The best description I've seen of Schindler: "This was not in any way an exceptional man. He had no other successes to his name. But goddamn, did he step up when the human race needed him to." That figure of 6,000 descendants of the people he saved has grown by thousands more since the film was released. It was no exaggeration that "There will be generations because of what you did."
My ex husbands family claims they're descended from the Levy line of one of the rescues. I don't know if that's true or not, but if it is, my daughter would not be here today without him ❤️
He was certainly a flawed hero. He was an alcoholic and womanizer. He was kicked out of school at 16 for falsifying his academic records. He joined the Nazi party and became a spy for the German military intelligence. Her reported his fellow Czechs in the resistance to the German army. His motive to setup the factory was to make money. However, in the end, he did buy "his" workers from the SS. He built factories near his hometown with his own money from scratch to build ammunition. In doing so he saved them. Later when asked why he saved the Jews, he said "when you see a dog to be crushed by a car, you help him out".
The thing is... the situations in the concentration camps are very much toned down here. Spielberg said so and if you watch testimonies of survivors it's horrific what they tell. And when you watch the movie you think it couldn't be worse.
Agree. After watching/listening to several witness testimonies conducted by the Shoah Foundation + others of survivors, I must agree, what they are telling is even worse than the movie. This movie is just the toned down child friendly version compared to what really went on in eastern european countries, not just in the kz camps but outside them as well.
Yeah. A lot of the people that liberated the camps ended up with severe PTSD, and many went on an immediate Nazi execution spree. It was millions of times worse if you actually had to live there. Someone described the prisoners as "living skeletons." It's rare that most people agree on something, but most people will say that what happened at those places was evil.
They actually downplayed Amon Göth‘s villainy for this reason. His treatment of concentration camp inmates was SO inhumane that it was too much to show on film, even with an R rating. Plus, Spielberg thought no one would believe that someone could be that cruel.
Amon Goeth in this movie is reportedly tamer than the real one b/c the latter was so monstrous that he came off as almost unbelievable. The recent trend in writing villains is to make their motivations understandable. You'll hear lots of film enthusiasts preach that making a one-dimensional antagonist who's just evil for the sake of evil and only cares for money is the wrong way to go. It's almost as if this film is trying to give Amon a character arc regarding power, and attempting to provide answers as to why he is the way he is. Only for him to reject that exploration and immediately go back to the pleasure of killing. A reminder that monsters do exist in real life no matter if they're human.
But that’s what makes Amon evil, he wants to show humanity, he tries to show humanity, but he’s neither strong enough or willing to fully show humanity to people he sees as lesser/subhuman that’s the ultimate trait of true evil, the lack of humanity.
@@mckenzie.latham91 He has a twisted notion of humanity towards Helen, such as "mercifully" shooting her in the back of the head. Though as Schindler surmised, that's b/c he enjoys her. The other Jews are nothing to him, hence it's more about the power in killing.
@@nocturnalcove9736A psychopath doesn't care about being human Goethe actually tries to be human, when he sees how the workers and others are with Schindler he gets jealous and envious And tries to be like Schindler, tris to show compassion and or humanity But as stated he is neither strong enough nor willing to actually see it through. A psychopath wouldn't try or care, they'd see it as beneath them or unnecessary.
It should also be pointed out that Spielberg wouldn’t even communicate with the actors playing the Einsatzgruppen. He would give them direction but wouldn’t give small talk as he was unable to get past the uniforms. Remember, these were actors of the German theater. But a beautiful thing happened earlier in production. They had Passover at the hotel they we’re staying at in Krakow, Poland. Spielberg had all the Jewish actors sitting around at a table and then all the German actors walked in wearing the yamakas and they sat next to the Jews and participated in the Passover ritual and Spielberg was moved to tears.
More importantly, he was protecting Schindler because he expected more money from him. Goeth was ridiculously corrupt, even by Nazi standards. Ironically it's his corruption that made the rescue possible. You can see how good Schindler was at playing Amon when you look at the trial Goeth faced after the war: he named Schindler as a character witness for his defense. Of course Schindler didn't show up.
I know it’s a hard movie to watch but i think this movie should be a mandatory watch in high school history class. This generation has been passing away and we need generations to come to not forget, and remember this was real. This really happened. And in parts of the world, it’s still happening. Humans are capable of this.
I agree, though even more interesting would be to assign them to listen to any of the Shoah testimonies available online, which are firsthand accounts from a variety of perspectives.
Fact : The actors who played the nazis cried after every scene they did. The other actors calmed them down saying "this is a part you are playing" ...... very emotionel
Ralph Fiennes who played Amon Goth terrified people by how close he looked to Amon in both looks and his acting... by him seeing the real victims of the war and see how they were having PTSD because of him must have left scars in him as well.. Kinda reminds me of Leonardo DiCaprio in Django as he said how sick he felt after all the N-words he had to say during the filming. Great actors takes those scars but can still work through them when filming.
Two things that always stand out for me in this movie: 1) The importance of being able to establish relationships/alliances. Aside from his money, the main reason Schindler was able to achieve any of this at all was his uncanny social skills--his confidence and charisma and his key understanding of how to give people what they want (or showing them what they should want) while also getting what he wants. 2) All the paperwork issues and the stress on everything being organised in that way. There were so many moments in the movie where problems were caused by mistakes in filing, people losing their cards etc and how it was all just treated like a job, like just another day at the office you know. But the results of such change the course of people lives. Also, don't let anyone make you feel ashamed or uncomfortable for saying you enjoy the movie or that it's a good film. We need to be sensitive but we don't need to beat ourselves up. It's designed to be enjoyed. That doesn't mean that it's about something "nice" or that you don't respect the seriousness or tragedy of the situation being portrayed. Instead, it means that it has communicated with you at a really human emotional level and will be memorable and stick with you. One of the absolute worst happenings in history deserves nothing less than one of the best storytelling mediums available wielded by one of the best filmmakers of a generation to especially drive the point home. I think it did what Oskar really wanted all along in the end--the name "Schindler" will never be forgotten, by countless more people than just the Jews he helped and their descendants.
The saddest thing is that he died alone and in misery. He was just one man, but he did so much to help and save others. He, and Sophie Scholl, and all the other German people who stood up against Nazism are true heroes.
here in portugal we had our own "Schindler". he was called Aristides de Sousa Mendes, who helped out many jewish people run away from the grasp of the germans, by spending three days and three nights passing authorizations for their passage through portugal in order for them to eventually migrate for countries like America (theres no exact number but its said he managed to help around 10 000 jews although this number is still debated). he also ended up in misery, and is also remembered and honored by many jewish people to this day. history is filled with almost if not completely unsung heroes.
Well, his life after the war wasn't that great but the people that he saved took care of him whenever he had money problems and he spent every summer in Jerusalem, among 'his Jews'. Mietek Pemper (one of the two other inspirations for the character of Stern apart from the real Itzhak Stern) once mentioned that there were some survivors who were a bit annoyed because they would send Schindler money and he'd spend it on drinks and gambling. Pemper told them (I have to paraphrase, can't find the quote right now): 'Schindler is not an ordinary man. If he was, he couldn't have done what he did.' Basically saying that, yes he was flawed, he liked living the big life, throwing money out of the window, etc. He was a trickster, a bit of a con-man. And it's precisely those qualities, coupled with his sense of moral decency, that enabled him to save all these people. In normal human society he was a failure. But when he was confronted with human suffering of unimaginable proportions, he became a hero. And he used his charm and his skills of manipulation for good. The movie doesn't even show half of the things he did, the risks he took, the insane amount of effort over several years.
What's really sickening is that every time there are large-scale atrocities being committed in the world, there is never any shortage of people willing to brutalize and kill their fellow humans. I've never heard of a genocide failing because oh darn, we've run out of murderers.
It's easy to forget that this is the "Us vs. Them" mentality that is still prevalent today. Whenever you hear anyone discussing "those" people you know they are only trying to divide us, and that eventually leads to events like those depicted in this film.
This is so true. Born in 1964, i think this was a horror of the past that could never happen today, until Trump ran for office in 2015. The otherizing of people. I’m not Jewish, but my own Jewish cousin voted for Trump. When he won, i knew another Holocaust could happen in first world countries. we’ve learned nothing from history.
@@happyday883 You might even add the unvaccinated -- football players who decided (for personal reasons) not to get vaccinated have to wear yellow wristbands?? Tell me that doesn't sound familiar...
@@RLucas3000 Because they are accustomed to seeing through the propaganda. Yes, Jews vote for Trump. And they were attacked physically for it in New York by BLM. Trump defended Israel. AOC and Omar criticized Israel for defending itself. Progressive Ben and Jerry's refused service to Israel under the guise of defending Muslims, yet Biden makes excuses for China putting them in camps and sterilizing them. CRT Anti-racism prioritizes people based on race, gender and religion and teaches that to children and enforces it via government, prioritizing monetary relief and vaccines to races they favor. Asians physically attacked for being "white adjacent" and excluded from schools because "there are too many of them," "White Fragility" and "privilege." Struggle sessions. Actresses fired for not towing the party line. "Trump supporters" blamed for the spread of Covid. Yes, there is a lot "othering" going on. No, I did not vote for Trump, myself, but I recognize the invoking of over the top hysteria that corporate media has infused so many with, and it saddens me to see ideology placed above humanity again. The progressive alt-left and nutso alt-right extremes BOTH seek to use force to inflict their will on us all. But only one of those has the power of media and government, and is taken seriously by the average citizen.
