 "A must see. Fabulous Movie" | 2009-10-30 |
| - Reviewed By ghereford2 |
| This is a film that will move you. It draws you in to the action on the screen so that you feel the emotions and the terror of the events unfolding before you. The opening music is hauntinglty beautiful. The story is heartbreaking and joyful. It shows you that one person can make a difference. And shows you the monstrosity of one man (Hitler) as well. The Voices From the List on the collector's edition is worth the cost of the DVD. These are survivors who worked in Schindler's factory. A first person account of what they witnessed. |
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| "A heartwrenching tale" | 2009-10-27 |
| - Reviewed By User: AM5V9WYP9O4YQ |
SPOILER ALERT - Don't read this if you don't want any spoilers!
This movie starts with a member of the SS party named Oskar Shindler. He has one purpose in life and that is to live richly. He takes advantage of the Jews lot in life under German rule to open a manufacturing facility.
This movie leaves nothing to the imagination and I suspect that is the way director Steven Spielberg wanted it. You see the coldness of it all. A man, and worker for Shindler, is shot in the head for having one arm. Shindler thinks of this more as a business man one worker lost and therefore one more to hire and train. It isn't until his workers are all driven to concentration camps that the reality of what is happening to the Jews really strikes Oskar.
The SS in this movie appear to have no heart. They don't view Jews as humans but rather as rodents. They think nothing of killing them, even the children. In the camps the Jews are humiliated by beatings and forced public nudity. They are shot "arbitrarily" as Oskar puts it. Such awful scenes led "some Jews to complain to God in anguish" (Fisher 275). Many Jews continued to hope for better times just as occured for the biblical Job. God allowed Satan to take everything from him, but he was rewarded for his suffering when God replaced everything. Their enduring hope was shown in the Jewish prayer recited in the beginning and end of the movie.
Throughout the movie Shindler moves to protect "his" Jews by listing them as "necessary workers". He tries through reasoning and cunning to save as many lives as possible even putting himself in harms way to do so. In the end Shindler saves 1000 Jews by enlisting them as workers. He allows and encourages them to engage in thier religious celebrations including allowing them to leave their jobs early on Friday to prepare for Passover. Passover is the Jewish Sabbath taking place "from sunset Friday night to sunset Saturday night, because the Jewish "day" begins with nightfall" (Fisher 277). Oskar's actions toward the end of this film show that some SS members did have a heart and that not all hopeful Jews would be let down.
Works Cited:
Fisher, Mary Pat. Living Religions (7th Edition). Alexandria, VA: Prentice Hall, 2007.
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| "Schinlder's List. A Collaborative Effort." | 2009-09-12 |
| - Reviewed By User: A39EXH9JJAI80R |
Sometimes, what is sinful is not called a crime, and what is called
a crime is not a sin.
The rule of law implies the rule of force. Anti-semitism was lawful
in Nazi Germany. What is referred to as "the law" by the world, is
of men and not of God. And what the Bible says is The Law, the
world calls religion.
Religion is a word which appears in the Bible (KJV), and given
the context in which that word appears, we see that religion is
"how you choose to live": See, James 1:27, KJV.
John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the first Catholic President of the
United States, won a Pulitzer prize for his book, Profiles in
Courage, about politicians who refused to govern according to
a barometer called 'public opinion' but by the values they held
to be true. He also wrote another book titled, Why England Slept.
JFK is quoted to have said, Some see things the way they are
and ask, Why?, but I like to dream of the way things might have
been and ask, Why not?
Why did Catholic Germany sleep in the midst of Nazi Germany?
Were they told to just follow orders, and obey the ordinances?
Do not confuse legality with morality.
Sometimes, you have to break the law in order to do the right thing.
See, 1 Peter 2:20, KJV.
Oscar Schindler committed accounting fraud in order to save life.
All things are possible with God, so maybe the numbers a person
writes in a spreadsheet are true? What is a USEFUL falsehood?
Call not a USEFUL falsehood a lie, for Truth is in Love, and Love is
in Truth. Also, do you see a spreadsheet, or an example of abstract
art? Can a barcode be a tattoo, or vice-versa? Do not look upon
another as a resource to consume upon your carnal lusts, like a
cheeseburger.
