Rating: 
Summary: for those who wasn't there
Review: before i got to see this movie, being an asian and being considerably young means that our corner of the world was not familiar with what happened in to our jewish brothers then. but after seeing this movie, and seeing a facsimile of what really transpired during world war 2, i have suddenly realized the real horror of war and hatred. this movie singlehandedly erased the so-called glory of war portrayed in the movies of the past, and turned a lot of people into thinking how ugly and inhuman war and prejudice really are. if this was spielberg's aim, to open our eyes to the reality that was the final solution and to a bigger picture the reality of man's brutality, then he has succeeded. this movie should be a standard in history classes!
Rating: 
Summary: Deserves its praise, in spite of some flaws
Review: This film is worthy of great praise for many reasons, though I have called it "almost great", and I stand by that. The film is vastly important - in spite of Steven Spielberg's nerve finally giving out in the last few minutes as he went for a dash of melodrama (Liam Neeson's Oskar Schindler weeping about his not sacrificing his car or his Nazi pin to save "just one more"). It's a long reverberating gong at the end of an otherwise stirring piece of symphonic music. What came before was so emotionally wrenching that it rendered the scene absolutely pointless. Though I'm certain this was not the intent, it actually seemed to me self-pitying. Schindler, by that time, should have been way beyond such a state. There was nothing left to do, dramatically speaking, but drive off in silence. Until that scene (a couple of small bits aside), Spielberg had resisted the temptation to "dramatize" and simply reported his story in an almost journalistic way, without flinching or stylizing it beyond the canny choice of shooting in black and white. The burst of actorish speechifying served to jolt us out of the immersive sense of hyper-realism and remind us that it was, after all, a movie. But, in the larger context, that is a minor point. What the film did successfully - and what nearly makes it a masterpiece - is vividly bring to life the most shameful event of the 20th century: the cold, systematic murder of six million people because of their ethnic and religious origin. It's an obscenity that such a thing ever happened, and the film makes that so clear that - for literally days after I saw it - I could not get that number out of my head: six million. The immensity of the Holocaust is almost unbearable, and if history books don't spell that out well enough, then films that tackle the subject need to. Schindler's List does so - with great passion and skill. Some people have described the film as "uplifting". That it tries to be is its other flaw. Make no mistake: what the real Oskar Schindler did was an act of unalloyed heroism. He deserves to be celebrated for that. But no one should leave this film feeling good, because his heroism should never have been necessary. Kurt Vonnegut wrote a great novel, in part autobiographical, that centered on the firebombing of Dresden. While no one could sanely accuse him of sympathizing with the Nazis, his book "Slaughterhouse-Five" succeeds in telling us something that we should never forget: while the fires that consumed Dresden may have contributed to ending the war and saving many lives, and while it may have even been necessary to incenerate tens of thousands of women and children in the process, the act itself is no less horrifying and barbaric. By the same token, the many acts of bravery and compassion on the part of military and civilian personnel alike (Schindler was not alone in saving lives), do nothing to mitigate the fact that World War II should never have happened in the first place. By treating war - ANY war - as an opportunity to celebrate our redemptive qualities, we run the risk of romanticising our destructive, evil qualities as well. To put it brutally, what Oskar Schindler did is what any human being should have done, anyway, given the circumstances. That more people did not is what we should really take from this film.
Rating:
Summary: The Ten-Year Wait Has Been Well Worth
Review: Let me tell you, never before have I been as mesmerized, touched, and enthralled by such a dramatic movie as this. Without a doubt there is no equal to Steven Spielberg in this day and age, and also no better acting talent than the ones assembled for the roles in "Schindler's List." Liam Neeson gives such a forcefully powerful role of the conflicted Oskar Schindler, with Ralph Fiennes as the even more emotional and captivating character in this film (that of Amon). Fine work is also turned out by renowned legend Sir Ben Kingsley, not to mention the other fantastic minor parts in the feature such as Caroline Goodall as Emilie. However, it goes without saying that this film's epic proportions would not have reached as high a stature without the enduring work and grueling hours of effort put in behind the scenes by the lesser known faces. One of these names includes the brilliant hand of writer Steve Zaillian, beautifully adapted the chilling Thomas Keneally novel for the big screen (not to mention picking up the kudos from Mr. Oscar). Then there's composer John Williams, a musical mastermind who's haunting yet irresistible score to this picture has added another cinematic achievement onto his shelf (which happens to include the scores to "Star Wars Trilogy," "Indiana Jones Trilogy," "ET," "Jaws," "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," "Superman," and many other timeless classics). Producers Branko Lustig and Gerald Molen may sound unfamiliar to many, but not if you read their credits which include their marvelous work on this film (these credits include "Rain Man," "The Color Purple," Gladiator," "Black Hawk Down,"Tootsie," and others). Other names for sure worthy of mention, and believe me I cannot name them all, include cinematographer Janusz Kaminski, editor Michael Kahn, chief casting director Juliet Taylor, production designer Allan Starski, set decorator Ewa Brau, costume designer Anna Sheppard, film distributors MCA/Universal and Amblin Entertainment, the Art, Makeup, Production, Directors, Sound, and Effects departments, and all the other individuals that made this award-winning drama possible.