Yes. It is absolutely always a danger once someone will decide that they are the hero and the other group is the bad ones. Because then, if they are the bad ones, you can justify any means. People do that now and they don't even know how they sound, because they think themselves right.
@@RLucas3000 You couldn't have it more backwards if you tried. It's the conservatives and Christians that are being marginalized today. It's you who have learned nothing from history.
I'm Polish, so that movie and this history is something I grew up with. I've been to the camps and my family was murdered and tortured by both sides Soviets and Nazi Germany. I remember tattoo with numbers on my grandma's friend's arm. My grandmother saw her uncle killed because he was fighting the oppressor in secret operations till the end. We only managed to rebury him in 90's from where they buried him in the forest. In the camps, there is still this weight and stillness. It is like it scared Poland forever.
I think these events will leave a mark on the land that can be felt for generations to come. Even those who don't know about the events will feel something when going to these places.
I lost family at Auschwitz and this movie crushes me every time. I’m so glad you took the time to watch this because our memories will help ensure this never happens again. Those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it. Respect
Not a lot of the world knew this was going on until late in the war, we need more films like this to document to current generations that letting things happen and not doing anything about it can lead to immense suffering of the weak. Another hard hitting film United 93 based on sept 11 terror attacks.
From Wikipedia: Spielberg said the [girl in red] scene was intended to symbolize how members of the highest levels of government in the United States knew the Holocaust was occurring, yet did nothing to stop it. "It was as obvious as a little girl wearing a red coat, walking down the street, and yet nothing was done to bomb the German rail lines. Nothing was being done to slow down ... the annihilation of European Jewry," he said. "So that was my message in letting that scene be in color."
@@jp3813 The little girl in red did go for that walk. Her name was Genia and I think she was a cousin of the Dresners. No-one knows what became of her -- it was hard to keep track of everyone
When I watched this movie, I didnt shed a tear during the duration of the movie. When they started piling stones to his tomb I started sobbing so hard. It was difficult to process how can a human being do that horrors to his fellow men.
On German sidewalks and thresholds in front of houses you nowadays every once and while find small so called "Stolpersteine" (stumble stones) where there's inwritten the name(s), birthdate, date and place of death of the people who once lived in that house/place - but then got deported and died /got killed in concentration camps. One of those stones is right in front of my house/front door - and I have to step by it every day when I leave my house or come back home. Of course I never knew these people - but thinking about them a lot..
@@lori6115 Between war criminals still being put on trial from time to time and duds from WWII being found on a regular base you learn to live with the deeds of your grandparents. All in all the most sad part is how the rest of the world seems to forget what happened back then or puts on some rose tinted glasses.
We have a lot of Stolpersteine in my city. Once a year, a lot of people who live in those streets go out with cleaning equipment and clean them and put candles and flowers next to them.
@@olivia-lc5mi I wish we had that, too. My college professors were completely screwed up; telling us that the Holocaust "never happened" and that 9/11 was done not by radical Islamist terrorists, but by "right wing terrorists."
I first watched this during history class in 10th grade. I have never seen a group of rowdy teenagers so quiet. Growing up in Germany we obviously all knew what happened during WWII - but I had no idea of the actual horrors. My parents didn't really talk about it to us. Neither did my grandparents - they were children /teens during the war and had their own traumatic experiences. This movie should be mandatory to watch in school. Those atrocities and their victims should never be forgotten.
Yes .. im American but lived in Germany for 8 years and went to an American school. We learned about the Holocaust every year but each year it got more graphic i even went to 2 concentration camps .. its horrible and sad I can't even fathom living through anything like that ( ie. Holocaust, slavery, etc. ) and it hurts me that there are ppl today who belive it to be a conspiracy theory and don't belive it happened
Agreed. (Also German here) When the Holocaust started coming up in classes, my classmates tended to roll their eyes in a "we already know, you've already told us a thousand times" way, but I still think it's important not only to learn that it happened, but what led up to it and how it came about
The movie is hard to watch, but the reality of these events back then was much worse that what is depicted here. The movie is the "PG" version of the real horrors that occurred.
Hey also german here. My classmates actually did not stay silent during the movie. A few even laughed. I can't understand why people would laugh at this.
I know I'm commenting a bit here - but on the note of Schindler himself: I looked it up, and apparently the part of the story where he sees the liquidation of the ghetto and that event triggers his change of heart? That's completely true. Apparently the events he witnessed that day were so horrible that that was when he decided to start helping Jews just for the sake of helping. Also: he spent literally his whole life savings keeping those people alive, to the point where he had to spend the rest of his life being financially supported by "his" Jews because he couldn't get back on his feet. They also got him out of the country so he wasn't arrested. He reportedly stayed in contact with many of them, for the rest of his life.
@@whitenoisereacts what's real is you said the brainwashing thing was true. Well your living in a country where your the brainwashed ones now and don't even know it. Don't belive me? Try to thi g your own way. I'll bet ten to one if you try to think out of the way your programed to you'll see you can't
Thank you for cutting in some time from the end that shows "The Schindler Jews Today". May reactors show only a few seconds or nothing at all and I feel that it's important to show and remember that this is not just a movie or some vague thing that happened in the past but these were real people who suffered unimaginable horrors. And you're right, it really wasn't that long ago.
As a German, I am extremely grateful to Spielberg for all his efforts to keep the memory of these horrors alive. I appreciate your reaction and that you took away the mosts important lesson: not to forget. After many difficult conversations with my own grandparents, I will make sure to never forget. Sadly, many people today do not realize how easy it actually is to make the same mistakes all over again. Many Germans of that time did not commit acts of evil in their own eyes. Just as many people today do not realize their own acts of evil. The fear-mongering and hate speeches of - pre-dominantly but not only - US politics scare me deeply. It is the same kind of rhethoric all over again. And, please, people! I am NOT talking about wearing masks or getting vaccinated because those two things come from places of compassion and logic - not hate. I hope that at some point, you might realize that yourselves.
As a Jew living in America, I constantly remind my friends and relatives - don't be so comfortable in America that you won't leave if you need to. I tell them to always remember, there was a point in the 30's where the German Jews were saying, "we don't need to leave. Nothing will happen to us... This is Germany, after all."
For over 75 years people have been asking “HOW could this have happened?” and there will never be a satisfactory answer. How can there be? How does one explain the incomprehensible? It is absolutely mind boggling that genocide of this magnitude took place in the middle of the 20th century. This is not something that happened in the dark ages when there was no modern communication. This was the 1940s when there were newspapers, radio and telephones. The world knew what was happening and yet it continued for *years.* I think it's also important to point out that what we see in this film isn’t even the half of it. As shocking and graphic as this movie is, it is a sanitized version of the true horrors that went on in these places. There is no way they could show the true extent in a mainstream movie. A graphic depiction of the atrocities committed would have been too much for anyone to watch. When I was visiting Austria, Germany and Poland in 2009 I decided to tour Auschwitz. Let me tell you, seeing a film like Schindler’s List or seeing a documentary on the Holocaust or learning about it in history class - *NOTHING* can prepare you for a visit to a place like that. The energy (if that’s even the right word) that surrounds that entire complex is utterly indescribable and I felt it before we even passed through the gate. Admission was free, but I paid for a guided tour. I never made it that far. After about 15 to 20 minutes I was so overcome that I could not continue. The huge display of shoes, hair brushes, eyeglasses, suitcases and other personal items that were confiscated from the victims was all it took. Especially after I saw human hair, which I learned later was shaved off and used to make socks and boot liners as well as other items. After seeing that display I felt...I don't know, it's kind of hard to describe. Nauseous or sick aren't exactly accurate, but I just knew I could not go on. I can’t imagine what I would have felt like if I made it to the gas chambers or the ovens. What I do know is the 20 or so minutes I spent at Auschwitz had a profound effect on me and it is something I will never forget for the rest of my life.
Labeling people visually, de-humanizing them, doing things because an ideology is presented as the right thing. Keep your eyes open. It still can happen today.
I just know someone will reply about Israel in this and I'll just say Israel isn't representative of Jews around the world the same way Saudi Arabia isn't for Muslims & Uganda for christians.
@@lalitthapa101 Yes, but people don’t hate Jews because they hate Israel. People hate Israel because they hate Jews. Some are fooled when the modern antisemites use the word “Zionist” instead of Jews. Zionist just means you think Israel has the right not to be destroyed. And the attacks are only because it’s the only Jewish state in the world. The only Jews these “anti-Zionists” don’t hate are ethnic Jews who effectively renounce their religion.
"It *IS* possible." To me, this is the entire reason for the sentiment of "Never Forget." It's not only so we remember what happened -- it's so we remember _it can happen again._
The pardon scene always gets me cause what Schindler says is correct. Anyone can rule by fear but that's not power. Being able to pardon is power cause you are in the position to forgive. That's why in modern democracies,the head of state (President/monarch) is given the special power to pardon people cause thats the most powerful seat of power in the political structure. No one else can do that.
