Schindler's List (1993) (20th Anniversary Limited Edition)

[TylerDurden]

Originally Posted by Darth Marcus

A take on Schindler's List I don't necessarily agree with.

Terry Gilliam criticizes Spielberg and Schindler's List - YouTube

I know Spielberg didn't want to make a movie about the 6 million dead Jews. He really wanted to show the survivors and the human spirit in the midst of despair. The fact that this story exists at all is a triumph of the human will. As the saying goes if you save one life it is as if you saved the whole world.

[bootsy]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

I think that War of the Worlds is highly underrated as a Spielberg film. Good timing to bring it into this discussion, since my Blu-ray of that film arrived in the mail last night.

I have been an avid fan of H.G. Wells since childhood, and Spielberg's War of the Worlds effectively encapsulates the spirit of the source novel. The scene of the alien tripods walking over the countryside hills and wreaking havoc was an exact match of how I envisioned this scenario while reading the book.

I still prefer the 1953 version of War of the Worlds (and want that film to hurry up being released on Blu-ray), but Spielberg's version is also a sci-fi classic through and through.

The coolest sound in the entire history of cinema appears in this movie, after all.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzY099ihULs

I agree. Love War of The Worlds.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by Darth Marcus

A take on Schindler's List I don't necessarily agree with.

Terry Gilliam criticizes Spielberg and Schindler's List - YouTube

Interesting perspective. I can see his point, because the movies that do not "tie everything together" in a comforting way are usually the ones that stay with me ( Andrey Tarkovskiy's Solaris, Michael Haneke's Caché, etc.).

Still, Schindler's List is a superb film that points out one bright spot in a world of darkness, in the same way that one single candle flame is illuminated at one point in the film, to show that an act of kindness, no matter how small, is never wasted. The movie helps us to understand that some hope can be salvaged from the ruins.

[klauswhereareyou]

Amazing film, but watching it once was enough. Sort of a classed up snuff film, so I don't think I'd want to watch it again.

[Ernest Rister]

Originally Posted by movieman1979

I agree, and disagree. While Spielberg made it a point of saying "I just didn't want to knock down any of the fourth walls, because it's experiential, and to suddenly see how it was all pulled together I think would take you out of how hard we worked to put you inside of the Holocaust from the point of view of the survivors." I think there could have been a few bonus features looking at the lives of Schindler or Goeth. However, if the film itself is meant to be the place in which our focus is meant to be placed, then I think this is the rare film that we all should make that concession to. Just to have the film itself on one, not flipable disc with bumped up A/V quality will be enough for me. Plus, the features that are already included are more than enough. I'd rather hear from the (at the time) surviving Schindlerjuden than see a behind the scenes documentary on how they attracted Liam Neeson to the project anyday.

I own a book released in Poland in 1993 called "Spielberg: W Possukiwaniu Arki" by Francieszek Palowski, Ph.D. Palowski was friends with Poldek Pfefferberg - the man who told the story of Schindler to author Thomas Keneally (Pfefferberg changed his name to Poldek Page after coming to Los Angeles after the war). Spielberg was coming to Poland to see the locations in the book for himself, and because Pfefferberg/Page couldn't go with him, Page recommended his friend Palowski. So under great secrecy, Spielberg flew to Poland, and Palowski toured with him, while also giving Spielberg additional anecdotes and background on what happened where and to who. Spielberg asked Palowski to stay with the unit during the filming, and Palowski later published what he referred to as a sort of part diary, part history, part rememberance of the production. The result is a fly on the wall accounting of the making of Schindler's List - at least, the moments Palowski witnessed. To put it mildly, there are some stunning passages.

In 1998, the book was released in the United States under the title "The Making of Schindler's List", and I don't know if it is out of print or not. The original Polish text is translated to English, and it reads like a translated text. Spielberg gives an introduction, there's a assemblage of photos, both from history and of the production (most of the latter in color, so if you want to know what color Oskar's suit was when he's watching that little girl in the red dress, there you go) and the book concludes with a list of the film's awards.

This might be as close as we'll ever get to "bonus features" on the making of Schindler's List. It's a powerful read.

[Ernest Rister]

Originally Posted by TylerDurden

I know Spielberg didn't want to make a movie about the 6 million dead Jews. He really wanted to show the survivors and the human spirit in the midst of despair. The fact that this story exists at all is a triumph of the human will. As the saying goes if you save one life it is as if you saved the whole world.

Gilliam misquotes Kubrick. "The Holocaust is about six million Jews who died. Steven's film is about twelve hundered who lived." That's the quote. Kubrick wasn't being dismissive of Spielberg at all. He was to the point...Spielberg's film isn't about the Holocaust, it is SET during the Holocaust, but it is not ABOUT the Holocaust. The film is about how goodness can thrive, how people choose to do good when they have every possible incentive not to. In short, it's about conscience.

Gilliam has also stated recently that Spielberg doesn't even know how to make a movie anymore. After watching "Lost in La Mancha", and knowing the infamous history of cost overruns and production problems on Gilliam's films, I suggest that Gilliam really has no room to talk.

[klauswhereareyou]

Originally Posted by Ernest Rister

Gilliam misquotes Kubrick. "The Holocaust is about six million Jews who died. Steven's film is about twelve hundered who lived." That's the quote. Kubrick wasn't being dismissive of Spielberg at all. He was to the point...Spielberg's film isn't about the Holocaust, it is SET during the Holocaust, but it is not ABOUT the Holocaust. The film is about how goodness can thrive, how people choose to do good when they have every possible incentive not to. In short, it's about conscience.

Gilliam has also stated recently that Spielberg doesn't even know how to make a movie anymore. After watching "Lost in La Mancha", I suggest that Gilliam really has no room to talk.

