Anyone else gonna avoid Schindler's List? (1 Viewer)

[Mark Cappelletty]

"Moral imperative"? Give me a break. I think it has merit, but I don't think it's nearly as good as people make it out to be-- particularly given some of the historical inaccuracies about Schindler's character and the events of the climax of the film.

I was MUCH more impressed -- and devastated -- by "The Pianist.'

 

[Tom Scholfield]

I agree, I think spielberg is wildy overrated, especially with this film, I will be skipping

 

[Ray H]

Count me as one of the people who will buy it. I actually saw it for the first time a few years ago on television. They aired it twice in one weekend and I saw it both times. Since then I've been kicking myself for either not making a copy or purchasing one. I rented it a few months ago and loved it all over again.

I don't see anything wrong with watching the movie over again. I've seen war movies where hundreds of thousands of people are slaughtered and I've rewatched them. I've rewatched films where our "hero" kills without giving it a single thought. Maybe it's because the Holocaust is too real or hits too close to home, but I don't see why one wouldn't want to rewatch a film they love no matter what the subject matter is. I do regard Schindler's List as a masterpiece and don't see how anyone could say it's overrated. I'll probably see this a couple dozen more times before I die not because I think I'm morally obligated to because of subject matter but because I love the movie.

 

[Josh Simpson]

I will likely buy this as well. Haven't seen since the theater my freshman year in high school. Has it been that long? Man, time flies. Here's a question though... do we know if it's going to be spread over two discs or a flipper? I really hope it's not one. Any info would be great.

 

[Paul_Scott]

after watching the rest of the Indiana Jones movies, i am finally understanding where the rancorous criticism of Spielberg comes from.
past 1981, most of his films i find very annoying/disappointing or even insulting now.
Schindler would be an exception though.



same here, although at some point in my life, i will probably watch it again.
it is a fine film, but i have no emotional/nostalgic connection to the film, nor do i have a burning desire to see it anytime in the near future.

 

[Shane Martin]

I will not be avoiding this film. Since I own the collectors laserdisc set I don't need to spend the extra $$ on the collectors set since I have the Book and CD already.

The thing about SL is, that now that I've seen it a few times, the holocaust aspects are not all that haunting to me anymore and I tend to focus on the parts played by Neisan(sp?) and the Nazi general guy(been a while).

To me the 3 hrs it lasts doesn't drag at all.

 

[Runar_R]

I will get it, even though I always have a problem with movies that takes place in KZ-camps. It doesn't matter how horrendous the film-makers try to make it, I'm never able to get pass the realisation that the real thing was so terrifying that no movie could ever do it justice.....
SL I though was a good movie, but not a great one. The choice to make it in B/W sort of gave the opposite effect that the D-Day landing in SPR did. Instead of pulling you closer to the story, it created an instance distance to it. And the scene with the red dress pulled me right out of the movie for like 30 minutes. But still it's a good movie, with great performances and a heartbreaking story.

As for the comment "It's just not entertaining to watch all that bloodshed"..... Well I guess I would say that's a good thing! Not all movies are supposed to be 'entertaining'.

 

[Jason_Els]

A "moral imperative"... Hmmmm.

Maybe. If I had kids I'd say so though I wouldn't let them watch it until they were teens. It's not a film to be seen without supervision.

I don't think it makes much of a difference whether it's the Holocaust or Cambodia or Uganda or Stalinist Soviet Union or Rwanda or Kosovo or (currently) North Korea; Schindler's List serves as a dual example -- of the virtue in Righteous acts and as a warning against the excesses of tyranny. The story may be embellished but the moral message of the film is firmly intact. And it's a message worthy of repetition though I fear it's lost in contemporary politics and the very real dilemma of asking ourselves, "What should we sacrifice for others? My money? My child? My life?" It's a question everyone who deplores genocide has asked since time immemorial. Perhaps we can digest the fantasy of The Lord of the Rings far easier even though it asks the same question and presents the same moral dilemma. Schindler's List is difficult to watch because it is a representation of a history still very close and one that has been playing to a largely empty house in Cambodia, North Korea, and Rwanda; it seems the necessity of the Schindler's List message has not diminished.