A truly honest first time reaction from both of you. I really enjoyed it. Just to make you cry a little more, James, is the little girl in the red coat's name was Roma Ligocka . She is still alive today and wrote her memoir called "The Girl in the Red Coat" after seeing "Schindler's List." Years later she met Spielberg in Germany where he was rewarded for his efforts of the film and its message. She walked up to him and said, "I just want to let you know I am the girl in the red coat." Spielberg was astounded and wanted to know where she has been all this time. She showed him a yellowed photograph taken of her with her cousin, Roman Polanski. Apparently, another girl had the same red coat or she left it behind in Kracow when they were evacuating the Jewish populations in the ghetto. That was when you saw her hiding under the bed. BTW: another Spielberg film that doesn't get a lot of viewing time is based on the life of a young author named J.G. Ballard who finds himself struggling to survive World War II in Shanghai, China in 1941. It's called "Empire of the Sun" and it stars a then 13 year old Christian Bale.
The transition that Schindler takes in this film (among all other aspects) is brilliant. The transition that Neeson shows through his acting was one of the best performances I've seen. In the beginning-his only true concern was for making money, for being well known from his riches. While he is aware that things are going on around him, the Holocaust is in it's first phases, he sees it only in how it will be of financial advantage to himself. But, slowly, the realization of what is actually going on, pierces it's way through and he can no longer ignore his surroundings. He takes that motivation he had to make money and turns in into motivation to save lives. Just speaking on acting performances alone, that is such a powerful and moving journey for viewers of the film to watch and Neeson did it spectacularly.
Thank you for this video, this is such important movie that it's hard to watch more than a handful of times. Take to mind, though, that this is the "subtle" version of the true horrors survivors went through. My grandfather lost 9 sisters in Awschwitz, my father's uncle is one of the last Mengele-Twins alive today. when I was 16, I remember one of my relatives telling me when we visited Aswchwitz, "This is the bed your grandmother slept in, make sure to show it to your own kids one day."
I really want to highlight what you said about the Nazis being people, in the end. Because I feel, especially nowadays, people tend to forget that. Nazis have been made into a popular villain in a lot of books and movies, and while yes, they are definitely the bad guys, they also get cartoonishly evil a lot. And it kind of takes away the horror that that really happened. These people really existed and did these things. Another point to this is that with the Nazis as portrayed in popular media, people tend to distance themselves from that. The only kind of Nazi in their heads is the guy with the German accent who rants about Jews and wants to conquer the world - and while those people existed, the vast majority of Nazis had different motivations. They were in for their own personal gain (like Schindler in the beginning of the movie) or they were afraid of the consequences of not going along with it, maybe they enjoyed the power over others because they didn't have that power anywhere else in their lives, maybe they just didn't care. And all those people were in the wrong too! But because you don't see that a lot in the media, when your family member, your friend, your neighbor starts showing these right wing extremist tendencies, you don't think much of it because "well, they're nice enough to me, and Nazis were all cartoonishly evil so they're not a Nazi" And I think that's scary, with the political landscape in a lot of countries right now.
Yes. Many people joined the party for survival. Others joined because they believed it really would help Germany but didn't agree with all the racism. Others still vaguely agreed with the racism only because it made an easy target for all the resentment from losing the previous war. And it's not just right wing extremists. It's extremists on all sides. Technically speaking, the Nazi brand of fascism is a type of socialism, making them *left wing.* Yes, there was capitalism permitted, but businesses were ultimately owned by the state and merely *run* by individuals. I rather clever trick to make people think they still had some control over their lives.
@@brigidtheirish National Socialism was slightly less socialist than North Korea is a democratic people's republic. Socialists and communists were sent to the camps.
Yep - that's why I try to never, ever call people who do terrible things "monsters" or "animals" or anything that suggests they're not *entirely normal, everyday humans.* If we distance ourselves from people who do these things, we can comfortably think we could never fall to that, and that's absolutely not true. This was only a generation ago; there's no difference between the people then and now.
I highly recommend watching Come and See (1985). It's about a boy who witnesses the massacre of Belarussian villagers during WWII. Even more ruthless than Schindler's List, if that's even possible. Not many people in the West know about what the Nazis did to Soviet civilians back then.
Told myself after I first watched this that once was enough for a lifetime because it was so devastating. It’s been years, but I’ve been wanting to rewatch it because it’s just an amazing film and an important event to remember.
If you haven't seen it already, I highly recommend the movie Jojo Rabbit. It's a very different kind of WW2 movie, but it does touch on the aspect of the German brainwashing that you mentioned
just some notes, the concentration camp there which was called plaszow (pronounced, `plashow") was built on top of what was a jewish cemetery. the factory that oskar schindler had was converted into a museum which has pictures and names of the folks that he helped. also the apartment that in that movie where liam is staying at, is actually oskar schindler's apartment where he stayed, seeing that the movie was filmed in krakow, poland.
One of Spielberg’s many magnum opuses and one of the most important motion pictures ever made, Spielberg began production on this almost immediately after completing the main filming of Jurassic Park, he actually had to oversee the cgi for the dinosaurs and the audio mixing while on the way to film either the concentration camp or ransacking scenes, he would privately cry with his wife during the production and said that he wouldn’t have been able to get through it if it wasn’t for her, it is undoubtedly one of the most difficult films to watch but it is fundamentally important to remember what happened and ensure that it NEVER EVER happens again, rest in peace to EVERY innocent person ✌️
It's truly humbling and beautiful to be part of a Jewish Sabbath service (someone who is not Jewish myself). If you guys ever get a chance to sit in on one, highly recommend. And ask questions. They are more than happy to answer them.
This film up until now is so difficult for me to rewatch; so raw, stunning and terrifying at the sametime. You guys should definitely react to "Life Is Beautiful" (La vita è bella) directed by and starring Roberto Benigni and also "The Pianist".
This is one of those movies that everyone must see, even if it’s a difficult watch. Even on a positive note, the acting, the cinematography, the sound track are all amazing pieces of art.
Excellent reaction guys, Spielberg didn't take any salary for this movie, he was so depressed during the shoots so he asked Jerry Seinfeld & Larry David to send him VHS-tapes of new "Seinfeld"-episodes so he could relax a bit at night... This of course, somehow lead up to the double episode of Seinfeld - "The raincoats"... Watch that.
Wow, didn't know that...thanks for sharing it (that is, if it's true). I do buy the part of Spielberg being so depressed during shoots knowing his personality...my respects to the man: What a monumental effort.
Always remember the horrors portrayed in this film are sanitized for film. It is impossible, even with recorded atrocities from that time, to do a film. You would have to watch The Shoah by Lanzmann to even grasp the horror. And thats a documentary. Thanks for watching the film. It is beautiful cinema.
When I first saw this movie I was too shocked to react as it was going on...then when the ending with Oscar going on how he could have saved more finally broke me and I cried hard for a good 15 minutes, then finished the film then cried on and off the rest of the day. It was a powerful movie that I will never want to see again but hope everyone sees it cause it's important. =)
The true horrors will never be shown in films as most people could not and would not watch so it has to be toned down to make sure that the stories are told. Even reading about them you will find yourself reading things over and over again because you cannot comprehend the evil behind some of the acts.
I think my most remembered story behind the Schindler set was during a visit from some of the survivors. The woman who worked for Amon saw Ralph Fiennes come on on set in full regalia and started shaking, because he looked so much like him.
A nice fact: a lot of the actors are israeli-jewish, most are very well known! Such as Ezra Dagan, Uri Avrahami, Rami Heuberger, Shmulik Levi, Miri Fabian, Adi Nitzan, Mark Ivanir and more... some were comedians back in the day (Shmulik and Rami were part of a comedic group called the "The Kameri Quintet") The end always breaks me. What a powerful movie. RIP to my ancestors who could not escape the horrors.
My father was in Patton's 3rd army [687th Fab] (I am 67)....One of his last duties in the spring of 1945 was helping with the "clean up" (Body disposals) at Buchenwald concentration camp....He took pictures which my mother later burned so he wouldn't keep looking at.......This wasn't just "some movie"......
Oscar Schindler is the perfect example of a good Slytherin. The only major gripe I have against the Harry Potter series is that there were no actual good Slytherins-meaning they used their Slytherin traits to help the good side. Oscar’s ambition, his cunning, his diplomacy, and his loyalty all played a part in this. When shit truly hits the fan, and there’s no allowance for outright heroes, a good Slytherin is who you want on your side.
One thing to always consider about the German soldiers is that they were being pumped full of meth. Which is known to amplify aggression and desensitizes people. When people say “how can you do something like this?” I say meth is a hell of a drug.
I remember when I went to the Imperial museum in London with a school trip. Two out of the four floors were dedicated to the Holocaust, covering how it started, the ghettos and eventually the camps. We all saw Schindler's list, we were all history students, we all knew that part of history but nothing prepared us for the survivors' testimony. It was horrible. It never felt as real as it did in that moment. My friend and I were sobbing and at some point we felt we couldn't breathe and we had to get out. The stories I heard that will always stay in my mind.
Spielberg certainly knows how to play to one's emotions. The film itself is a very well made success story. So far, "Shoah" by Claude Lanzmann is widely considered to be the definitive work when it comes to the Holocaust (along with "Night and Fog" by Alain Resnais). Lanzmann got into a bit of an angry back and forth with Spielberg when Schindler's List came out because he viewed it as a deformation of historical truth and Spielberg accused him of wanting to be the only voice when it came to the Holocaust. I'm more happy with the fact that the making of the film lead Spielberg to create the USC Shoah Foundation.
I saw an interview with Goethes daughter and she said that she found out about her father initially from this movie. She then confronted her mother. At the end of the movie the jewler who made the ring for Schindler happens to be be the cousin of my wife's grandfather.
