Schindler's List (1993)

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Rated R for language, some sexuality and actuality violence

Steven Spielberg

Gerald R. Molen

Branko Lusting/Amblin-Universal

Steven Zaillian - Screenplay:

Thomas Keneally - novel 'Schindler's Ark'

John Williams

Janusz Kaminski

Michael Kahn

Universal Studios

United States

English | Hebrew | German | Polish

Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp, Oswiecim, Poland

Jerusalem, Israel

Kraków, Poland

Academy Awards

1994 Won Oscar Award Best Art Direction-Set Decoration Allan Starski & Ewa Braun

1994 Won Oscar Award Best Cinematography Janusz Kaminski

1994 Won Oscar Award Best Director Steven Spielberg

1994 Won Oscar Award Best Film Editing Michael Kahn

1994 Won Oscar Award Best Music, Original Score John Williams

1994 Won Oscar Award Best Picture Steven Spielberg, Gerald R. Molen & Branko Lustig

1994 Won Oscar Award Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium Steven Zaillian

1994 Nominated Oscar Award Best Actor in a Leading Role Liam Neeson

1994 Nominated Oscar Award Best Actor in a Supporting Role Ralph Fiennes

1994 Nominated Oscar Award Best Costume Design Anna B. Sheppard

1994 Nominated Oscar Award Best Makeup Christina Smith, Matthew W. Mungle & Judith A. Cory

1994 Nominated Oscar Award Best Sound Andy Nelson, Steve Pederson, Scott Millan & Ron Judkins

Amanda Awards, Norway

1994 Won Amanda Award Best Foreign Feature Film (Årets utenlandske spillefilm) Steven Spielberg

American Cinema Editors, USA

1994 Won Eddie Award Best Edited Feature Film Michael Kahn

American Society of Cinematographers Awards, USA

1994 Nominated ASC Award Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Theatrical Releases Janusz Kaminski

Awards of the Japanese Academy

1995 Won Award of the Japanese Academy Best Foreign Film

BAFTA Awards

1994 Won BAFTA Film Award Best Actor in a Supporting Role Ralph Fiennes

1994 Won BAFTA Film Award Best Cinematography Janusz Kaminski

1994 Won BAFTA Film Award Best Editing Michael Kahn

1994 Won BAFTA Film Award Best Film Steven Spielberg, Gerald R. Molen & Branko Lustig

1994 Won BAFTA Film Award Best Score John Williams

1994 Won BAFTA Film Award Best Screenplay – Adapted Steven Zaillian

1994 Won BAFTA Film Award David Lean Award for Direction Steven Spielberg

1994 Nominated BAFTA Film Award Best Actor Liam Neeson

1994 Nominated BAFTA Film Award Best Actor in a Supporting Role Ben Kingsley

1994 Nominated BAFTA Film Award Best Costume Design Anna B. Sheppard

1994 Nominated BAFTA Film Award Best Make Up Artist Christina Smith, Matthew W. Mungle, Waldemar Pokromski & Pauline Heys

1994 Nominated BAFTA Film Award Best Production Design - Allan Starski

1994 - Nominated BAFTA Film Award Best Sound Charles L. Campbell, Louis L. Edemann, Robert Jackson, Ron Judkins, Andy Nelson, Steve Pederson & Scott Millan

BMI Film & TV Awards

1994 Won BMI Film Music Award John Williams

Boston Society of Film Critics Awards

1993 Won BSFC Award Best Cinematography Janusz Kaminski

1993 Won BSFC Award Best Director Steven Spielberg

1993 Won BSFC Award Best Film

1993 Won BSFC Award Best Supporting Actor Ralph Fiennes

British Society of Cinematographers

1993 Won Best Cinematography Award Janusz Kaminski

Chicago Film Critics Association Awards

1994 Won CFCA Award Best Actor Liam Neeson

1994 Won CFCA Award Best Cinematography Janusz Kaminski

1994 Won CFCA Award Best Director Steven Spielberg

1994 Won CFCA Award Best Picture

1994 Won CFCA Award Best Screenplay Steven Zaillian

1994 Won CFCA Award Best Supporting Actor Ralph Fiennes

Cinema Audio Society, USA

1994 Nominated C.A.S. Award Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for a Feature Film Andy Nelson, Steve Pederson & Scott Millan (re-recording mixers) and Ron Judkins (production mixer)

