Steven Spielberg’s WWII drama is his crowning achievement

It can be argued that Steven Spielberg is the greatest American director of all time. Fifty-year careers don’t happen often in Hollywood, especially for directors, and Schindler’s List is, without a doubt, his glorious achievement. Oskar Schindler’s story is as complicated as it is fascinating and Steve Zaillian’s screenplay, adapted from Thomas Keneally’s book, tells the story in a way that WWII films have never done before.

Schindler, played by Liam Neeson, is an ambitious Nazi who considers himself more of a businessman. He intimidates Itzhak Stern (Ben Kingsley) into recruiting other Jews for a business proposal. They will give him what he needs and will be paid in goods, not money. Having no choice, some join together and Stern realizes he can use this to his advantage. As the Nazis advanced, they began to separate Jews based on “non-essential” and “essential” designations, which were subject to physical prejudice, and anyone deemed non-essential was expelled. As Schindler’s company grows, so do his people. Stern uses this to get non-essential Jews a job and keep them out of harm’s way.

Schindler’s List Stands Out From Other World War II Films

The most ingenious part about Schindler’s List It’s the story he chooses to tell. World War II is one of the most popular subgenres in cinema history. Approaching it from a business perspective gives the film the energy of a heist or coup – at least at the beginning – and that’s a great hook for a three hour and fifteen minute film about one of humanity’s greatest tragedies.

Zaillian’s script is careful not to create light, but to make space for light. Even in the second half of the film, when any sense of caper is lost and it’s really just a film about the Holocaust, there’s a funny moment with Ralph Fiennes’ Amon Goeth’s gun not firing. What makes the film so visceral is that it shows both humanity and inhumanity. It’s not easy to get through because of the subject matter, but it’s no less powerful.

The actors’ performances are some of the best Spielberg has ever imagined, and the soundtrack is devastatingly glorious. But the real star of the show is the photography. Cinematographer Janusz Kaminski has worked with Speilberg on countless projects, but his work here is simply perfect.

For a film made in the 90s, the film stock is so faithful that you might think it was made in the 50s or 60s. When we see films used today to imitate past decades, it can certainly work, but Schnidler’s List It feels like a film that would have been made about the same subject at the same time. The immersive nature extends to the lighting, which uses shadow to show the plight of the Jewish people and bright light on the gods the Nazis consider themselves to be.

Although so many war films are full of action and focus a lot on it, Schindler’s List no. There is a shootout in it, and that shootout is explicitly tragic. The framing of these scenes conveys so much emotion that when you finally rest for a moment and watch the characters pray, it feels like a truly spiritual experience.

Schnidler’s List does what so many WWII films struggle to do: be extraordinary. It’s also extraordinarily long, but that doesn’t hinder the film in any way. Kaminski’s attention to detail combined with Spielberg’s vision for the film make it a unique watch that stands the test of time. It’s almost unheard of for someone to make a film about their oppressors and how they become better people than when the film started. It’s an act of courage that gives us a near-perfect masterpiece of cinema.

Schindler’s List is 195 minutes long and is rated R for language, some sexuality and topical violence.