Schindler's List (1993)

In Poland during World War II, Oskar Schindler gradually becomes concerned for his Jewish workforce after witnessing their persecution by the Nazis.

Director:

Steven Spielberg

Writers:

Thomas Keneally (book), Steven Zaillian (screenplay)

Stars:

Liam Neeson, Ben Kingsley, Ralph Fiennes

Top 250 #8 | Won 7 Oscars. Another 70 wins & 24 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Liam Neeson	...	Oskar Schindler
Ben Kingsley	...	Itzhak Stern
Ralph Fiennes	...	Amon Goeth
Caroline Goodall	...	Emilie Schindler
Jonathan Sagall	...	Poldek Pfefferberg (as Jonathan Sagalle)
Embeth Davidtz	...	Helen Hirsch
Malgorzata Gebel	...	Wiktoria Klonowska (as Malgoscha Gebel)
Shmuel Levy	...	Wilek Chilowicz (as Shmulik Levy)
Mark Ivanir	...	Marcel Goldberg
Béatrice Macola	...	Ingrid (as Beatrice Macola)
Andrzej Seweryn	...	Julian Scherner
Friedrich von Thun	...	Rolf Czurda (as Friedrich Von Thun)
Krzysztof Luft	...	Herman Toffel
Harry Nehring	...	Leo John
Norbert Weisser	...	Albert Hujar

Storyline

Oskar Schindler is a vainglorious and greedy German businessman who becomes unlikely humanitarian amid the barbaric Nazi reign when he feels compelled to turn his factory into a refuge for Jews. Based on the true story of Oskar Schindler who managed to save about 1100 Jews from being gassed at the Auschwitz concentration camp. A testament for the good in all of us.

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Plot Keywords:

death | factory | nazi | holocaust | list | 

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Taglines:

Whoever saves one life, saves the world entire.

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | History | War

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language, some sexuality and actuality violence

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Universal / CAC [fr]

Country:

USA

Language:

English Hebrew German Polish

Release Date:

15 December 1993 (USA)

Also Known As:

La lista de Schindler

Filming Locations:

Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp, Oswiecim, Malopolskie, Poland

Box Office

Budget:

$25,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£1,234,591 (UK) (4 March 1994)

Gross:

£16,439,233 (UK) (17 June 1994)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures, Amblin Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

195 min 185 min (TV)

Sound Mix:

DTS DTS-Stereo

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

According to Czech filmmaker Juraj Herz, the scene where a group of women confuse a shower for a gas chamber was taken direct from his own The Night Overtake Me shot for shot. Herz wanted to sue but he couldn't come up with the money to fund it.

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Goofs

When Oskar Schindler takes his meal he uses his fork with the right hand and his knife with the left. Not being left-handed this would be a very unusual thing for a German man to do. In fact, Germans and many Europeans do in fact cut their meat with their dominant hand, and do not rotate utensils. Rather the meat is eaten straight from the knife, so the way Schindler eats in that scene is technically culturally correct.

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Quotes

[first lines]
[a Hebrew prayer is chanted, followed by a flashback to 1940s Poland]
Krakow registrar: Name?

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Crazy Credits

Polish fonts were used in the credits sequence

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Connections

Referenced in Married with Children: Dial B for Virgin (1994)

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Soundtracks

"To ostatnia niedziela"
(uncredited)
Written by Jerzy Petersburski
Performed by Jacek Wójcicki

User Reviews

A film for all to see....and learn.

" I....pardon you."

These words spoken by Amon Goethe (Ralph Fiennes) during the film can be aptly used to signify the themes of this film: power and forgiveness.

I am part of the post war generation who has been lucky enough not to experience any major war. And after watching this film, I have deep respect and feelings for those who suffered during these times, be it the Holocaust or the Nam war. This film was just waiting to be made and I'm glad it was the right man who dared to take up the challenge. Any other person would not have done it justice.

The film focuses on how a German named Oskar Schindler saved the lives of thousands of Jews by employing them to work in his factory during WWII. However, I feel the film's primary aim is not to show us Schindler's kindness but the horrors of war. There are some of the most true and graphic scenes here ever captured on celluloid. People being shot for no particular reason, hiding in fear, stripped and gased, abused......so much so that viewers watching it for the 1st time will be deeply affected. We have never got to see this "flip side" of the war in many Hollywood productions which only focuses on action and their unrealistic "gung-ho" heroes. ( Another excellent film would be "Saving Pte Ryan" by Spielberg again ) War and its horrors are finally and faithfully recreated for the audience.

Like the film Raging Bull, its shot beautifully in black and white to reflect the era and tone of the film. Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes are excellent, esp the latter for his frightening protrayal of Amon Goethe. The scene where they discuss about power is a classic and the subsequent one where Amon 'pardons' a young jew remains as one of my many favs!