Schindler's List - Movie Review Example

Schindler’s List Step Steven Spielberg’s American biographical drama film, Schindler's List demonstrates the story of Oskar Schindler, a German business man who saved the life of many Jewish soldiers. Through employing his company, Schindler saved more than thousand Polish-Jewish refugees during Holocaust in Second World War. Steven Spielberg developed the movie based on the novel ‘Schindler’s Ark’ by Thomas Keneally. The film begins in the year 1939; a short time after the beginning of World War.

Majority of the events in the film are taking place in German initiate location named Krakow Ghetto, Poland. Events of the film are developed through the character of Oskar Schindler, a German businessman. From the beginning, Schindler is presented as a money making man who support Nazi Party and acts indifferent towards the afflictions of Jewish people. The event of Operation Reinhard in Krakow under the control of Amon Goeth affects Schindle’s mind deeply. As a result of this many Jews were transformed to force Labor camps, others were killed or shipped away.

Killing of Jewish people in Nazi camps haunted Schindler’s mind and his mind undergoes some changes. He decided to save Jewish people through employing his company. Through his relationship with Amon Goeth, Schindler secretly recruits Jews and saves men, women, and children from death. The film keeps its difference from other war movies through its fact-based images. Its realistic presentation, especially the murder scenes force the viewers to the world of pity and fear. As Yosefa Loshitzky comments; “Schindler’s List was evaluated in conjunction with only a certain type of image-a fact-based one that differed from earlier Speilberg productions” (Loshitzky, 27).

The film makes available the realistic picture of human lust, greed, envy, anger, helplessness, and empathy and love. The film won box office success as well as academic awards including best film, best director and best original score. It is significant for a reader to find that Spielberg made this film without big stars and without excessive sentiments. Stars like Liam Neemson, Ralf Fiennes and Ben Kingsley ensure their brilliant performance without the burden of stardom. Janusz Kaminski explores his craftsmanship as director of photography.

His visuals help the viewer to acquire realistic experience. Step-2 Oskar Schindler is portrayed as the central character in Spielberg’s movie Schindler's List. He was a successful businessman, womanizer and Nazi Party member who becomes the dubious hero and a savior of thousand Polish Jews. The man buys a Jewish owned enamelware factory and uses bribery and ingratiation to obtain military contracts. In the initial stage, he appears as an indifferent person who concentrates only in money making.

He lives with supreme ego and cheats his wife and joins the Nazi movement not for ideological perceptive but for making money. Viewer can feel a significant change in Schindler’s nature in the second half of the film. Here Schindler’s self-centered and money making attitude undergoes a change that prompts him to spend his money to save the lives of wretched Jews. Schindler’s attitudinal changes from a man of indifference to one of compassion take place slowly over number of important scenes.

The metamorphosis of the protagonist is considered as one of the greatest elements of the movie and viewer can find the craftsmanship through the character of Schindler. Liam Neeson portrays the character of Schindler and his magnificent and natural performance give a realistic touch. Schidler’s attitude towards the Jewish accountant Itzhak Stern plays a vital role in his transformation. Schindler’s experience at the Krakow ghetto evacuation, when he sees the little girl in the red coat is specifically notable as it provides him new insights.

Spielberg never permits the viewer to comprehend the character of Schindler in the film Schindler's List, his intentions and motivations as ambiguous. However, the film depicts Schindler as a man bestowed with humanitarian feelings, which cannot sit by and look people he knew, be sent to passing away. Work Cited: Loshitzky, Yosefa. Spielberg's Holocaust: critical perspectives on Schindler's list. Indiana University Press, 1997. Print.