Why Isn't This On Blu-ray Yet?Relying on historical record and a sprinkling of artistic license Steven Spielberg’s Schindler’s List (1993) accounts the Nazi occupation in Poland and one industrialist’s personal manifesto to save as many Jewish exiles from the concentration camp or worst as he can. In retrospect, Schindler's List is the culmination of all previous cinematic exercises on the subject, a definitive filmic examination of that tortuous chapter in world history that will likely never be equalled.
Spielberg's great gift to movie making is his ability to be frank and honest with his audience without becoming preachy or coy. His best films entertain us in unexpected ways, surprise us with their candor and charm us with their unvarnished truths of humanity.
Schindler's List benefits immensely from Janusz Kaminski's powerful cinematography. It starts off lush, though dark and brooding, and gradually becomes more stark and surreal as the tone of Steven Zaillian's screenplay becomes more ominous and alarming. The film begins in 1939 with the relocation of Polish Jews to the Krakow ghetto. Oskar Schindler (Liam Neeson) is a roguish playboy with a penchant for high living. He latches onto the idea of starting a manufacturing plant that employs Jewish laborers for pure profit and embarks upon achieving this goal by lavishly bribing any and every Nazi official in his midst.
By his nature, Schindler is a rather lazy man who would rather carouse with cabaret girls than put in an honest day’s work. However, what Oskar ends up doing, thanks to his bookkeeper Itzhak Stern (Ben Kingsley) is saving many Jewish men, women and children otherwise slated for Nazi extermination. To procure his favours while pretending to be on the side of the Reich, Oskar befriends S.S. Lieutenant Amon Goeth (Ralph Fiennes) – a ruthless, arguably psychotic Nazi who derives strength and pleasure from inflicting pain, fear and death on others.
At first, Goeth is easily won over by Schindler’s charm which he misperceives as sycophantically manipulative. However, soon Goeth begins to suspect that Oskar’s front may be just that – a rouse to keep the Nazis at bay. For his part Oskar pretends not to care about the by product of his philanthropy - the Jews. But along the way he slowly begins to rediscovers his own humanity - briefly reconciling with his estranged wife, Emilie (Caroline Goodall). Oskar's penultimate realization comes late but is nevertheless profound: that an honorable pursuit is still honorable - his silent objection speaking in defense of the defenceless.
Liam Neeson's clever interpretation keeps the audience guessing his allegiances until the very end. Fiennes is chillingly indelible as the psychopath whose inner demons eventually envelope him. Ben Kingsley's turn as the bookish keeper of the faith as well as the tally adds yet another impeccable performance to his repertoire. A finer cast could not have been assembled.
Except for its brief bookends and the sudden appearance of a young girl streaking through the city in a lurid pink midway through the first act, the rest of the film is brilliantly conceived in black and white. The result feels more like an extended vintage news reel rather than a Hollywood retelling some 50 years removed from actual events.
Powerful and moving Schindler's List remains the high water mark in Steven Spielberg's career - a culmination of all that his craftsmanship as a film maker has become. There's economy yet depth to his story telling. Not a single shot is wasted. Not a moment false or strained. In the final analysis, Schindler's List is a great movie - not simply because of its subject matter, but due to Spielberg's gentle guiding principles and integrity as a director.
WHY ISN'T THIS ON BLU-RAY YET?!?
Universal Home Video’s DVD release is adequate, if not stellar. The film is split across two sides of a flipper disc; anamorphic widescreen and with an exemplary gray scale. However, film grain takes on the patina of digital grit. When the image is smooth it is also sharp with a startling degree of clarity. The audio is 5.1 Dolby Digital and impressive with deep sonic spread across all five channels.
For shame! Universal will be celebrating its 100th anniversary next year but its list of anniversary catalogue titles receiving the full Monty blu-ray treatment DOES NOT include Schindler's List at this time. Just a repackaged re-release of the single flipper disc without the bonus content of its 2 disc SE. What?!? Depressing news for fans of this film.
FILM RATING (out of 5 - 5 being the best)
5
VIDEO/AUDIO
3.5
EXTRAS
2
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