Schindler's List (Movie Review)

                                               “The list is life…”

See it in black and white. See the harrowing experience of the Jews during the Nazi colonization in Krakow, Poland. Young and old, women and children; no one was spared from the terror of the Nazi Army of Adolf Hitler. 

The war has brought the worst in everyone but one man chose to save the lives of many people during the dark moment of their lives. He was Oskar Schindler (Liam Neeson),  a businessman who chose to give salvation to those Jews who feared for their lives in the Nazi regime.  It was the height of the Nazi occupation where the army beat the Polish forces in just two weeks and the Jews were forced out of their homes to register and lived in settlement areas along with other families. It was then Schindler decided to open up business and took advantage on cheap labor he could get with the Jews. The war brought him lucrative income but the worst has yet to come as SS Lieutenant Amon Goeth (Ralph Fiennes) arrived in Krakow, Poland. Soon  the Jews were forced again to live out of the settlement areas and then come the life in the ghetto. Schindler saw the killings that took place and the streets were flooded in blood as the bodies filed up on the roads. People working at Schindler's factory found a haven as more lives were saved through his bribes and connection with SS officers. As the war takes it turn, the remaining Jews were going to be shift to Auschwitz concentration camp were most of the Jews met their death with what they call the "Final Solution". Then comes the Schindler's list which was the Jews ticket to salvation and had caused Schindler his fortune .Thus, comprise the 1,100 list of Schindler's Jews.

 

This 1993 classic Steven Spielberg won an Academy for Best Picture. In the year 1993, I was just starting my grade school and as I grow old I have know my history and the stories that revolved around the tormented innocent lives of the Jews during the World War II. A lot of times, I found myself looking away from the screen as the scene shows a soldier just shooting people like they were stray animals. Sir Liam Neeson had blown me away in this movie. He gave justice to the Schindler character perfectly. It was a poignant scene were Schindler cried in front of his Jews for he knew he could have save more lives. Ralph Fiennes was really scary as he plays the disturb lieutenant who just shoot Jews in his concentration camp as he wakes up in the morning. This movie was no doubt the Best Picture for the Academy, for it recounts the horror and suffering of a lot of innocent Jews. The movie also shows us that power is not about having the authority over a group of people and being able to implement the law. Power is having the courage to find in your heart and conscience to pardon the shortcomings of your people and be responsible for them. 

It would take a great power of courage to be like Schindler during those times but he did. Though he know he has nothing to do with those people he still chose to be right and take the daring move to save the lives of thousand Jews.

"Whoever saves one life, saves the world entire..."