler's List

Schindler’s List is one of the most impressive movies, I’ve ever watched. It is a true story of Oskar Schindler, a Czechoslovakian / German factory owner whose heroic efforts rescued over 1100 Jews from certain death during the period of Holocaust. This is an epic drama of World War II holocaust survivors and the man who unexpectedly came to be their savior. It’s a truly endearing film.

The main character Schindler was truly a hero but a very different one, not the stereotypical idealistic saint types. He was a shrewd businessman, a war profiteer and womanizer who used Polish Jews as cheap labor to produce cookware for his factory. But after witnessing the violent and dreaded acts of Nazis done to these Jews, Schindler slowly begins to realize the immense evil of Nazism. He ultimately saves the lives of these 1100 Jews after getting them released from the camp and brought to his ammunitions factory in Czechoslovakia.

Liam Neeson displayed a brilliant acting performance embodying Oskar Schindler through all his acts and made us feel how mysterious Schindler was. A greedy, corrupted man who never had enough drinking, gambling and womanizing, a flawed man suddenly risks everything he had to save some of the people whom everyone around him regarded inferior. The actor from ‘The English Patient’ (not remembering his name…) was terrifyingly convincing as a sinner evil and dumb Nazi officer, abusing his power and killing people for no reason. Another actor worth a mention here is Ben Kingsley. I don’t know how Mahatma Gandhi looked like but for me, whenever I hear the word Gandhi, the man that comes to my mind is Ben Kingsley. Kingsley did a splendid job in this movie too. If Oskar was the main hero hero then definitely accountant stern was the main side hero:-).


The film takes us through what the victims have gone through during holocaust. They were robbed, abused, made slaves and even separated from their relatives and friends, beaten and even horribly killed for no reason. Movie describes all this flawlessly. It doesn’t blur the horror of these events, but also doesn't go too far and become exploitative either. Black and White photography of the film provided the full effect of the Holocaust: utter depression and hopelessness. The film is very depressing to watch but still the film manages to compel your interest. The film lasts more than three hours, but it never seems long: it always mesmerizes.

"Schindler's List" is a must-see masterpiece. It is a true dramatic classic, capable of touching hearts of one and all. This movie definitely made me realize that Steven Spielberg is a true master director.

My Rating: 8.45/10
Entertainment Value: 85%