Probably like the preaty much one sided feud between Spike Lee and Quentin Tarantino, this is more about one director's jealousy of another then facts.

[SlaughterX]

About damn time. Been waiting to buy this since my uncle pawned my old DVD gift set. This will be mine day one!

[Ernest Rister]

Originally Posted by klauswhereareyou

Probably like the preaty much one sided feud between Spike Lee and Quentin Tarantino, this is more about one director's jealousy of another then facts.

Some people just don't like his work, and some people just don't like him as a person. I once had dinner with Allison Anders shortly before the release of Four Rooms. I told her how taken I was by Empire of the Sun, and she told me she went on a date to see Schnidler's List, and that she sat through the movie with a sneer on her face (her actual words). Why? She thought Spielberg had made the movie only to win Oscars.

That's some stone cold bitterness, right there.

[James Luckard]

Originally Posted by Ernest Rister

I own a book released in Poland in 1993 called "Spielberg: W Possukiwaniu Arki" by Francieszek Palowski, Ph.D. Palowski was friends with Poldek Pfefferberg - the man who told the story of Schindler to author Thomas Keneally (Pfefferberg changed his name to Poldek Page after coming to Los Angeles after the war). Spielberg was coming to Poland to see the locations in the book for himself, and because Pfefferberg/Page couldn't go with him, Page recommended his friend Palowski. So under great secrecy, Spielberg flew to Poland, and Palowski toured with him, while also giving Spielberg additional anecdotes and background on what happened where and to who. Spielberg asked Palowski to stay with the unit during the filming, and Palowski later published what he referred to as a sort of part diary, part history, part rememberance of the production. The result is a fly on the wall accounting of the making of Schindler's List - at least, the moments Palowski witnessed. To put it mildly, there are some stunning passages.

In 1998, the book was released in the United States under the title "The Making of Schindler's List", and I don't know if it is out of print or not. The original Polish text is translated to English, and it reads like a translated text. Spielberg gives an introduction, there's a assemblage of photos, both from history and of the production (most of the latter in color, so if you want to know what color Oskar's suit was when he's watching that little girl in the red dress, there you go) and the book concludes with a list of the film's awards.

This might be as close as we'll ever get to "bonus features" on the making of Schindler's List. It's a powerful read.

OOP but inexpensive:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Making-Sch.../dp/1559724455

There was also a lengthy piece on the making of the film on the TV show "Eye to Eye" hosted by US journalist Connie Chung, where she visited the set and was required to film her whole piece in black and white, as I remember. I have it on tape somewhere. It was very interesting and I believe it took up the whole 1hr episode.

[Rizor]

I concur with the disappointment that yet again there aren't any extras about the making of the film. I don't really understand it as they could easily produce a tasteful retrospective that doesn't undermine the importance of the movie. Spielberg and the cast have all talked about the film as a film, so there's no reason to pretend it's some documentary or something.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ESZWk6xfsM

[klauswhereareyou]

So are Duel, Sugarland Express, 1941, Always, Amistad, The Terminal, and Munich the only Spielberg directed films not on blu ray?

[nathanp]

Just waiting for Munich and Amistad and I'll consider my Spielberg set complete.

[James Luckard]

Originally Posted by klauswhereareyou

So are Duel, Sugarland Express, 1941, Always, Amistad, The Terminal, and Munich the only Spielberg directed films not on blu ray?

Yep.

I am hoping that we'll hear announcements to coincide with all the buzz around Lincoln for Munich (since it was also written by Tony Kushner) and Amistad (since it also deals with slavery).

[BluLobsta]

I've wanted to see this released on BD for a long time now. It's obviously a story that transcends entertainment alone and unbelievably important to see. I realize people don't need to be reminded of the evil in the world, but they do need to be reminded of the good.

[movieman1979]

Originally Posted by James Luckard

OOP but inexpensive:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Making-Sch.../dp/1559724455

There was also a lengthy piece on the making of the film on the TV show "Eye to Eye" hosted by US journalist Connie Chung, where she visited the set and was required to film her whole piece in black and white, as I remember. I have it on tape somewhere. It was very interesting and I believe it took up the whole 1hr episode.

Nice find, thanks to you both. They've got a couple of used copies for around 6 or 7 dollars after shipping.

[starman15317]

I'll have to check that book out. Thanks for the recommendation!

[DarkDune]

I have a story about the screening of this film for me.

I grew up in Hawaii, but met a German girl there and ended up going to Germany to live with her and her family for some 13 months. Her father was actually a doctor, and had been alive during the time of Hitler. Every weekend, on German TV, there were documentaries about the holocaust, and German people of my age were taught to be ashamed of what was done during those times, even though none of them had been alive at that time.

So, when this movie came out, I actually had to ask myself if I really wanted to see it. It is not a movie that you just decide to see. I feel that you should ask yourself, what will I learn from watching this.

Steven Speilberg and his crew of filmmakers and actors did a spectacular job showing the humanity behind people, people that for years have been made out to simply be evil. This film is one of the first mainstream films to actually portray a good german person, and that person although he himself did not realize it right away, did so much to save people from those dark times.

I hope, if you have not seen this film (or perhaps even if you have), you learn from it.

Thank you Steven for bringing it to Blu!

[Yami]

Originally Posted by klauswhereareyou

So are Duel, Sugarland Express, 1941, Always, Amistad, The Terminal, and Munich the only Spielberg directed films not on blu ray?

There's also Something Evil, if that counts.

[klauswhereareyou]

Originally Posted by Yami

There's also Something Evil, if that counts.

Forgot about that one. I guess that never got a DVD release either.