"Shoah" IS the most detailed film on the Holocaust, and “Schindler’s List" used many references that appear on “Shoah". However, Lanzmann really became touchy, as if he was the only one entitled to tell the story, which may be explained because he took more than 10 years making it. It is a film that cuts you as if thousands of scalpels are being working on you. But I agree with Spielberg: Lanzmann is not the only one entitled to speak about the Holocaust and "Schindler’s List’ has the great merit of bringing the story in global scale and to a MUCH wider audience. It’s one of the most powerful Hollywood mainstream films ever made, and very accurate.
we had to watch this film in school, no one spoke through the whole thing. and most of us were definitely crying at the end, me included. its a beautiful and sad film, and everyone should watch it at some point.
As a Native American born male & A Jewish Adoptee, this film really hits me HARD considering that BOTH my blood & adopted ancestors went through this still hurts, and it is very much a subject at least for Native Americans that HAS YET to be resolved anywhere near this level, IF that is THIS can be called a resolution as NOTHING WILL EVER undo what has been done, it pains me greatly knowing NOT only in US & Russian politics people use the same excuses Nazis did to justify their actions but people still get away with committing atrocities of this level today, the main argument there being the still abysmal situation in South Africa & even in South America, If i could have 1 wish it would be for all of it to stop & the perpetrators either brought to a swift & decisive end along with their followers, or that they be brought to justice, they're crimes brought to light, & they be sentenced accordingly.
Oooh! That one’s a tough one. A GOOD one, but nonetheless a tough watch. In the beginning of the review, you said a comment about it being kind of a German perspective of the war. There’s an AMAZING book called “The Book Thief” that depics the wat through the eyes of a little German girl. It got turned ito a pretty nice but very underrated movie. It’s a good watch!
This movie is one of my all time favorites. It is so beautifully made, a very intense and powerful way to show this awful part of the story. Also, the soundtrack is such a gem, it makes me cry every time. If you'd want to check more war movies like this one, I'd suggest checking an Italian movie called La vita è bella. It is just incredible, sad and beautiful.
I'm polish. It breaks my heart everytime I see this film and many more telling stories about WWII. It hurts what happened to many Poles (Jewish and catholic)
It’s still hard to this day to comprehend the atrocities that happened in the war, it really puts into perspective of the evil we were fighting against.
I just watched your reaction & was impressed with your post-discussion. Talking about how people forget or focus on generic problems is so ironic. Not that you could have known when you reacted to this film, but what is happening in the Ukraine has many similarities to the holocaust. As we hear about mass graves, see pictures of the dead in a city that was under siege as the world looks on...Man’s inhumanity to man, sadly. If we don’t remember the past, we’re doomed to repeat it... 🖤🌹🖤🧛🏻♀️
A very moving video is Spielberg winning best picture. One of the producers of this film, Branko Lustig, is a survivor that was in Auschwitz. His speech was so sad but he needed to tell us what those that died could not and made this film in remembrance of them.
The officer playing Mozart on the piano during the ghetto liquidation is meant to demonstrate that the Nazis, in spite of their disgusting actions, were not street thugs (many were, but not all); many of them were highly educated and came from the upper crust of society. It's important to remember that being well-mannered and graduating from college is no guarantee that an individual will not stoop to this level of depravity, given the proper motivation. I also took Goeth's pistols misfiring as a subtle hint that he is not a real soldier who has discipline and skill; his weapons being in such poor condition that they won't even fire shows that he is nothing but a bloodthirsty sociopath who only wants to hurt others.
When I'm looking to Schindler's list, I have always a strange impression overwhelming me. I'm under the impression that I'm watching the nightmare, of a nightmare, narrated by the nightmare of this nightmare's nightmare.
Spielberg at his best. Serious and haunting. Another serious Spielberg Cold War drama that doesn't get the recognition it should, is Bridge Of Spies (2015) with Tom Hanks.
As part of your "Spielberg binge" you should really check out Munich. It gets much less attention that other Spielberg movies of the same period but it's so much more morally complex and I REALLY cannot say enough good things about it. You think it's going to be about one thing, the characters think it's going to be about one thing, and then the movie doesn't let either you or the characters escape from the consequences of what's happening (was that vague enough...? no spoilers).
Amon didn't question whether it was right or wrong. He was annoyed by his own physical attraction to the Jewish women he was in contact with. Specifically his housekeeper. Amon Goeth didn't feel empathy, do not be fooled.
I think what I would want to add is that if Schindler was too emotional from the start, as he was in the end he would have saved nobody because he wouldn't be able to befriend those people as he would feel crushed by their behavior. He was just the right person in the right place, with the right person to push him. He was sort of morally ambiguous and he wasn't passing strong judgments on Goth which enabled him to get in his graces and pull strings. He was able to speak with him without overwhelming repulsion. Good stories are also that of Leopold Socha who also was looking for gain and eventually helped people survive in sewers for years and that of Irena Sendler who personally, at great risk took out of getto 2,500 children. One by one, each time risking death. She was eventually arrested and tortured but survived the war.
This is a small part of what was going on. There was experimentation on people to create the white blond blue eyed race. And it wasn't just in Poland. If you weren't Jewish and helped them, you were executed. So some Germans looked the other way rather than getting their own family killed. Thank you for reviewing this important and tragic time in history.
This movie won 34 awards including; 1994 OSCARS (7) - Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Score, Best Cinematography, Best writing, Best Production Design & Best Film Editing.. 1994 GOLDEN GLOBES (3) - Best Motion Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay. 1994 BAFTAS (5) - Best Film, Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Best Original Score, Best Editing, Best Adapted Screenplay. OTHER AWARDS Included (3) Awards from The National Society of Film Critics Awards, Writers Guild of America Awards, Directors Guild of America Awards & London Film Critics Circle Awards. There are a few others but this film was just in a league of it’s own. Sadly Liam Neeson never won an award for his role as Oskar Schindler however, Ralph Fiennes WON Best Supporting Actor in 1994 for his role as Amon Goth with Ben Kingsley also nominated for his role as Itzhak Stern. Best Actor for 1993 was Tom Hanks “Philadelphia” and 1994 Tom Hanks “Forest Gump”.
This movie truly broke my heart. Please, continue our discussion below.
One of the saddest motion pictures I've ever seen.
History has been ruthless to some people
@@pesisawesome5864 do you mean like how the Israelis are treating the Palestinians presently
@@vonhule I said history, not present
Please, guys! Make a reaction of Empire of the Sun (1987). It's from Spielberg too, and it has an special message.
The best description I've seen of Schindler: "This was not in any way an exceptional man. He had no other successes to his name. But goddamn, did he step up when the human race needed him to."
That figure of 6,000 descendants of the people he saved has grown by thousands more since the film was released. It was no exaggeration that "There will be generations because of what you did."
My ex husbands family claims they're descended from the Levy line of one of the rescues.
I don't know if that's true or not, but if it is, my daughter would not be here today without him ❤️
@@theirishslyeyes that's beautiful
"But goddamn, did he step up when the human race needed him to.""
There is no "human race", though, we are one specie of three races.
@@OriginalPuro the other two are long extinct, so there's no point in bringing that up
He was certainly a flawed hero. He was an alcoholic and womanizer. He was kicked out of school at 16 for falsifying his academic records. He joined the Nazi party and became a spy for the German military intelligence. Her reported his fellow Czechs in the resistance to the German army. His motive to setup the factory was to make money. However, in the end, he did buy "his" workers from the SS. He built factories near his hometown with his own money from scratch to build ammunition. In doing so he saved them. Later when asked why he saved the Jews, he said "when you see a dog to be crushed by a car, you help him out".
The thing is... the situations in the concentration camps are very much toned down here. Spielberg said so and if you watch testimonies of survivors it's horrific what they tell. And when you watch the movie you think it couldn't be worse.
Agree. After watching/listening to several witness testimonies conducted by the Shoah Foundation + others of survivors, I must agree, what they are telling is even worse than the movie. This movie is just the toned down child friendly version compared to what really went on in eastern european countries, not just in the kz camps but outside them as well.
@@az929292 To be fair, it would have never gotten past the censors if he hadn’t. Even what he showed in this movie just barely squeezed through.
Yeah. A lot of the people that liberated the camps ended up with severe PTSD, and many went on an immediate Nazi execution spree. It was millions of times worse if you actually had to live there. Someone described the prisoners as "living skeletons." It's rare that most people agree on something, but most people will say that what happened at those places was evil.
@@benawesomebw1197
Gotta say, I hate censors even more now just for that fact alone. Screw Censorship
They actually downplayed Amon Göth‘s villainy for this reason. His treatment of concentration camp inmates was SO inhumane that it was too much to show on film, even with an R rating. Plus, Spielberg thought no one would believe that someone could be that cruel.
Amon Goeth in this movie is reportedly tamer than the real one b/c the latter was so monstrous that he came off as almost unbelievable. The recent trend in writing villains is to make their motivations understandable. You'll hear lots of film enthusiasts preach that making a one-dimensional antagonist who's just evil for the sake of evil and only cares for money is the wrong way to go. It's almost as if this film is trying to give Amon a character arc regarding power, and attempting to provide answers as to why he is the way he is. Only for him to reject that exploration and immediately go back to the pleasure of killing. A reminder that monsters do exist in real life no matter if they're human.
