There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest. - Elie Wiesel
The Film
Much has been written over the years about Steven Spielberg's Schindler's List and it is almost pointless to try to analyze the film in the same manner in which we usually deal with films here. As the grandson of Holocaust survivors, I have struggled for years with this film and how it affected me. On a purely cinematic level; production values, scale, mainstream success, it clearly stands alone. From the perspective of content, I do think that more powerful films about the Holocaust exist; Shoah, Au Revoir, Les Enfants, and an entire library of Russian, Israeli, and Polish films that most people in North America have never seen.
As someone who grew up with the Holocaust; it was the number one topic of conversation around the dinner table in my home for the first eighteen years of my life, I could barely contain my emotions as I stuggled through this emotionally draining film and I must confess that the experience wasn't very pleasant. Having seen and heard enough, I visited Poland in 1995 and walked through what remains of Auschwitz, Majdanek, Birkenau, and the Warsaw Ghetto. I actually visited Oskar Schindler's factory; which ironically at the time was a televison plant. Experiencing the Holocaust on that level was far more intense than any film could ever be; it's hard to come to grips with the idea that 200 members of your own family died in the camps and that the ultimate miracle is that my grandparents survived so that I could exist.
Schindler's List was also important because it dealt with the historical truth that was the righteous Gentile. Schindler may not have been a Jew but he did more than most at a time when the world either chose to close it eyes or willingly participated in the slaughter of six million Jews.
The film is difficult to watch and certainly not for children to view unless they are extremely mature and one is able to put the events unfolding on screen into some form of historical context. Films try hard to replicate real events and while not the absolute last word on the topic, Schindler's List preserves the memory of the dead and presents the Nazis for what they were with utmost clarity.
The Picture
Film grain is beautifully preserved and there is not a speck of dirt or noise to be found on the print. It's not completely flawless, but as close as a film can come. The image is sharp and detail levels are utterly impressive and you would have to be anal retentive to a nauseating level to find fault with this transfer.
Because Schindler's List is not a film that one would normally watch over and over again, it may be worth the effort to watch it on the biggest screen you have access to. Either in your own home or with a friend who has a projector/screen set-up. The film loses a lot of its power on a 40" HDTV versus a 102" screen; it doesn't have the same visceral or emotional impact.
The Sound
Steven Spielberg not only supervised the visual aspect of the transfer but the audio as well and it is distinctly possible that he did an even better job because the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix is as powerful at home (depending on your system, of course) as it was in the theater in 1993. Dialogue is central to this story and it gets pushed to the forefront with a strong midrange and excellent clarity; you can hear every last detail: the hushed whispers of children hiding from the Nazis, the cries of terror as people are murdered, the clanging of metal in the factory.
The surround channels complete the picture, completely immersing one in the despair and misery that was Nazi-occupied Europe. If you can hear all of it over your sobbing, you'll understand what I'm taking about. John Williams' hanting and powerful score tie it all together making it one of the most impressive surround presentations you might ever listen to.
The Extras
The bonus material is where some people are going to have an issue and I'm going to side with Spielberg on this one. If you were expecting ten hours of Holocaust documentaries and hours of interviews with Liam Neeson, Ben Kingsley, and Ralph Fiennes, you are going to be extremely disappointed. There are only 3 bonus features including the powerful Voices from the List documentary. The "less is more" approach here works for the following reason; after 196 minutes of this film, you're a sadist if you want to sit and watch another day's worth of torment. The film doesn't need the additional material to have greater impact.
Final Thoughts
Very few films achieve a level of importance that they become the definitive word on a topic and while Schindler's List is not in my opinon, the last word on the Holocaust, it sets the bar very high. Emotionally harrowing, beautifully written and acted, it deserves its special place in history as a testament to those who died from those who lived. Quite possibly, the most important film you will ever own.
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