To conclude this review, I'd just like to say that I've been waiting for over ten years to see this film released on the DVD format, so as to serve the purpose of restoring this gem of art to the level it deserves. Now that that time has come upon us, I have nothing left to say but........it was well worth the wait.
Rating:
Summary: finally a release date
Review: I have been waiting two years for Schlinder's List to be released. My VHS copy is a little worn. Some reviews say this is a movie to be viewed only once because of its subject matter. I personally think this movie should be shown in all middle school classrooms (along with Bowling for Columbine). If you are ever down or depressed about something, just watch this movie and all your problems will seem petty compared to what these brave souls endured. It really helps me/saddens me/humbles me to watch the movie and once viewed, it will never leave your mind.
Rating:
Summary: God bless the Jews
Review: I'm an American Christian who has been very slow to learn about the greatest tragedy of the twentieth century. I was too into myself before, and now that I know the whole story I am so appalled and so sickened. I know I'm going to come across as trite and petty whatever I say though. But I have to say... Where was my country then and where are they now? I am so ashamed of my country. God bless Israel.
Rating:
Summary: A Divine Film
Review: I consider Schindler's List to be the best film ever. It is an inspired work that I found to be touched by the hand of God. Despite the backdrop of the Holocaust, I was exhilerated rather than depressed by the experience. It is a triumphant story of good over evil. One reviewer lamented that this is not the type of film one would want to view more than once, so why buy the DVD? However, when this film was released, I watched it every weekend while it was in my local theater. Watching it again became the thing that I most wanted to do each weekend. I am thrilled that it is available on DVD. I hope one day that Spielberg will realize the importance for him to record commentaries for his films. This film certainly deserves one, but I am not holding my breath.
Rating:
Summary: Maybe this is a moot point.
Review: "Schindler's List" is, beyond question, one of the greatest motion pictures of all time. Profoundly sad and incredibly well-acted, it's the best Holocaust drama ever made, deserving of every accolade it's received since its release in 1994 - where it became a box-office hit despite its time length, black-and-white cinematography and bleak subject matter. I'm incredibly glad this is finally going to be released on DVD, and I would hope that it would be a staple of most serious filmgoers' collections. But there's something about "Schindler's List" that a friend of mine once pointed out to me. Certainly, it's great, but how many times can you watch it? It's a difficult, if important, film experience, and my friend asked me why I would want to own it. It's not one of those movies that you can really, dare I use the term, "enjoy." I doubt anyone's said, "Hey, it's raining. Let's watch SCHINDLER'S LIST again! That'll be fun!" When I saw it in theaters with my father, he said it was an amazing film, and he hoped never, ever to have to watch it again because of the profound impact it has. I own a VHS copy of it, and I sadly have never been able to sit through it in its entirety. It's too harrowing. Ben Kingsley, Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes and Embeth Davidtz are really good in the film, but it's not a film that you can detach yourself from and admire from a distance - even to admire the tremendous skill and dedication of everyone involved in the project. Though it's amazing, you are put in a really uncomfortable emotional place while watching "Schindler's List," and it's not an easy experience many people are willing to endure more than once.
Rating:
Summary: FINALLY!!!!!
Review: I was amazed how long it took them to release Forrest Hump on DVD and especially this one. 7 Oscars!!!!! What were they waiting for???? THis film is a masterpiece and a monument to Oscar Schindler and the Holocaust from the brilliance of Steven Spielberg.
Rating:
Summary: A Shattering, Lasting Cinematic Experience
Review: After seeing recent films like LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL and THE PIANIST, I still have to say that the definitive Holocaust film, if such a thing exists, is SCHINDLER'S LIST. Steven Spielberg, already the most commercially-successful director of all-time, rises to the level of a master storyteller by making numerous brilliant choices. The first: by telling this story through the amoral Oskar Schindler, a German profiteer, Spielberg delves into the complexities of evil, especially in the scenes between Schindler and the frightening camp commandant, Goerthe (played with chilling precision by Ralph Fiennes). The black and white photography, everything--it all works.
Many moments still come to mind: the little girl in the red coat, the documentary look and feel of the gunshots, the dreadful looks of realization on the faces of people as ashes snow down on them, the haunting final scenes. The refrain of the survivors has been, "Never Again." The lasting impact of Spielberg's film will be, "Never Forget."
Rating:
Summary: Trade in the popcorn for a box of tissues.
Review: I first saw this film when I was about 14 or 15, my parents let me watch it because of the subject matter, and when it had ended I was sobbing. For unlike an average rated R film, the material in the film that resulted in such a rating is necessary to tell the story of a man who through the course of the story evolves from a profiteer to a righteous gentile. This is not a film, but a work of art that has no equal in its power and emotional effect over an audience. To give this film anything less than 5 five stars would be a disservice to it. This is a must own for any DVD collector.
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