But that’s what makes Amon evil, he wants to show humanity, he tries to show humanity, but he’s neither strong enough or willing to fully show humanity to people he sees as lesser/subhuman
that’s the ultimate trait of true evil, the lack of humanity.
@@mckenzie.latham91 He has a twisted notion of humanity towards Helen, such as "mercifully" shooting her in the back of the head. Though as Schindler surmised, that's b/c he enjoys her. The other Jews are nothing to him, hence it's more about the power in killing.
@@mckenzie.latham91It's okay. You can say psychopath.
@@nocturnalcove9736A psychopath doesn't care about being human
Goethe actually tries to be human, when he sees how the workers and others are with Schindler he gets jealous and envious
And tries to be like Schindler, tris to show compassion and or humanity
But as stated he is neither strong enough nor willing to actually see it through.
A psychopath wouldn't try or care, they'd see it as beneath them or unnecessary.
It should also be pointed out that Spielberg wouldn’t even communicate with the actors playing the Einsatzgruppen. He would give them direction but wouldn’t give small talk as he was unable to get past the uniforms. Remember, these were actors of the German theater. But a beautiful thing happened earlier in production. They had Passover at the hotel they we’re staying at in Krakow, Poland. Spielberg had all the Jewish actors sitting around at a table and then all the German actors walked in wearing the yamakas and they sat next to the Jews and participated in the Passover ritual and Spielberg was moved to tears.
@Noah dean Be kind.
I think it'd be hard on anyone, but if I recall correctly, Spielberg is himself a Jew.
@@brigidtheirish He is.
By defending Schindler with the "kissing the jewish woman" Amon didn't question the ideology. He just wanted to justify his attraction to Helen.
YES THIS!! ^^^^
More importantly, he was protecting Schindler because he expected more money from him. Goeth was ridiculously corrupt, even by Nazi standards. Ironically it's his corruption that made the rescue possible. You can see how good Schindler was at playing Amon when you look at the trial Goeth faced after the war: he named Schindler as a character witness for his defense. Of course Schindler didn't show up.
@@hansmahr8627 Amazing! Didn't know the last fact! Well played, Schindler.
@@desisdosis473 what do you mean?
I know it’s a hard movie to watch but i think this movie should be a mandatory watch in high school history class. This generation has been passing away and we need generations to come to not forget, and remember this was real. This really happened. And in parts of the world, it’s still happening. Humans are capable of this.
I watched it in 2 high schools classes. Early 2000s
I agree, though even more interesting would be to assign them to listen to any of the Shoah testimonies available online, which are firsthand accounts from a variety of perspectives.
@Justin Allred IKR? Because of this, I supposedly expected the theaters for its 25th anniversary reissue in 2018 to be sardine tins of teens!
Yeah it's sadly happening ironically by Israel to Arabs. Weird how this world works huh
Fact : The actors who played the nazis cried after every scene they did. The other actors calmed them down saying "this is a part you are playing" ...... very emotionel
Ralph Fiennes who played Amon Goth terrified people by how close he looked to Amon in both looks and his acting... by him seeing the real victims of the war and see how they were having PTSD because of him must have left scars in him as well..
Kinda reminds me of Leonardo DiCaprio in Django as he said how sick he felt after all the N-words he had to say during the filming.
Great actors takes those scars but can still work through them when filming.
Two things that always stand out for me in this movie:
1) The importance of being able to establish relationships/alliances. Aside from his money, the main reason Schindler was able to achieve any of this at all was his uncanny social skills--his confidence and charisma and his key understanding of how to give people what they want (or showing them what they should want) while also getting what he wants.
2) All the paperwork issues and the stress on everything being organised in that way. There were so many moments in the movie where problems were caused by mistakes in filing, people losing their cards etc and how it was all just treated like a job, like just another day at the office you know. But the results of such change the course of people lives.
Also, don't let anyone make you feel ashamed or uncomfortable for saying you enjoy the movie or that it's a good film. We need to be sensitive but we don't need to beat ourselves up. It's designed to be enjoyed. That doesn't mean that it's about something "nice" or that you don't respect the seriousness or tragedy of the situation being portrayed. Instead, it means that it has communicated with you at a really human emotional level and will be memorable and stick with you. One of the absolute worst happenings in history deserves nothing less than one of the best storytelling mediums available wielded by one of the best filmmakers of a generation to especially drive the point home. I think it did what Oskar really wanted all along in the end--the name "Schindler" will never be forgotten, by countless more people than just the Jews he helped and their descendants.
This and Dead Poets Society in the same day...geez you guys want me to cry today don't you?
Yeah…sorry
They could have gone for the trifecta and did "What Dreams May Come"
The saddest thing is that he died alone and in misery. He was just one man, but he did so much to help and save others. He, and Sophie Scholl, and all the other German people who stood up against Nazism are true heroes.
here in portugal we had our own "Schindler". he was called Aristides de Sousa Mendes, who helped out many jewish people run away from the grasp of the germans, by spending three days and three nights passing authorizations for their passage through portugal in order for them to eventually migrate for countries like America (theres no exact number but its said he managed to help around 10 000 jews although this number is still debated). he also ended up in misery, and is also remembered and honored by many jewish people to this day. history is filled with almost if not completely unsung heroes.
Well, his life after the war wasn't that great but the people that he saved took care of him whenever he had money problems and he spent every summer in Jerusalem, among 'his Jews'.
Mietek Pemper (one of the two other inspirations for the character of Stern apart from the real Itzhak Stern) once mentioned that there were some survivors who were a bit annoyed because they would send Schindler money and he'd spend it on drinks and gambling. Pemper told them (I have to paraphrase, can't find the quote right now): 'Schindler is not an ordinary man. If he was, he couldn't have done what he did.' Basically saying that, yes he was flawed, he liked living the big life, throwing money out of the window, etc. He was a trickster, a bit of a con-man. And it's precisely those qualities, coupled with his sense of moral decency, that enabled him to save all these people. In normal human society he was a failure. But when he was confronted with human suffering of unimaginable proportions, he became a hero. And he used his charm and his skills of manipulation for good. The movie doesn't even show half of the things he did, the risks he took, the insane amount of effort over several years.
What's really sickening is that every time there are large-scale atrocities being committed in the world, there is never any shortage of people willing to brutalize and kill their fellow humans. I've never heard of a genocide failing because oh darn, we've run out of murderers.
Unfortunately, that's the cold hard truth and reality of life.
It's easy to forget that this is the "Us vs. Them" mentality that is still prevalent today. Whenever you hear anyone discussing "those" people you know they are only trying to divide us, and that eventually leads to events like those depicted in this film.
This is so true. Born in 1964, i think this was a horror of the past that could never happen today, until Trump ran for office in 2015. The otherizing of people. I’m not Jewish, but my own Jewish cousin voted for Trump. When he won, i knew another Holocaust could happen in first world countries. we’ve learned nothing from history.
@@happyday883 You might even add the unvaccinated -- football players who decided (for personal reasons) not to get vaccinated have to wear yellow wristbands?? Tell me that doesn't sound familiar...
@@RLucas3000 Because they are accustomed to seeing through the propaganda. Yes, Jews vote for Trump. And they were attacked physically for it in New York by BLM. Trump defended Israel. AOC and Omar criticized Israel for defending itself. Progressive Ben and Jerry's refused service to Israel under the guise of defending Muslims, yet Biden makes excuses for China putting them in camps and sterilizing them. CRT Anti-racism prioritizes people based on race, gender and religion and teaches that to children and enforces it via government, prioritizing monetary relief and vaccines to races they favor. Asians physically attacked for being "white adjacent" and excluded from schools because "there are too many of them," "White Fragility" and "privilege." Struggle sessions. Actresses fired for not towing the party line. "Trump supporters" blamed for the spread of Covid.
Yes, there is a lot "othering" going on.
No, I did not vote for Trump, myself, but I recognize the invoking of over the top hysteria that corporate media has infused so many with, and it saddens me to see ideology placed above humanity again.
The progressive alt-left and nutso alt-right extremes BOTH seek to use force to inflict their will on us all.
But only one of those has the power of media and government, and is taken seriously by the average citizen.
Yes. It is absolutely always a danger once someone will decide that they are the hero and the other group is the bad ones. Because then, if they are the bad ones, you can justify any means. People do that now and they don't even know how they sound, because they think themselves right.
@@RLucas3000 You couldn't have it more backwards if you tried. It's the conservatives and Christians that are being marginalized today. It's you who have learned nothing from history.
I'm Polish, so that movie and this history is something I grew up with. I've been to the camps and my family was murdered and tortured by both sides Soviets and Nazi Germany. I remember tattoo with numbers on my grandma's friend's arm. My grandmother saw her uncle killed because he was fighting the oppressor in secret operations till the end. We only managed to rebury him in 90's from where they buried him in the forest. In the camps, there is still this weight and stillness. It is like it scared Poland forever.
bless your heart and family♥️
I’m so sorry for what your family had to go through
I think these events will leave a mark on the land that can be felt for generations to come. Even those who don't know about the events will feel something when going to these places.
I think the quote you're looking for is "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."
I lost family at Auschwitz and this movie crushes me every time. I’m so glad you took the time to watch this because our memories will help ensure this never happens again. Those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it. Respect
Not a lot of the world knew this was going on until late in the war, we need more films like this to document to current generations that letting things happen and not doing anything about it can lead to immense suffering of the weak. Another hard hitting film United 93 based on sept 11 terror attacks.
