The Schindler's List: A Great Film by Steven Spielberg

Introduction

The Schindler's List is a 1993 movie that was produced by Steven Spielberg. The film was originally designed to be produced by Martin Scorsese, but he declined while giving an opinion that it should be done by a director of Jewish descent. The movie is a spine-chilling, blow by blow account of the Holocaust nightmare. The film describes how the Jews in the Nazi-occupied region of Krakow were disposed of their land and taken through harrowing experiences. Away from the content of the Holocaust story, it is important to make a note of the brilliant work that Spielberg displayed at work. In that regard, this paper examines some of the outstanding issues that make Schindler's List one of the most captivating movies of all time.

The Video Review

Screenplay

The Schindler's List is a film that is based on real-life events. In that light, it is incredibly necessary to have the film a perfect screenplay that is in a position to present the situation in the time of its occurrence. Firstly, the film is a free flow of events. The transition from one stage to another is amazingly beautiful. The film is an emotional piece of work, and it has achieved that with an incredible level of satisfaction. Another element of the screenplay that emerges as an area of success is the dialogue among the various characters. The tones of the conversations are in agreement with the situation. In sum, the movie has a perfect screenplay, and that contributed to its overall flavor.

Cinematography

Cinematography refers to the various applications of the camera to add to the general quality of a movie. The Schindler's List is a typical movie in which the quality of pictures can never be questioned. The fundamental fact about the camerawork in the film is that the images are stable. In some cases, some movies show pictures that are shaky. The camera has been in a position to carefully keep track of the movements of the characters while at the same time controlling the amount of light that it captures. In that regard, the pictures are neither too dull nor too bright to make viewing difficult. Additionally, there are instances where the pictures are in slow motion. In some other cases, the photos have been deliberately allowed to tremble. A combination of these facts makes the work a masterpiece.

Editing

Editing is present in every movie. Since the story may be long and needs to be compressed within a limited duration, it is crucial to edit the pictures so that they fit carefully. The technique has been utilized effectively by the director in the film to come up with a complete and exciting piece of work. Firstly, there are instances where there are still pictures and others containing slow-paced pictures.

Sound and Music

Various pieces of music have been used in the film. Since the movie contains scenes that bring forth different emotional situations, it is important to realize that the music that is used corresponds to the occasion. For example, there were circumstances where the Jews were experiencing untold suffering from the soldiers. In other times, the soldiers were in social places enjoying themselves. The kinds of music in these situations were different. For instance, the singing of the children on some occasions set rolling what proves to be a mind-blowing experience. To that extent, the sound has been used to contribute to the mood of the film.

The Likable Things in the Movie

The Schindler's List is a movie that anyone interested in the suffering of the Jewish community in the hands of the cruel Nazi regime needs to watch. It is a movie that illustrates the cold-blooded nature of human beings. In the movie, the children, women, and the physically challenged members of the Jewish community were not spared. What I like about the film is the fact that it is more of a reality than fiction. The manner in which the flow of events is organized in the film is admirable. The emotions and the choice of characters are also perfect.

There are not so many things that I do not like about the movie. However, one thing that I must say is that the length of the film is too long. Three hours is a very long time, and that may discourage some people from watching it. The director could have come up with two separate films with one being a continuation of the other. The reason is that it is not usually easy to get time to stay that long watching a film as people usually have heavy schedules.

Comment on the Work of the Director

The movie is one of the best pieces of work from Spielberg. The most outstanding achievement that he has made is the fact that he carefully selected the characters and matched them to the roles. Besides, his choice of locations is plausible since they match the times, places, and circumstances under which the real events occurred. The events are properly organized and easy to flow. Spielberg has done a marvelous piece of work in this movie.

Comment on the Role of a Character

The lead character in the film is Liam Neeson casting as Oscar Schindler. Liam has amazingly executed the tasks that were apportioned to him. Initially, the character appeared as a greedy man who was willing to do anything to profit from the war activities. In the end, he was prepared to sacrifice all that he had to save more than a thousand members of the Jewish community. The tone and the personality of Liam perfectly fit the roles that he has performed in the film.

My Criteria for a Quality Film

Individuals have various tastes and preferences. As a result, they have divergent opinions on what qualifies as quality films. In my view, the following are some of the features that I would look at to classify a particular movie as a brilliant piece of work;

1. A great movie must have excellent performance. In some circumstances, a film may have great characters but have a particular one who does not have live up to the expectations of the audience. Ordinarily, a lot of the team members may give a rousing performance, but one fails. The speech, the body language, and the adherence to the general mood of the film must appear to make the movie as enjoyable as it should be.
2. A top-quality film must have a storyline. Some movies have the tendency of mixing up stories and consequently hinder the audience from following up whatever is taking place. Much as a film is supposed to have some dramatic effects that do not mean introducing external components that do not move in line with the movie storyline. That means the story should have a high flow from the beginning to the end.
3. Quality movies are determined by the choice of scenes. The director must come up with scenes that are in sync with the mood of the film. For instance, if a couple has a romantic walk, it is always necessary to come up with scenes that would make the romance appear real. It could be somewhere in the woods or even on a riverside. The bottom line is that the scene must be part of the story.
4. A great movie should have some element of timelessness. For example, some movies were producers in the last fifty years. However, even today, the same films are still watched by many individuals. Such movies are an embodiment of human values, and that is why they are relevant to all ages. In such films, you would still find people looking for them even in the next half a century.
5. Finally, a great movie should be topical and address some of the contemporary issues in society. A film should be in a position to highlight some issues that affect the communities. For instance, child abuse, family breakups, and love affairs are some of the issues that a great movie may explain. Besides, it could be a story of a particular war, drug trade, and even violence in society. In the end, it should have a conclusion that gives a lesson.
6. A great movie must have educational value. It must be in a position to teach society on some events on how they affected the societies.
7. A great movie must be in a position to be viewed by all members of the society regardless of age, religion, sexual orientation, and any other discriminatory factors.
8. A great movie must be in a position to play around with the emotions of the viewers. It is important for the viewers to be involved in the movie and have the feelings and the mood of the film
9. A great film must a great relationship between the various characters. The conversation among the characters must be flowing freely.
10. A great film must have a perfect choice of the location. It is necessary to have a location that is in sync with the contents of the film.