The Holocaust drama takes place
in Poland during WWII. It is about Oskar Schindler, a German businessman who
decides he is going to risk his life to save as many members of his Jewish
workforce as possible after witnessing the horrors committed on the Jewish
people by the Nazis.
Director Steven Spielberg won an Oscar
for his directorial work on the film, and while it was his fourth time being
nominated this win (followed by his win five years later for Saving Private Ryan) announced
him as Hollywood’s premier director. He was already the king of blockbusters,
but now he was also at the top of grand Hollywood style prestige drama as well.
Spielberg worked with his
frequent collaborators composer John
Williams (whose score
is beautiful, capturing the sadness and struggle) and cinematographer Janusz Kaminski (though, this
was Kaminski’s first time working with Spielberg – they have now made thirteen
films together) on the film, both of whom won Oscars as well. He also employed
Polish production designer Allan
Starski, who did fantastic work (winning an Oscar too – he later worked on Roman Polanski’s The
Pianist, returning to the genre).
The film has a great cast as
well, headlined by tremendous performances from Liam Neeson, Ben Kingsley, and Ralph Fiennes.
All together, the film won seven
Oscars including Best Picture on twelve nominations. However, what makes the
film a classic and one of the best from the 1990s is its humanity, amidst one
of the most tragic, heinous, and inhuman periods in history. There have since
been many fantastically made films focusing on the time period, but Schindler’s
List will remain maybe the most iconic. It is a must-see for fans of Spielberg
and excellent period dramas.