From Wikipedia: Spielberg said the [girl in red] scene was intended to symbolize how members of the highest levels of government in the United States knew the Holocaust was occurring, yet did nothing to stop it. "It was as obvious as a little girl wearing a red coat, walking down the street, and yet nothing was done to bomb the German rail lines. Nothing was being done to slow down ... the annihilation of European Jewry," he said. "So that was my message in letting that scene be in color."
@@jp3813 The little girl in red did go for that walk. Her name was Genia and I think she was a cousin of the Dresners. No-one knows what became of her -- it was hard to keep track of everyone
When I watched this movie, I didnt shed a tear during the duration of the movie. When they started piling stones to his tomb I started sobbing so hard. It was difficult to process how can a human being do that horrors to his fellow men.
"I couldn't gotten one more." is one of the most powerful scenes ever put to film. I don't know anyone who hasn't been moved when they've watched it.
On German sidewalks and thresholds in front of houses you nowadays every once and while find small so called "Stolpersteine" (stumble stones) where there's inwritten the name(s), birthdate, date and place of death of the people who once lived in that house/place - but then got deported and died /got killed in concentration camps.
One of those stones is right in front of my house/front door - and I have to step by it every day when I leave my house or come back home. Of course I never knew these people - but thinking about them a lot..
Something that should be mentioned more often.
It must be so sad, but thankfully some of the millions are remembered.
@@lori6115 Between war criminals still being put on trial from time to time and duds from WWII being found on a regular base you learn to live with the deeds of your grandparents.
All in all the most sad part is how the rest of the world seems to forget what happened back then or puts on some rose tinted glasses.
We have a lot of Stolpersteine in my city. Once a year, a lot of people who live in those streets go out with cleaning equipment and clean them and put candles and flowers next to them.
@@stina6225 That's a beautiful ritual! 🧡
“Your eyes are useless if your mind is blind” - Someone
I watched this back in high school in my Holocaust class and I was balling like a baby, it’s incredible
you had an entire class about the holocaust?? i wish my school had that, though we studied it in both history and english lit class.
@@olivia-lc5mi I wish we had that, too. My college professors were completely screwed up; telling us that the Holocaust "never happened" and that 9/11 was done not by radical Islamist terrorists, but by "right wing terrorists."
@@patrioticjustice9040 What the hell ? What country were you living in ?
I first watched this during history class in 10th grade. I have never seen a group of rowdy teenagers so quiet.
Growing up in Germany we obviously all knew what happened during WWII - but I had no idea of the actual horrors. My parents didn't really talk about it to us. Neither did my grandparents - they were children /teens during the war and had their own traumatic experiences.
This movie should be mandatory to watch in school. Those atrocities and their victims should never be forgotten.
Yes .. im American but lived in Germany for 8 years and went to an American school. We learned about the Holocaust every year but each year it got more graphic i even went to 2 concentration camps .. its horrible and sad I can't even fathom living through anything like that ( ie. Holocaust, slavery, etc. ) and it hurts me that there are ppl today who belive it to be a conspiracy theory and don't belive it happened
Agreed. (Also German here) When the Holocaust started coming up in classes, my classmates tended to roll their eyes in a "we already know, you've already told us a thousand times" way, but I still think it's important not only to learn that it happened, but what led up to it and how it came about
The movie is hard to watch, but the reality of these events back then was much worse that what is depicted here. The movie is the "PG" version of the real horrors that occurred.
We saw The Pianist and The boy on the Striped Pajamas. I remember the collective gasp on the class on the wheelchair man scene on the Pianist
Hey also german here. My classmates actually did not stay silent during the movie. A few even laughed. I can't understand why people would laugh at this.
This movie made us all cry
With the exception of the neo-Nazis I guess.
Because unfortunately there are still some.
@@ayoydonsafamal8380 right
I know I'm commenting a bit here - but on the note of Schindler himself:
I looked it up, and apparently the part of the story where he sees the liquidation of the ghetto and that event triggers his change of heart? That's completely true. Apparently the events he witnessed that day were so horrible that that was when he decided to start helping Jews just for the sake of helping.
Also: he spent literally his whole life savings keeping those people alive, to the point where he had to spend the rest of his life being financially supported by "his" Jews because he couldn't get back on his feet. They also got him out of the country so he wasn't arrested. He reportedly stayed in contact with many of them, for the rest of his life.
If you're doing a Spielberg watch, I highly recommend the color purple! People forget he directed it too!
Another great film!
Such a great film❤❤❤❤
Amistad too
The movies that made me cry (32 year old man):
1. The Lion King
2. Schindler’s List
3. Titanic
4. The Lord of the Rings
Oh man Titanic for sure is one. 12 Years a Slave was a sobfest.
Thank you for watching... as a grandchild of a holocaust surviver this is so important for everyone to know the history... never again 🤍
That’s insane…that’s so powerful
@@whitenoisereacts what's real is you said the brainwashing thing was true. Well your living in a country where your the brainwashed ones now and don't even know it. Don't belive me? Try to thi g your own way. I'll bet ten to one if you try to think out of the way your programed to you'll see you can't
Thank you for cutting in some time from the end that shows "The Schindler Jews Today". May reactors show only a few seconds or nothing at all and I feel that it's important to show and remember that this is not just a movie or some vague thing that happened in the past but these were real people who suffered unimaginable horrors. And you're right, it really wasn't that long ago.
It's more important to watch the actual film. Not really up to the reactors to show the movie's message.
As a German, I am extremely grateful to Spielberg for all his efforts to keep the memory of these horrors alive. I appreciate your reaction and that you took away the mosts important lesson: not to forget. After many difficult conversations with my own grandparents, I will make sure to never forget. Sadly, many people today do not realize how easy it actually is to make the same mistakes all over again. Many Germans of that time did not commit acts of evil in their own eyes. Just as many people today do not realize their own acts of evil.
The fear-mongering and hate speeches of - pre-dominantly but not only - US politics scare me deeply. It is the same kind of rhethoric all over again. And, please, people! I am NOT talking about wearing masks or getting vaccinated because those two things come from places of compassion and logic - not hate. I hope that at some point, you might realize that yourselves.
As a Jew living in America, I constantly remind my friends and relatives - don't be so comfortable in America that you won't leave if you need to. I tell them to always remember, there was a point in the 30's where the German Jews were saying, "we don't need to leave. Nothing will happen to us... This is Germany, after all."
For over 75 years people have been asking “HOW could this have happened?” and there will never be a satisfactory answer. How can there be? How does one explain the incomprehensible? It is absolutely mind boggling that genocide of this magnitude took place in the middle of the 20th century. This is not something that happened in the dark ages when there was no modern communication. This was the 1940s when there were newspapers, radio and telephones. The world knew what was happening and yet it continued for *years.* I think it's also important to point out that what we see in this film isn’t even the half of it. As shocking and graphic as this movie is, it is a sanitized version of the true horrors that went on in these places. There is no way they could show the true extent in a mainstream movie. A graphic depiction of the atrocities committed would have been too much for anyone to watch.
When I was visiting Austria, Germany and Poland in 2009 I decided to tour Auschwitz. Let me tell you, seeing a film like Schindler’s List or seeing a documentary on the Holocaust or learning about it in history class - *NOTHING* can prepare you for a visit to a place like that. The energy (if that’s even the right word) that surrounds that entire complex is utterly indescribable and I felt it before we even passed through the gate. Admission was free, but I paid for a guided tour. I never made it that far. After about 15 to 20 minutes I was so overcome that I could not continue. The huge display of shoes, hair brushes, eyeglasses, suitcases and other personal items that were confiscated from the victims was all it took. Especially after I saw human hair, which I learned later was shaved off and used to make socks and boot liners as well as other items. After seeing that display I felt...I don't know, it's kind of hard to describe. Nauseous or sick aren't exactly accurate, but I just knew I could not go on. I can’t imagine what I would have felt like if I made it to the gas chambers or the ovens. What I do know is the 20 or so minutes I spent at Auschwitz had a profound effect on me and it is something I will never forget for the rest of my life.
Labeling people visually, de-humanizing them, doing things because an ideology is presented as the right thing. Keep your eyes open. It still can happen today.
With all the Antisemitism going around the world once again, thank you for making this reaction.
Once again, makes it sound like it stopped. Pretty sure it has been around non-stop since at least them building the pyramids 4500 years ago.
I just know someone will reply about Israel in this and I'll just say Israel isn't representative of Jews around the world the same way Saudi Arabia isn't for Muslims & Uganda for christians.
@@lalitthapa101 yeah, there are faults in every country, no nation is perfect.
@@lalitthapa101 Yes, but people don’t hate Jews because they hate Israel. People hate Israel because they hate Jews. Some are fooled when the modern antisemites use the word “Zionist” instead of Jews. Zionist just means you think Israel has the right not to be destroyed. And the attacks are only because it’s the only Jewish state in the world. The only Jews these “anti-Zionists” don’t hate are ethnic Jews who effectively renounce their religion.
"It *IS* possible."
To me, this is the entire reason for the sentiment of "Never Forget." It's not only so we remember what happened -- it's so we remember _it can happen again._
The pardon scene always gets me cause what Schindler says is correct. Anyone can rule by fear but that's not power. Being able to pardon is power cause you are in the position to forgive.
