To put it quite simply, there has never been a film so honest, so amazingly brutal, nor as emotionally impacting as Schindlers List. Like The Diary of Anne Frank (another amazing film) Schindlers List does the impossible by finding a story of good triumphing in a time of unspeakable evil. When we first meet Oskar Schindler, he is nothing more then an ambitious war profiteer and a friend of the Nazi party without truly believing in their principles. Over time, with the help of his jewish accountant, Izhtak Stern, Schinlder builds his business empire. At first he famous is apethetic to the events surrounding him, but, over time, develops a conscience and risks everything he owns for the greater cause, saving the lives of 1100 men, women, and children.
Liam Neeson’s portrayal of Schindler is easily one of the best performances by a male actor. Ben Kingsly plays Stern as a kind of world-weary Jiminy Cricket, eventually opening Schindlers eyes to the world around them. Rounding out the acting ensemble is Ralph Fiennes as Schindler’s “friend” Amon Goethe, a ruthless killer and devotee of the Nazi cause. Fiennes has the look of a man completly void of conscience, mercy, or anything in the way of human emotion.
Despite all of the wonderful performances this film has to offer, it’s Steven Spielberg who walks away with the most honors. His attention to detail really help people feel the senseless brutality of the Holocaust. The scene that sticks out (for me) is the shower scene. Having been “accidentally” shipped to Auchwitz instead of to Schindlers factory, a group of women are stripped, shaved, and herded into a group shower, not knowing if it will be poison gas or water they’ll be sprayed with. When I first watched this film, I was in my living room with my parents and my dog at my feet, but I felt as though I was about to be gassed myself. That’s how powerful this film is. All thanks to Spielberg.