Schindler's List by Steven Spielberg

Tia Queen

7/30/17
ARTH 334 4560

Schindler's List

Part 1

If one takes a close look at the history of cinema one will be able to notice that there are some films that tend to have a significant influence on the development of this form of entertainment by raising the bar of a particular genre to its highest. “Schindler's List” directed by Steven Spielberg is one of those films. Its excellence can be witnessed in many aspects.

If one considers the screenplay, one will have to note that “Schindler's List” has been closely influenced by a novel titled “Schindler's Ark” that describes similar events. However, it may not be called an adaptation. For example, the scene when the ghetto in Krakow is largely considered to be one of the most important scenes as it shows how the Nazi destroyed the traditional stated of affairs viciously. Originally, the screenplay devoted only a single page to this scene, but it was extended to 20 and resulted in fifteen minutes of screen time (Keneally, 2013).

Speaking of cinematography of the film in question, one should mention several aspects. First of all, despite being a feature film, it tries to imitate the narration of a documentary, encouraging the audience to develop an objective perception of the situation described. In addition to that, there are some scenes that shot in a manner that immerse the viewer making it a participant of the action. Finally, one should not forget that a lot of scenes were shot using hand held camera and the lack of steady point of view sometimes contributes to the authenticity of the action.

The montage also plays an important role in the role. To begin with, one should note that though being shot in 1993, the film is black and white. This was done deliberately to increase the realism of action. Moreover, the use of color is sometimes seen as a tool to put emphasis on something: consider the scenes with the girl in a red coat.

The sound completes the overall atmosphere of the film. It is beyond any doubt that the main title theme is one of the most moving themes in the cinema and is easily recognized by the people who saw the film. The use of instruments that are traditionally associated with the Jewish cultures contributes to the authenticity of the experience, allowing the audience to feel the atmosphere even better. Other than that, the movie features realistic sounds and sometimes several languages are spoken which creates the atmosphere of conflict of several cultures.

Part 2

It would not be an exaggeration to suggest that the overall impressions of the film are more than positive. I used to hear about "Schindler's List", but I never thought that the story that it presented was so moving. In addition to that, prior to watching the film, I thought that there is nothing new about World War II and especially Holocaust that can be presented on the screen. However, the story featured in the film is so simple and so powerful that there is no wonder in the fact that it became a classic.

It may be rather difficult to determine the genre of the film. On the one hand, it has characteristics of a drama. On the other hand, the accuracy of it is so great at times that it may be seen as a historical film. Obviously, it is not a documentary since the characters are played by actors. However, it is essential to state that the case was so great and the people involved wanted to adopt new identities that the audience could see their historical prototypes on the screen.

Personally, I believe that the time period when the film was shot represents the golden age of money cinema. Indeed, the 1990s gave the world numerous films that will be remembered and loved for centuries. With this in mind, one would make no mistake suggesting that the work of Steven Spielberg contributed to the treasury of the world's cinema. What is even more remarkable is that people of that time appreciated this film greatly, but people of today appreciate it even more since no director was able to create such a masterpiece. This means that "Schindler's List" should be seen as a part of the great age of cinema.