That's why in modern democracies,the head of state (President/monarch) is given the special power to pardon people cause thats the most powerful seat of power in the political structure. No one else can do that.
Respect. You need to keep this channel going.
A truly honest first time reaction from both of you. I really enjoyed it. Just to make you cry a little more, James, is the little girl in the red coat's name was Roma Ligocka . She is still alive today and wrote her memoir called "The Girl in the Red Coat" after seeing "Schindler's List." Years later she met Spielberg in Germany where he was rewarded for his efforts of the film and its message. She walked up to him and said, "I just want to let you know I am the girl in the red coat." Spielberg was astounded and wanted to know where she has been all this time. She showed him a yellowed photograph taken of her with her cousin, Roman Polanski. Apparently, another girl had the same red coat or she left it behind in Kracow when they were evacuating the Jewish populations in the ghetto. That was when you saw her hiding under the bed. BTW: another Spielberg film that doesn't get a lot of viewing time is based on the life of a young author named J.G. Ballard who finds himself struggling to survive World War II in Shanghai, China in 1941. It's called "Empire of the Sun" and it stars a then 13 year old Christian Bale.
The transition that Schindler takes in this film (among all other aspects) is brilliant. The transition that Neeson shows through his acting was one of the best performances I've seen. In the beginning-his only true concern was for making money, for being well known from his riches. While he is aware that things are going on around him, the Holocaust is in it's first phases, he sees it only in how it will be of financial advantage to himself. But, slowly, the realization of what is actually going on, pierces it's way through and he can no longer ignore his surroundings. He takes that motivation he had to make money and turns in into motivation to save lives. Just speaking on acting performances alone, that is such a powerful and moving journey for viewers of the film to watch and Neeson did it spectacularly.
Thank you for this video, this is such important movie that it's hard to watch more than a handful of times. Take to mind, though, that this is the "subtle" version of the true horrors survivors went through. My grandfather lost 9 sisters in Awschwitz, my father's uncle is one of the last Mengele-Twins alive today. when I was 16, I remember one of my relatives telling me when we visited Aswchwitz, "This is the bed your grandmother slept in, make sure to show it to your own kids one day."
This, the Pianist, 12 Years A Slave and Amistad, all need to be a must watch.
The most overlooked and yet one of the finest Speilberg films is "Empire of the Sun," with a very young Christian Bale in the starring role.
Oh yes, it's an amazing movie. I rewatch it every couple of years, and it still makes me cry every time.
It always leaves me in a puddle. When I saw it in the theater, I said that little boy will win Oscars if he keeps acting.
I really want to highlight what you said about the Nazis being people, in the end. Because I feel, especially nowadays, people tend to forget that. Nazis have been made into a popular villain in a lot of books and movies, and while yes, they are definitely the bad guys, they also get cartoonishly evil a lot. And it kind of takes away the horror that that really happened. These people really existed and did these things.
Another point to this is that with the Nazis as portrayed in popular media, people tend to distance themselves from that. The only kind of Nazi in their heads is the guy with the German accent who rants about Jews and wants to conquer the world - and while those people existed, the vast majority of Nazis had different motivations. They were in for their own personal gain (like Schindler in the beginning of the movie) or they were afraid of the consequences of not going along with it, maybe they enjoyed the power over others because they didn't have that power anywhere else in their lives, maybe they just didn't care. And all those people were in the wrong too! But because you don't see that a lot in the media, when your family member, your friend, your neighbor starts showing these right wing extremist tendencies, you don't think much of it because "well, they're nice enough to me, and Nazis were all cartoonishly evil so they're not a Nazi"
And I think that's scary, with the political landscape in a lot of countries right now.
Yes. Many people joined the party for survival. Others joined because they believed it really would help Germany but didn't agree with all the racism. Others still vaguely agreed with the racism only because it made an easy target for all the resentment from losing the previous war.
And it's not just right wing extremists. It's extremists on all sides. Technically speaking, the Nazi brand of fascism is a type of socialism, making them *left wing.* Yes, there was capitalism permitted, but businesses were ultimately owned by the state and merely *run* by individuals. I rather clever trick to make people think they still had some control over their lives.
@@brigidtheirish National Socialism was slightly less socialist than North Korea is a democratic people's republic. Socialists and communists were sent to the camps.
@@MySerpentine Yeah. I find it rather funny how similar the Nazi system was to socialism while also *hating* socialists.
If it's only socialist in providing good things for certain special people at the expense of everyone else then that is not socialism.
Yep - that's why I try to never, ever call people who do terrible things "monsters" or "animals" or anything that suggests they're not *entirely normal, everyday humans.* If we distance ourselves from people who do these things, we can comfortably think we could never fall to that, and that's absolutely not true. This was only a generation ago; there's no difference between the people then and now.
Also, the women who played the maid, Helen Hirsch, played ms. Honey in Matilda!
I highly recommend watching Come and See (1985). It's about a boy who witnesses the massacre of Belarussian villagers during WWII. Even more ruthless than Schindler's List, if that's even possible. Not many people in the West know about what the Nazis did to Soviet civilians back then.
I think come & see shows war as it is-Ugly
Told myself after I first watched this that once was enough for a lifetime because it was so devastating. It’s been years, but I’ve been wanting to rewatch it because it’s just an amazing film and an important event to remember.
If you haven't seen it already, I highly recommend the movie Jojo Rabbit. It's a very different kind of WW2 movie, but it does touch on the aspect of the German brainwashing that you mentioned
just some notes, the concentration camp there which was called plaszow (pronounced, `plashow") was built on top of what was a jewish cemetery. the factory that oskar schindler had was converted into a museum which has pictures and names of the folks that he helped. also the apartment that in that movie where liam is staying at, is actually oskar schindler's apartment where he stayed, seeing that the movie was filmed in krakow, poland.
One of Spielberg’s many magnum opuses and one of the most important motion pictures ever made, Spielberg began production on this almost immediately after completing the main filming of Jurassic Park, he actually had to oversee the cgi for the dinosaurs and the audio mixing while on the way to film either the concentration camp or ransacking scenes, he would privately cry with his wife during the production and said that he wouldn’t have been able to get through it if it wasn’t for her, it is undoubtedly one of the most difficult films to watch but it is fundamentally important to remember what happened and ensure that it NEVER EVER happens again, rest in peace to EVERY innocent person ✌️
It's truly humbling and beautiful to be part of a Jewish Sabbath service (someone who is not Jewish myself).
If you guys ever get a chance to sit in on one, highly recommend. And ask questions. They are more than happy to answer them.
This film up until now is so difficult for me to rewatch; so raw, stunning and terrifying at the sametime.
You guys should definitely react to "Life Is Beautiful" (La vita è bella) directed by and starring Roberto Benigni and also "The Pianist".
This is one of those movies that everyone must see, even if it’s a difficult watch.
Even on a positive note, the acting, the cinematography, the sound track are all amazing pieces of art.
Excellent reaction guys, Spielberg didn't take any salary for this movie, he was so depressed during the shoots so he asked Jerry Seinfeld & Larry David to send him VHS-tapes of new "Seinfeld"-episodes so he could relax a bit at night... This of course, somehow lead up to the double episode of Seinfeld - "The raincoats"... Watch that.
Wow, didn't know that...thanks for sharing it (that is, if it's true). I do buy the part of Spielberg being so depressed during shoots knowing his personality...my respects to the man: What a monumental effort.
Robin Williams would call him and visit him to make him laugh.
The story about the Rabbi and the hinge and how both guns failed to fire is a true story. It actually happened.
Wow…that’s insane
This is not a made up movie
It's real Schindler and this story really existed. Liked your reaction.
Always remember the horrors portrayed in this film are sanitized for film. It is impossible, even with recorded atrocities from that time, to do a film. You would have to watch The Shoah by Lanzmann to even grasp the horror. And thats a documentary. Thanks for watching the film. It is beautiful cinema.
Even when it's a reaction video, I ever cry with this.. There should be no war
When I first saw this movie I was too shocked to react as it was going on...then when the ending with Oscar going on how he could have saved more finally broke me and I cried hard for a good 15 minutes, then finished the film then cried on and off the rest of the day. It was a powerful movie that I will never want to see again but hope everyone sees it cause it's important. =)
I saw this in the theater period when the movie was over it was completely silent except people crying
Oh, my god this movie made me cry, 10 times after I watched it. It won 7 Oscars including Best Picture. You'll find out why.
The only thing evil needs to prevail is for good people to do nothing.
Thank you for doing this, everyone should see this at least once.
The true horrors will never be shown in films as most people could not and would not watch so it has to be toned down to make sure that the stories are told. Even reading about them you will find yourself reading things over and over again because you cannot comprehend the evil behind some of the acts.
I think my most remembered story behind the Schindler set was during a visit from some of the survivors. The woman who worked for Amon saw Ralph Fiennes come on on set in full regalia and started shaking, because he looked so much like him.
Wow that’s crazy
A nice fact: a lot of the actors are israeli-jewish, most are very well known! Such as Ezra Dagan, Uri Avrahami, Rami Heuberger, Shmulik Levi, Miri Fabian, Adi Nitzan, Mark Ivanir and more... some were comedians back in the day (Shmulik and Rami were part of a comedic group called the "The Kameri Quintet")
The end always breaks me. What a powerful movie.
RIP to my ancestors who could not escape the horrors.
