Schindler's List

How many people even knew who Oskar Schindler was before seeing this film? I had absolutely no idea! By now i must have seen it a hundred times, but still have to watch whenever it's on. Anyone who doesn't tear up at some point during must be seriously cold-hearted.
To be truthful, it does not sound right to say that you love a film like this due, in the most part, to the subject matter. Well made? Expertly directed? Amazingly produced? In my opinion, all three!

Under normal circumstances, i find black and white films difficult to watch but, in this case, it works perfectly. The only colour is the red coat worn by a little girl. There is a poignant moment later in the film when Oskar sees her body amongst all the other dead. The very last scene of the film is also in colour. The remaining Schindler Jews and their families place stones on his grave. It never fails to bring a lump to my throat.

Ralph Fiennes is brilliant. That goes without saying. He plays SS lieutenant Amon Goeth who performs numerous atrocities during the film.
Ben Kingsley as Itzhak Stern, the Jewish accountant, is inspired!
Casting Liam Neeson in the lead role is genius. He has the most genuine and expressive faces, if that makes sense?

In my opinion, when Schindler sets out he is only thinking of how he can profit from the war. Being a member of the Nazi party makes good business sense. He employs Stern as he actually has no clue how to run a factory. Even at the outset he is not a bad boss.

It is the end of the 'ghetto' that opens his eyes and witnessing the murder of those deemed incapable of work starts to change him. Profit is no longer the motivating factor in his business venture.

He employs as many Jews as possible in order to protect them from the concentration camps and execution. However, orders are made for all remaining Jews in Poland to be sent to Auschwitz. Schindler was not a saint, by any means, and initially plans to cut his losses and return home. Thankfully, his conscience kicks in!

Oskar spent his entire fortune bribing Goeth to allow each of his workers to work for him in his home town. Once there they were no longer subject to the 'Final Solution' underway in Poland. This list of workers' names, compiled with Stern, is "Schindler's List".

His factory never made any artillery shells that could be used in combat. What was left of his money was used to purchase them from other factories to avoid being shut down. Clearly, by this time, he has no interest in profiting from the war at all and ends up bankrupt.

However, his freedom was reliant on his Nazi membership and as a result he was forced to flee when Germany surrendered. Yes, he saved the lives of many but they were technically slave labour. As a Nazi business man he became a criminal.

The part that gets me is that his employees give him a letter and a ring, made of gold teeth, engraved with -

"Whoever saves one life saves the entire world".

This is so true in this case. Schindler knows that if he had sold more assets he could have saved more lives. The fact that his car alone would have paid for 10 more workers shames him.

At this point i am blubbing away like a crazy person every time. It was years before i realised that the man who puts the roses on the grave at the end is Liam Neeson. To be fair, though, you can't actually see his face.

The brilliance of the film, and the story itself, aside i have always been interested in the events of World War II. My Nan, on Dad's side, worked in a munitions factory in the Midlands during the war. Her parents were Polish. If they hadn't relocated to England, would they hadn't have been caught up in the madness?
Thankfully, i'll never know. This is a part of history that should never be forgotten. There's a lesson to be learnt. What Oskar Schindler did was a drop in the ocean but, years on, how many people are alive today as a result?

Even the smallest act of kindness or selflessness could have profound implications in the future. You just never know.