Review of Schindler's List (1993) by Mitchell S — 12 Jul 2017

Spielberg is a propagandist for sure, just witness the travesty that was Lincoln. But Schindler's List transcends politics to create a beautiful and mechanically flawless showcase of inhuman cruelty - indeed, man at his most profane and evil. Spielberg is the Leni Riefenstahl of his day, but in contrast to her, worshiped for his good vs evil simplicity.

Most of Steven Spielberg's films are popcorn entertainment, and in many ways, Schindler's List could be considered the popcorn holocaust film. However, I was in awe the way Spielberg masterfully played his audience. He shot the film as an artist, and with 25% of the sentimentality any other filmmaker would have used. More importantly, he used his technical skills to create a brutal and harrowing vision of Nazi atrocities in a way no other abstract thinker could possibly have done. Stanley Kubrick and Terry Gilliam once said that Spielberg failed to make a true masterpiece, because "Schindler's List was about success...the holocaust was about failure." However, to me, this just makes Spielberg a success. How anyone could make a holocaust backdrop as an inspiring story of humanity is nothing short of genius. Spielberg earns the highest honor-he's Leni Riefenstahl good. And thank God he uses his talent for good and not evil.

What I Learned: I think this movie really showed me how to present a narrative about death and despair in a mainstream way. I've always struggled with how to present such terrible visions that need to be heard, to an audience that wants to be entertained. It's not about compromise, the Propaganda Master said to me. It's about proper focus.