This movie is hard to watch because it's all true. It happened. I cry every time I see this.....
My father was in Patton's 3rd army [687th Fab] (I am 67)....One of his last duties in the spring of 1945 was helping with the "clean up" (Body disposals) at Buchenwald concentration camp....He took pictures which my mother later burned so he wouldn't keep looking at.......This wasn't just "some movie"......
OH MY GOSH! I love this channel! You are covering most of my favorites!! AMAZING
Oscar Schindler is the perfect example of a good Slytherin. The only major gripe I have against the Harry Potter series is that there were no actual good Slytherins-meaning they used their Slytherin traits to help the good side. Oscar’s ambition, his cunning, his diplomacy, and his loyalty all played a part in this. When shit truly hits the fan, and there’s no allowance for outright heroes, a good Slytherin is who you want on your side.
53:27 that’s Liam Neeson in front Schindler Grave.
34:20, at this point it's Goeth's inability to avoid murdering people.
One thing to always consider about the German soldiers is that they were being pumped full of meth. Which is known to amplify aggression and desensitizes people.
When people say “how can you do something like this?” I say meth is a hell of a drug.
That is actually a good point. That’s crazy
Oskar Schindler was a real person. The film is based on a book Schindler’s List.
I remember when I went to the Imperial museum in London with a school trip. Two out of the four floors were dedicated to the Holocaust, covering how it started, the ghettos and eventually the camps. We all saw Schindler's list, we were all history students, we all knew that part of history but nothing prepared us for the survivors' testimony. It was horrible. It never felt as real as it did in that moment. My friend and I were sobbing and at some point we felt we couldn't breathe and we had to get out. The stories I heard that will always stay in my mind.
Spielberg certainly knows how to play to one's emotions. The film itself is a very well made success story. So far, "Shoah" by Claude Lanzmann is widely considered to be the definitive work when it comes to the Holocaust (along with "Night and Fog" by Alain Resnais). Lanzmann got into a bit of an angry back and forth with Spielberg when Schindler's List came out because he viewed it as a deformation of historical truth and Spielberg accused him of wanting to be the only voice when it came to the Holocaust. I'm more happy with the fact that the making of the film lead Spielberg to create the USC Shoah Foundation.
I saw an interview with Goethes daughter and she said that she found out about her father initially from this movie. She then confronted her mother.
At the end of the movie the jewler who made the ring for Schindler happens to be be the cousin of my wife's grandfather.
"Shoah" IS the most detailed film on the Holocaust, and “Schindler’s List" used many references that appear on “Shoah". However, Lanzmann really became touchy, as if he was the only one entitled to tell the story, which may be explained because he took more than 10 years making it. It is a film that cuts you as if thousands of scalpels are being working on you.
But I agree with Spielberg: Lanzmann is not the only one entitled to speak about the Holocaust and "Schindler’s List’ has the great merit of bringing the story in global scale and to a MUCH wider audience. It’s one of the most powerful Hollywood mainstream films ever made, and very accurate.
9:52 -- not from exactly the purest of motives (just YET)... but, yes, he's helping.
we had to watch this film in school, no one spoke through the whole thing. and most of us were definitely crying at the end, me included.
its a beautiful and sad film, and everyone should watch it at some point.
As a Native American born male & A Jewish Adoptee, this film really hits me HARD considering that BOTH my blood & adopted ancestors went through this still hurts, and it is very much a subject at least for Native Americans that HAS YET to be resolved anywhere near this level, IF that is THIS can be called a resolution as NOTHING WILL EVER undo what has been done, it pains me greatly knowing NOT only in US & Russian politics people use the same excuses Nazis did to justify their actions but people still get away with committing atrocities of this level today, the main argument there being the still abysmal situation in South Africa & even in South America, If i could have 1 wish it would be for all of it to stop & the perpetrators either brought to a swift & decisive end along with their followers, or that they be brought to justice, they're crimes brought to light, & they be sentenced accordingly.
loved the discussion at the end! "Evil triumphs when good men do nothing"
Oooh! That one’s a tough one. A GOOD one, but nonetheless a tough watch.
In the beginning of the review, you said a comment about it being kind of a German perspective of the war. There’s an AMAZING book called “The Book Thief” that depics the wat through the eyes of a little German girl.
It got turned ito a pretty nice but very underrated movie. It’s a good watch!
This movie is one of my all time favorites. It is so beautifully made, a very intense and powerful way to show this awful part of the story. Also, the soundtrack is such a gem, it makes me cry every time.
If you'd want to check more war movies like this one, I'd suggest checking an Italian movie called La vita è bella. It is just incredible, sad and beautiful.
I'm polish. It breaks my heart everytime I see this film and many more telling stories about WWII. It hurts what happened to many Poles (Jewish and catholic)
It’s still hard to this day to comprehend the atrocities that happened in the war, it really puts into perspective of the evil we were fighting against.
The film was released on Christmas Day 1993, just 6 months after Spielberg's Other film JURASSIC PARK was released.
I just watched your reaction & was impressed with your post-discussion. Talking about how people forget or focus on generic problems is so ironic. Not that you could have known when you reacted to this film, but what is happening in the Ukraine has many similarities to the holocaust. As we hear about mass graves, see pictures of the dead in a city that was under siege as the world looks on...Man’s inhumanity to man, sadly.
If we don’t remember the past, we’re doomed to repeat it...
🖤🌹🖤🧛🏻♀️
This movie is truly breathtaking every scene was so thought out and researched it’s amazing
YES! 👏🏼😯 Starting it now. Getting my tissue box. Schindler’s transformation inspires to this day. 🥺🤧
First time seeing a video of yours. Will subscribe. Loving it ! Love from north Wales xx
A very moving video is Spielberg winning best picture. One of the producers of this film, Branko Lustig, is a survivor that was in Auschwitz. His speech was so sad but he needed to tell us what those that died could not and made this film in remembrance of them.
The officer playing Mozart on the piano during the ghetto liquidation is meant to demonstrate that the Nazis, in spite of their disgusting actions, were not street thugs (many were, but not all); many of them were highly educated and came from the upper crust of society. It's important to remember that being well-mannered and graduating from college is no guarantee that an individual will not stoop to this level of depravity, given the proper motivation. I also took Goeth's pistols misfiring as a subtle hint that he is not a real soldier who has discipline and skill; his weapons being in such poor condition that they won't even fire shows that he is nothing but a bloodthirsty sociopath who only wants to hurt others.
When I'm looking to Schindler's list, I have always a strange impression overwhelming me.
I'm under the impression that I'm watching the nightmare, of a nightmare, narrated by the nightmare of this nightmare's nightmare.
Spielberg at his best. Serious and haunting.
Another serious Spielberg Cold War drama that doesn't get the recognition it should, is Bridge Of Spies (2015) with Tom Hanks.
Lisiek’s murder really haunts me. I have never been able to get that out of my mind.
As part of your "Spielberg binge" you should really check out Munich.
It gets much less attention that other Spielberg movies of the same period but it's so much more morally complex and I REALLY cannot say enough good things about it. You think it's going to be about one thing, the characters think it's going to be about one thing, and then the movie doesn't let either you or the characters escape from the consequences of what's happening (was that vague enough...? no spoilers).
i got to the end of the video, this film never fails to make me cry, it seems.
Amon didn't question whether it was right or wrong. He was annoyed by his own physical attraction to the Jewish women he was in contact with. Specifically his housekeeper. Amon Goeth didn't feel empathy, do not be fooled.
I think what I would want to add is that if Schindler was too emotional from the start, as he was in the end he would have saved nobody because he wouldn't be able to befriend those people as he would feel crushed by their behavior. He was just the right person in the right place, with the right person to push him. He was sort of morally ambiguous and he wasn't passing strong judgments on Goth which enabled him to get in his graces and pull strings. He was able to speak with him without overwhelming repulsion. Good stories are also that of Leopold Socha who also was looking for gain and eventually helped people survive in sewers for years and that of Irena Sendler who personally, at great risk took out of getto 2,500 children. One by one, each time risking death. She was eventually arrested and tortured but survived the war.
2 of my great grandparents and most of my mothers side went through the camps. Its a miracle that I’m alive today and religious
That’s incredible.
Watching this video of yours again after 1 year...the silence after the movie
This is a small part of what was going on. There was experimentation on people to create the white blond blue eyed race. And it wasn't just in Poland. If you weren't Jewish and helped them, you were executed. So some Germans looked the other way rather than getting their own family killed. Thank you for reviewing this important and tragic time in history.
This movie won 34 awards including;
1994 OSCARS (7) - Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Score, Best Cinematography, Best writing, Best Production Design & Best Film Editing..
1994 GOLDEN GLOBES (3) - Best Motion Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay.
1994 BAFTAS (5) - Best Film, Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Best Original Score, Best Editing, Best Adapted Screenplay.
OTHER AWARDS Included (3) Awards from The National Society of Film Critics Awards, Writers Guild of America Awards, Directors Guild of America Awards & London Film Critics Circle Awards. There are a few others but this film was just in a league of it’s own.
Sadly Liam Neeson never won an award for his role as Oskar Schindler however, Ralph Fiennes WON Best Supporting Actor in 1994 for his role as Amon Goth with Ben Kingsley also nominated for his role as Itzhak Stern.
Best Actor for 1993 was Tom Hanks “Philadelphia” and 1994 Tom Hanks “Forest Gump”.