Schindler's List (Widescreen Edition)

This is without a doubt the single most important film of my time. I am 35 years old, and I fancy myself a movie freak. I am not a Jew; in fact I am an Atheist and a very proud one. I mention this because if you read my first sentence, you probably deduced that I was a religious person, thus driving me to make such an impactfull comment about this film. I say this film is the most important film I have ever seen because it shows the ignorance of mankind in its most raw form, bloodshed, on an un-imaginable scale. As silly as it is for a human being to believe in an imaginary old man up in the sky, or living in you chest if you prefer, will save you when you die only if you denounce all other imaginary old men living in the sky while worshiping that particular one, it is just as easy for a group of mislead sheep to attempt to wipe out a race of human beings. Definitely not one of mankind's finest hours. This is a wonderful account of TWO men making a huge difference and saving lives, regardless of the consequences. That's right i said TWO men, because when i discuss this film with other's, they can never tell me who Itzhak Stern is. If it wasn't for him, the list would probably have never been. "The list is life".

I believe this movie should be mandatory viewing by all seniors in the high school system, to show them how cruel and meaningless war was and is. I enjoyed the movie when it was first released, I found it shocking, brutal and touching. I didn't really care for the character Schindler (I found him to be ruthless money grabber), but the characters revolving around him in the chaotic times of WWII was where I found the real depth of the movie.
If everyone of our children watch "Schindler's List" and walk away with a true feeling of how precious life is, then I think we can stand proud as parents, and feel as if we have taught them something that they can teach their own children in the future. That war is war, nothing more, nothing less. That war should be avoided at all costs, no matter what the price.
I have two daughters and when they are old enough, I will sit and watch this most important and insightful film with them. I suggest you all do the same.

Poles, unlike the Jews, fought back and paid dearly for it. 3,000,000 Polish-Catholics were murdered by the germans and another 2,000,000 Polish-Catholics were murdered, worked to death and deprted to the gulags by Stalin. Hello, that's 5,000,000 Polish-Catholics murdered in WWII!

A thought: Schindler saved 1,200 Jews with NO risk to his life whatsoever. Irena Sendler, a POLISH-CATHOLIC, saved over 2,500 Jewish children, with the risk of death at any second. She carried Jewish Babies out of the ghetto hidden in gift boxes!!! The Germans broke both her legs and tortured her, but she never revealed ZEGOTA, a Polish-Catholic underground movement to save jews in german-Occupied Poland. So... WHO! gets the big and over the top Hollywood movie!? More ironic is that, Schindlers wife, was honest to say that Oscar stole everything from the Jews he was with, completely exploited them for profit and chrged Jews an arm and a leg. Spielberg chose the wrong person (Spielberg to me is a decent human being, with consciece), but again, he chose the wrong person. Spielberg changes the ending from the book,i.e., Schindler leaves these Jews in the end, again, taking all valuables from them and charging them for their safety, Irena, a Polish-Catholic, charged nothing and did this as a humanist. Read and acknowledge IRENA SENDLER, a true hero of WWII, unlike Schindler which is well....

To call Schindler's List, "a cinematic masterpiece," is a gross understatement. Unfortunately, I can't think of any better term than that. This is one of the most outstanding movies I have ever had the privilege to see. It has inspired me to reach out to the Jews of today who are still facing persecution in countries around the world. I want to start my own list of names. It will be of those Jews who I help make aliyah (emigrate to Israel). "The list is life."

Like many cinematic masterpieces, it's not possible to summarize this film in a TV-guide style and portray any sense of its monumental achievement. I'm not going to describe its content but it's a film that every person should watch as a lesson for not just where true evil can lead, but also how hope, honesty and humanity offers redemption.

It's even more of a testament to Steven Spielberg that he was reviewing FX reels of Jurassic Park in between filming sequences for this, since ever shot is vital to the film and perfectly crafted. It's also one of the few films that warrant buying a home theater system for - you simply won't believe the difference when viewing on a large LCD screen with surround sound.

I originally saw this three times at the movie theater, which is a major commitment for a 4-hour film. I've also seen it several times on cable and accidentally ended up watching the whole thing. It's simply one of the most compelling films ever made and, as a piece of art, grabs you from the very beginning to the very end.

---
PS - As an aside, I once saw this in the theater in London where a bunch of skinheads were at the front making constant derogatory comments and slurs. About 25 minutes in, a jumbo-sized container full of Coke whizzed passed my ear and hit one of them on the squarely on the back of the head, knocking him unconscious on the floor. The whole theater erupted with cheers and applause, and it's one of the most satisfying acts of swift justice I've ever witnessed!