You decide for yourself what is right, and what is wrong, but will
you decide correctly? Some seem to think that HONESTY means
getting the accounts to balance. No, honesty means saying what
you believe to be true. A person can be honest, but say that which
is false. Do not science teachers claim, honestly, that the earth is
a planet? It is relatively flat, with hills and valleys. Heaven is above,
hell is below, and the news stories concerning the lunar landing
and telecommunication satellites in a geosynchronous orbit, amount
to creative fiction. But what is called, anti-semitism, is a sad reality.
A lie is when you believe one thing, but say another. Who has been
made perfect in love? The Word of God is Truth. Be honest, but tell
the truth. Or don't speak at all. Will you trust in arithmetic? Jesus
fed five thousand people with five loaves of bread and two fish.
Those were the numbers, 5, 2, and 5,000. But will you trust in
physics? For all things are possible with God. God is Love. You
need BOTH Truth AND Love.
I think every household in North America, and the rest of the English
speaking world ought to have a copy of this dvd, 'Schindler's List',
lest we forget. Of course, "willingness to pay" and "ability to pay" are
not the same thing. Which is what somebody tries to explain to Oscar
Schindler who is grief-stricken by the thought of maybe he did not
do enough, was not able to do more, because of a lack of funds.
Trust not in earthly riches. Or as others have said, It's the thought
(read, feeling) that counts. For that feeling is like a prayer. God can
do the rest. Imagine, what might a tree with beautiful thoughts and
feelings look like? For it is written in the Law of Moses that a tree that
bares fruit is not to be chopped down.
You need both Faith and Love. Trust not in earthly riches. Trust not
in coins, or bullets. For money might be refused, and bullets might not
hit their target. Coins, like bullets, are useful, but not needful. Like silver
bullets used to keep werewolves away, If you spend wisely, you might
be given more. Five loaves and two fish. Faith requires work, it seems.
Otherwise, everybody would be a tree, and not have to do anything but
pray. For example, why bother eating, for by faith hunger would no longer
exist? For God does not need man in order to get things done upon the
earth, but man is asked to participate, in order that he might learn how to
love. God is Love. And so people age, get sick, are weak, need help, or
are made strong, beautiful, or talented, so that they might lead. It is very
much like a dance. Choose wisely, your partner. To fall in love, per
chance, to stay. If everybody was the same, how would any know what
this means?: Thou shalt not covet. Do not confuse envy with jealousy.
For jealousy is about relationships, and envy is about earthly things,
such as a promotion to a higher rank.
One of the saddest things about this movie was seeing relationships
put on hold. Instead of "falling in love" and "raising children", many
are just trying to stay alive. Yet, even in that tribulation, they were
still being asked to do the same thing: To discern between good and
bad, and do the right thing. You will decide what is right and wrong
based on what you believe is good and bad. Consider then, what
might have been, and ask, why not. |
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| "Excellent Movie! Great DVD! One of the Best Ever Films!" | 2009-07-28 |
| - Reviewed By fredster5 |
It's amazing a film on this subject of the brutality of the Nazi regime took this long to be showcased as an epic Hollywood movie. Thankfully though it has been made before the last surviving victims/witnesses have gone on to the after life. Just think how much more disturbingly graphic this film would be if it wasn't shot in black and white! Irrespective of just how "accurate" the depiction of the true nature of Oskar Schindler is this historical film gives us an insight into just how evil racism is and how incredibly barbaric "people" can be to their fellow humans. There are so many great and memorable scenes that I don't know where to start although the scene with the girl in red and the subsequent scene with her on the cart was extremely touching indeed.
This is by far Spielberg's masterpiece and is certainly one of the best ever films. This dvd version is also very well put together in a slim digipak with interviews and a documentary on the b-side in addition to the continuation of the main course from side a. The picture quality is very, very good and so is the sound quality which I watched using the DTS channel.