As to, "is it a good movie?"

I remember me and my mother watching Holocaust mini-series on TV when I was very young and it moved me to tears. The image of Meryl Streep lying in the street crying as her husband was carted away, Michael Moriarty popping a cyanide capsule, the images of an old woman huddled with her grand-daughter naked in the dark death showers of Auschwitz. I felt like the series had burned a hole in my head. I didn't feel the same way with Schindler's List as I didn't know the victims as clearly as I did in Holocaust (one of the few advantages of a mini-series) though it brought home many other feelings. I think Ralph Fiennes was robbed of an Oscar. His performance was one of the best I've ever seen. There are some remarkable moments in this film too: the girl in the red coat, the sorting of the naked, the sorting of the children, the ash snows, Oscar rummaging through the last of his possessions wondering how many others he could have saved, and certainly the coda of the remaining Schindlerjuden at Schindler's grave.

I'm buying this title not because I will watch it enough to justify the purchase but because I'm trying to build a library of great films (I admit there are plenty of popcorners in my collection) and I want my collection to say something about what I believe important cinema is. It is also equally important to me that I set an example to the younger members of my family and by owning Schindler's List I'm saying that it's an important film, I honor it with a place in my 'best movies' collection. Perhaps one day I can watch it with them.

Owning Schindler's List also reaffirms a value I hold important in myself. Our favorite art pieces tell us much more about ourselves than they do about the piece.

yeah.... I'm buying it.

 

[Scott W.]

I'll be buying.

Scott

 

[AndyVX]

Those are pretty much my exact thoughts about this movie.

 

[nolesrule]

I'm sure I'll buy it, but I don't know if I'll ever watch it. Saw it twice in theaters. Bought it on VHS way back when, and watched it once.

I've never been able to push myself to watch it again, because for my family the story hits too close to home.

 

[JonBoriss]

I understand what you mean. It is a fantastic movie but it is really tough to watch. I think I'll probably end up owning it, but I doubt it will be watched that often.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Jason... I think you just tipped the scales for me. I was on the fence about buying it, but you put into words what I wasn't able to express on my own about this film.

It's not that it's the greatest film ever made. (I don't think any single film can claim to be.)

It's not that I'm going to watch it over and over.

I have a library of films and TV series, some for sheer mindless entertainment, some because I think they're important films that need to be preserved (in a cultural sense).

 

[Rob Gillespie]

Of course, because it contains moments of humour and real drama much the same as any other film. But anyone going in to see SL 'expecting to be entertained' is either going to be 1. disappointed or 2. not right in the head.

 

[Derek_McL]

While I agree that Schindler's List isn't an "entertaining" film in the sense a good musical,action or comedy is I still think its a great film one long overdue on DVD. If you want to avoid it thats fine but I'm realy looking forward to this release.

Its also one of those films which I personally find compulsively rewatchable not to revel in the gore but to be constantly surprised at the inhumanity of man. I think we should be reminded of what happened every so often so we guard against it happening again. Also I think its a film which gains resonance with repeated viewings like all the great ones. I remember seeing it at the cinema and thinking that was pretty good but no classic. When I saw it again on VHS it just blew me away : I felt as if I missed so much the first time.

 

[oscar_merkx]

I will be buying this dvd.

Compelling acting by Liam Neeson, Ben Kingsley and Ralph Fiennes

 

[Rob Gillespie]

btw, I'm buying it, obviously. Extras or not and whether the film will get watched more than once - I dunno, but it needs to be on my shelf.

 

[JustinCleveland]

I've only ever seen it on P&S VHS, and I was very young at the time. I'll be picking this up.

 

[Jim_C]

>>This falls into the "Great movies that I'll never watch again" category.

Awesome movie, but not something I'll sit down and watch often.

 

[Joel Vardy]

This sums up my feeling about this thread. Rob has captured the essence. For reasons that go beyond the merits of the film (which I think will prove to be a classic) I will purchase it without reservation. The only question is which one.

Joel