Schindler's List (1993)
#100 on my Top 100 List
In a lot of ways, this is one of the hardest movies to watch. At the same time, though, the end makes it one of the most moving. Oskar Schindler is kind of a smug bastard throughout the whole film, but his humanity becomes more and more obvious as his workers become more than just workers to him. I greatly respect black and white films when they're well-done - this one uses it to emphasize the bleakness of the subject, Good Night, and Good Luck. uses it for ambiance, and Ed Wood uses it to mirror the ridiculousness of the man it profiles. None of the gut-wrenching scenes in this movie are gratuitous. Seeing the Nazis repossessing the personal effects of the Warsaw Jews, even photographs, is a wake-up call at the beginning, while seeing ash from the furnaces over the city just like snow illustrates how commonplace the horrible events became. Ralph Fiennes is chilling as the villain (no wonder he plays such a good Voldemort) and though I'm not sure what I think she was meant to represent, I would be remiss not to mention the little girl in the red dress. Interpret her how you will.
My Netflix rating: 5 stars
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