Filmmakers have looked at the Jewish Holocaust from a variety of angles. Different films that examined it through the eyes of children. Some have focused on specific regions. Others have highlighted individuals who went to great lengths to help the Jews. A well done movie on the subject always has a strong effect on me. Not solely because of the horrific events or troubling images recreated on screen. It’s the fact that they deal with a very real and devastating time in human history. The Nazi slaughter of six million Jews marks one of the world’s darkest times. But it’s also a period that should never be forgotten and thoughtful movies can help ensure that we remember.

Several movies have done a superb job responsibly depicting the Holocaust. Among the very best is Steven Spielberg’s “Schindler’s List”. Released 30 years ago, it has had the strongest impact on me personally. I recently revisited the film after putting it off for many years. That’s because it’s not an easy movie to watch. It features some of the most realistic and graphic depictions of Nazi violence towards Jews and doesn’t shy away from presenting it in crushing detail. From their initial relocation to Krakow’s Jewish Ghetto to their brutal and deadly time spent in the Nazi extermination camps, we see the Jews experience cruelty and brutality made all the more disturbing by its roots in reality.

The Jewish plight is brilliantly and cleverly realized through the true story of Oskar Schindler. Schindler (brilliantly played by Liam Neeson) is a German businessman who arrives in occupied Krakow in hopes of making a load of money exploiting the war. At first Schindler is a self-absorbed, money-hungry man who quickly finds acceptance by kissing up to an assortment of high-ranking German SS officers. Through bribes and his Nazi Party membership, Schindler obtains several contracts to make metal pots and pans for the German soldiers in the field.

To secure even more money for himself Schindler brings in a Jewish workforce whose labor is considerably cheaper than the local Catholic Poles. To keep his fledgling company up and going he hires Itzhak Stern (Ben Kingsley), an accomplished Jewish accountant and highly regarded member of the Jewish community. It’s through this key relationship that Schindler’s perceptions begin to change.

Coinciding with the arrival of SS Officer Amon Goeth (a truly sinister Ralph Fiennes) to the Plaszow concentration camp, the Germans raid and empty the Krakow Ghetto, slaughtering hundreds of Jews in the streets and shipping the rest to the camp. As Schindler witnesses the atrocities he’s deeply troubled and an internal conflict forms between his desire for a money-making business and his growing affection for his Jewish workers. He’s tempted to take his money and leave the city. Instead he sets out to use his fortune to save his workers and as many other Jews as he can. But to do so he’ll have to get close to high-ranking Nazi’s like Goeth which is no easy task.

The story of Oskar Schindler and his personal transformation is quite powerful. Neeson’s Schindler is a confident and looming opportunist. Even Spielberg’s camera makes him stand head and shoulders above so many of the people he encounters. Particularly stirring is the relationship between Schindler and Stern. Initially the two are strictly business with neither liking or trusting the other. But as mentioned it’s their growing friendship that plays a pivotal role in Schindler’s transformation. Neeson and Kingsley are terrific together.

Then there’s Fiennes and his stunning work as Goeth, a sick and twisted personification of evil. While Schindler finds ways to manipulate Goeth, his inherent wickedness is ever-present and manifested through some of the movie’s more disturbing scenes. What makes the character more terrifying is that Spielberg doesn’t stray too far away in his portrayal of the real Amon Goeth. He was a sadistic cold-hearted murderer who is killed countless Jews himself, not counting the thousands he ordered to be executed. Several scenes emphasize Goeth’s savage tendencies including his sick penchant for sniping Jewish workers from the terrace of his château overlooking the camp.

“Schindler’s List” was a technical achievement. Spielberg’s choice to shoot in black-and-white along with the hand-held camerawork and strategically set wide-angled shots adds to the authenticity and at times has a near documentary feel. The movie is also helped by being filmed on or near the locations of the actual events. Spielberg’s desire for realism really pays off and the locations were a big part of it. But that same desire for realism also made filming difficult for the director. It’s been said he cried repeatedly during the filming and there were certain scenes he literally couldn’t watch.

“Schindler’s List” is a great movie yet understandably hard to watch. It’s disturbing and emotionally draining. But it’s also a film of immense power and deep sincerity. It’s a visually stunning work that forces us to deal these horrific historical events. It’s also a story of a man’s incredible transformation. The movie has stood the test of time in large part thanks to Spielberg’s personal connection. It seeps into every facet of the film, moving us, informing us, and reminding us of a time we should never forget and of events we should never repeat.

VERDICT – 5 STARS