Today, January 27, 2024, it will be broadcast at 9.25pm on Rete 4 Schindler’s List, a 1993 drama film directed by Steven Spielberg. The film is based on the novel Schindler’s List written by Thomas Kelly, who in turn tells the story of Oskar Schindler. The title was a box office success, gaining general appreciation from both audiences and critics. It received 12 nominations at the 1994 Oscars, managing to win 7 statuettes, including best director and best film.
Oskar Schindler was a German entrepreneur, who went down in history for saving around a thousand Jews from extermination in the Second World War. The entrepreneur joined the Nazi party in 1939, starting to establish close relationships with the Gestapo and influential political figures. He moves to the border with Poland, where he meets the accountant of Jewish origin Itzhak Stern. Despite the racial laws, in 1941 Schindler maintained relations with the Jewish community. He thus takes over a small kitchen utensil factory through which he hires only cheap Jewish workers.
After witnessing the atrocities of the Nazi raids, Schindler manages to make a deal with the Nazis. He could choose Jewish workers who would be taken from the fields and brought to his factory for the production of armaments. The names of these Jews were written down on lists which were delivered to the Nazi leaders. By doing so, Schindler was able to save numerous lives, moving them to safety in another factory after the invasion of the Red Army. With the end of the war the man had to flee due to his connection with the party.
He lived between Israel and Germany thanks to the help of those he had saved. He died in 1974 following a heart attack. Schindler’s List, which occupies a prominent position in our ranking of Spielberg’s filmography, tells the horrors of war and Schindler’s path to redemption. There are those who believe that the film is too apologetic towards the entrepreneur. An attempt to disguise the fact that the man still had an economic interest in choosing Jewish workers. That Schindler actually saved numerous lives is not in doubt.
The man had started hiring Polish workers. Under the advice of Stern, his accountant, the man began to hire Jewish workers because they were less expensive. His factory, with the right knowledge, began to invoice millions, making Schindler a very rich man. Over time, also learning about the fate of the deportees, Schindler began to implement his plan to save as many lives as possible. From that moment, man abandons his desire for wealth to embrace a more important one.
In this the film he is not forgiving towards the protagonist. There are some very emphasized moments. Despite this, the film tells the truth behind a figure who courageously chose a side in the struggle between good and evil. The few errors present only small differences with the book and the omission of some moments which do not affect the historical truthfulness of the narrative.
We invite you to recover the film, for its historical importance and so as not to miss one of Liam Neeson’s best performances. We look forward to seeing you in the comments section to find out your opinion on Schindler’s List.