Highly recommended for fans of great historical epics and essential for any film buff's dvd library. |
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 "Good, But Almost Borders on Self Gratification" | 2009-07-20 |
| - Reviewed By mwarren122 |
My initial resentment to this movie at first really did come from a couple of negative preconceptions, namely the fact that this movie was probably a critically fellated piece of junk, and the fact that it's directed by Stephen Spielberg, a director who, while worth respecting, backs up mostly movies that lean toward the sentimental, such as the incredibly overrated ET, or goofy, fantasy movies like Jurassic Park and Jaws (which are both good, don't get me wrong, but hardly classics). Heck, I almost agreed with the lunatic Ray Carney, who said List was his "please take me seriously movie". Still, while Schindler's List has it's problems, and it's not really a movie that holds up to multiple viewings (seeing it once was enough as I feel no desire to go back to it again), It's still a very fine piece of filmmaking and movie storytelling (for the most part) alike.
Making a movie about the Holocaust takes special care in the right hands only, and Spielberg probably was the most obvious choice. The story is really not all that complicated, though it can sometimes become confusing if (which is the viewers fault) you have no knowledge of the background. Fortunantely, the characters are doing things at every turn, so the movie movies along at a good pace. Character development is great, and the characters themselves are also great (great explanations!!!!!!!!).
However though, I think the film making is what makes Schindler's List great as well. Shooting the movie in black and white, for starters, is ace. Pretty much everything I associate with regarding the Holocaust is black and white, and Spielberg read my mind with that one. I just couldn't imagine this movie in color. The sets are realisticly shot in Poland, and quite beautiful in all of it's grimy glory. For what's it worth's, the deaths are greatly realistic as well. The acting is great, and Spielberg is great behind the camera. An example would be that back shot of Schindler holding a smoky cigarrete. Even better, the melancholy score that backs up . WHen watching Schindler's List, before you watch it, you are transported to Poland with no difficulty
However, I still can't get over the notion that Spieberg, a jew, made this for his own gratification. That's good in a sense; after all movies are an art, and art should be self expression and not made to please everybody else. But when your talking about the Holocaust, the fact he's gratifying the tragedy of only the jews pisses me off. That's evident when he adds that annoying tag line at the end, in memory of only the jews. What about the rest of the people that died? Heck, did you hear about the aftermath of the sea water experiment? The Romas were actually licking up mopped floors for fresh water for christ sakes! That, coupled with the once only view, makes Schindler's List only get three stars from me. Also, the pace of this movie is sometimes confusing as well, jumping all over the place, but that can be easily solved with Tim Dirks amazingly good synopis on Filmsite (great site, by the way).
I really do hate to be so harsh on this movie, but I still recommend watching it anyway. I wanted to watch it (even though I was aware I would only watch it once) anyway, and see for yourself what you think of Schindler's List. Certainly, though, at least Spielberg handles the situation with care, which can't be said for some of his movies. (PS Ray Carney is an idiot). Recommended viewing.
C+ |
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 "GREAT MOVIE BUT PURE FICTION" | 2009-07-17 |
| - Reviewed By User: A3HI609MQQJNBJ |
AS MOST I WATCHED THIS MOVIE AND SHED A TEAR.......... BUT AS I READ UP ON WW2 AND SCHINDLER , I FOUND OUT THE MOVIE WAS PURE FICTION.
IT IS AN AMAZING MOVIE, BUT IT IS NOT CLOSE TO FACT IN ANYWAY, AND HOPE PEOPLE WHO WATCH IT OR WATCHED IT RESEARCH IT AND FIND OUT THE TRUTH ABOUT THE STORY.
I AM NO RACIST , NO LOON JUST A WW2 BUFF . AND AFTER WATCHING THIS MOVIE MAYBE 10 TIMES I RESEARCHED SCHINDLER AND THE MOVIE AND FOUND OUT IT WAS FICTION. SURE THE NAZIS DID SOME OF THAT STUFF, BUT THE MOVIE GOES OVER THE TOP AND IS PROPOGANDA AGAINST GERMAN PEOPLE.
MY 4 NEPHEWS ARE JEWISH AND I WILL BE SURE TO LET THEM WATCH IT AND MAKE SURE THEY KNOW ITS FICTION AND LET THEM RESEARCH IT THEMSELVES.
BUT AS A MOVIE IT IS A GREAT PEICE OF FICTION, JUST FELT LET DOWN AFTER 5 OR SO YEARS OF BELEIVING THE STORY THAT IS WAS MADE UP.
RESEARCH THE SUBJECT BEFORE U CALL ME NAMES OR MAKE UNEDUCATED STATEMENTS.
TY |
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