Schindler’s List (1993)
Unarguably one of the most important pieces of cinema ever made, Steven Spielberg’s Schindler’s List is an unflinching and devastating depiction of Oskar Schindler’s attempts to save lives during the Holocaust of World War II, by employing Jewish refugees in his factory. Based on the book Schindler’s Ark by Thomas Keneally, the script was adapted by Steven Zaillian (Moneyball), and formed a film that aimed to present the true tale of Oskar Schindler, set against the backdrop of the very real horrors endured by those held in Nazi concentration camps, as well as those in the Krakow ghetto.
While some considered it controversial to make a film about this Holocaust that views the events through the perspective of a German character (Schindler), it was commended by many more for its portrayal of a privileged man waking up to the realities of what he is witnessing, before using his position of influence to attempt to make a small, but positive difference against a tide of evil. This was underscored by phenomenal and unsettling performances from Liam Neeson as Oskar Schindler, Ben Kingsley as Itzhak Stern, Ralph Fiennes as Amon Goeth, Caroline Goodall as Emilie Schindler and Embeth Davidtz as Helen Hirsch.