Hands down: one of the best films ever created in the history of world cinema. Schindler's List, from the many films that I have seen recently (I ask for some pardon for I have seen this film only until now), is that rare gem that had made its way and broke records to become a part of my all-time favorite list, and surely the kind of film too that would break anybody's all-time favourite list.
Compelling, brilliantly-crafted, an artistic powerhouse, probably the best film of the modern era, and a consistent knock-out... this is Steven Spielberg at his best, making him one of the greatest directors in the history of film. Just forget Jaws, E.T., Jurassic Park and all the recent crap he has made - Schindler's List is his masterpiece and will continue to astound humanity towards the next generation and so on. A kind of film that makes a life of a hardcore film geek incomplete if left unseen.
Based on the true story of Oskar Schindler, a German industrialist, who saved 1,100 Jews from the Holocaust, Schindler's List makes it more worthy to be seen, and deserved to be remembered by its good-natured, fine-hearted epic story of humanity at the centre of the wildest of storms. We are being told that this is a man who had seen justice and fought for it in his own quiet way, only to save more lives, spared more deaths, and fought against cruelty. He made his own difference to the world, but despite of that, he was not the perfect hero ideally speaking. That was how it strucked me, that even the baddest of guys, there is always a good core at the centre. Yet Schindler was not bad - in fact, he was bad in his own ways. He was a womanizer, he brags, he's a gambler, a drinker, and he is ambitious, very ambitious, very greedy for money and position. But yet, he saw his destiny in his own eyes, having seen so many humans struggle while he breathes lavish air in his own luxury.
Set in World War II, where Holocaust took place, where Jews were persecuted for no reason, where death was the commonest of all plagues, and where lives were claimed for no intention.
As an industrialist, he built a factory in the Nazi-occupied Poland, and as he was a member of the Nazi occupants, he had a high-ranking position in the socialites and does very well among the other staffs. Oskar is that tall man, who dresses expensively and captures ladies with his charm, and intimidates men with his astounding presence. He is cunning and spends his money like wasteland. The bottomline of all, he gets richer because he hires Jews as his workers in his factory, paying them very low wages yet getting severely great income from it. And when he sees them, the Jews, there was a feeling that there was a flicker in Schindler's eyes we have never seen before. This is a mystery that until now, we humans never solved. We never knew why Oskar became good-hearted, why he had helped the Jews, inspite of him being a German and a Nazi-occupant. I guess this is how mysterious man could be. Goodness is always mysterious, a thing that science could never predict.
Cinematography marks history in this film, and by choosing to shoot in black-and-white instead of the modern cinema technicolor, gives this film an important history and documentary feel. It was like Spielberg wanted to sit right beside us to tell a story in its very raw form, in the barest true kind of storytelling - that sometimes, it becomes frighteningly real and emotionally and forcefully heart-blowing. This is how Spielberg must be admired at this point; he forgets about budget, or box-office gross, but gives his audience the true kind of cinematography, the honest, most brutal way of filmmaking, the most emotionally touching bravura of images, and most of all, gives us the message that would resonate to all humanity.
If Spielberg had been Picasso, and he were to make an artwork - then Schindler's List would be his ultimate Guernica, Michelangelo to Pieta, Da Vinci to Mona Lisa.
The movie is 3 hours and 4 minutes long, and every second took my breath away. There were gazillions of scenes that would strike every heart of human beings, and the terrible images of Holocaust would reverberate, remind us how horrible it was to live in the past, especially if you were a Jew. One of the best scenes in the film was when Schindler dictates Izshtak Stern, portrayed brilliantly by Sir Ben Kingsley, the names of the Jews he wanted to save. Also, another dauntless scene involves Schindler scolding a military guard not to take the children away from their mothers. And who could forget the last sequence where Schindler blames himself for not saving more Jews, and counting his possessions, blaming himself for not totally emptying his fortune to save more lives - to where Mr. Stern gave him a ring that says, "Whoever saves one life, saves the world entire...", and Schindler replied, "I could have saved more lives...". We then saw the faces of the Jews, as the camera cranes around them, seeing their faces, telling that Schindler had indeed saved already enough lives to sustain the future generations. This is cinema. And this will remain to be the most brave, most powerful scenes ever captured in camera.
The performances were all landmark. Liam Neeson had once been a favourite actor and as I saw this, he had transformed to be one of the best actors today. His portrayal of Oskar Schindler was subtle, strong and bold. Probably his best performance ever. Sadly, he lost to Tom Hanks in the 1993 Best Actor snob for Hanks' role as the gay lawyer in Philadelphia. But now who cares, Schindler's List remained to be one of history's most honoured film up to date. Ralph Fiennes as the cold and heartless Nazi commander Amon Goeth was strikingly atrocious and stunning as well. His contemptible character brings the very nature of evil in the most evil of situations, especially that scene where he hangs around in his veranda with his rifle, shooting Jews for exercise. Amon Goeth and Oskar Schindler are two very familiar elements in our daily lives - evil and good altogether.
We knew by then what the film wanted to tell us, that it is unnecessary to do such good thing everyday but more necessary to do good things in the heart of dark events. And I do not mean we should not do good everyday. In fact we should, in our own little ways. Schindler did one thing most men could not do, to stand and make a difference when every other men were incapable of doing something. He sold his fortune, he lost his money due to bribery of his officials, in order to save more lives. We can all be Schindler, all we have to do is look deep inside us, and find that inner goodness I once talked about, no matter how evil we are on the outside, there's always a Schindler within us all. In the heart of almost 6 millions Jews that were killed, Schindler saved 1,100 and now, the new generation totaled up to 6,000. What difference had he made? Quite astounding.
This is a film with a great, majestic impact to us all. This is a film about humanity - it could make you feel terrible, it could make you cry, it could make you become scared - not because of what we have seen, but because of our selves. It is because we knew there's always a Schindler in us but we don't have enough courage to bring it out. But when we do, this would be the very thing that would define each and everyone of us.

Rating: A+