Cinema Writers Circle Awards, Spain

1995 Won CEC Award Best Foreign Film (Mejor Película Extranjera) USA

César Awards, France

1995 Nominated César AwardBest Foreign Film (Meilleur film étranger) Steven Spielberg

Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards

1994 Won DFWFCA Award Best Director Steven Spielberg

1994 Won DFWFCA Award Best Picture

1994 Won DFWFCA Award Best Supporting Actor Ralph Fiennes

Directors Guild of America, USA

1994 Won DGA Award Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures Steven Spielberg, Branko Lustig (unit production manager) (plaque), Sergio Mimica-Gezzan (first Assistant Director) (plaque) & Michael Helfand (second Assistant Director) (plaque)

Evening Standard British Film Awards

1995 Won Evening Standard British Film Award Best Actor Ben Kingsley

Golden Globes, USA

1994 Won Golden Globe Award Assistant Director Best Director - Motion Picture Steven Spielberg

1994 Won Golden Globe Award Best Motion Picture - Drama

1994 Won Golden Globe Award Best Screenplay - Motion Picture Steven Zaillian

1994 Nominated Golden Globe Award Best Original Score - Motion Picture John Williams

1994 Nominated Golden Globe Award Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama Liam Neeson

1994 Nominated Golden Globe Award Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture Ralph Fiennes

Golden Screen, Germany

1994 Won Golden Screen Award

1994 Won Golden Screen Award - Golden Screen with 1 Star

Grammy Awards

1995 Won Grammy Award Best Instrumental Composition Written for a Motion Picture or for Television John Williams

Heartland Film Festival

1994 Won Studio Crystal Heart Award Branko Lustig

Hochi Film Awards
1994 Won Hochi Film Award Best Foreign Language Film Steven Spielberg

Humanitas Prize

1994 Won Humanitas Prize Feature Film Category Steven Zaillian

Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards

1994 Won KCFCC Award Best Director Steven Spielberg

1994 Won KCFCC Award Best Film

Kinema Junpo Awards

1995 Won Readers' Choice Award Best Foreign Language Film Steven Spielberg

London Critics Circle Film Awards

2010 2nd place 30th Year Anniversary Award

1995 Won ALFS Award British Actor of the Year Ralph Fiennes

1995 Won ALFS Award Director of the Year Steven Spielberg

1995 Won ALFS Award Film of the Year

1995 Nominated ALFS Award Actor of the Year Liam Neeson

Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards

1993 Won LAFCA Award Best Cinematography Janusz Kaminski. Tied with Stuart Dryburgh for The Piano (1993)

1993 Won LAFCA Award Best Picture

1993 Won LAFCA Award Best Production Design Allan Starski

MTV Movie Awards

1994 Nominated MTV Movie Award Best Breakthrough Performance Ralph Fiennes

1994 Nominated MTV Movie Award Best Movie

Mainichi Film Concours

1995 Won Readers' Choice Award Best Foreign Language Film Steven Spielberg

Motion Picture Sound Editors, USA Golden Reel Award

1994 Won Golden Reel Award Best Sound Editing ADR - unknown

National Board of Review, USA

1993 Won NBR Award Best Film

National Film Preservation Board, USA

2004 National Film Registry

National Society of Film Critics Awards, USA

1994 Won NSFC Award Best Cinematography Janusz Kaminski

1994 Won NSFC Award Best Director Steven Spielberg

1994 Won NSFC Award Best Film

1994 Won NSFC Award Best Supporting Actor Ralph Fiennes

New York Film Critics Circle Awards

1993 Won NYFCC Award Best Cinematographer Janusz Kaminski

1993 Won NYFCC Award Best Film

1993 Won NYFCC Award Best Supporting Actor Ralph Fiennes

Nikkan Sports Film Awards

1994 Won Nikkan Sports Film Award Best Foreign Film

PEN Center USA West Literary Awards

1994 Won Literary Award Screenplay Steven Zaillian

PGA Awards

1994 Won Motion Picture Producer of the Year Award Steven Spielberg, Branko Lustig & Gerald R. Molen

Political Film Society, USA

1994 Won PFS Award Human Rights

1994 Nominated PFS Award Exposé

Southeastern Film Critics Association Awards

1994 2nd place SEFCA Award Best Picture

USC Scripter Award

1994 Won USC Scripter Award Thomas Keneally (author) & Steven Zaillian (screenwriter)

Writers Guild of America, USA

1994 Won WGA Award (Screen) Best Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published Steven Zaillian

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Liam Neeson

Ralph Fiennes

Ben Kingsley

Caroline Goodall

Jonathan Sagalle

Embeth Davidtz

Malgoscha Gebel

Shmuel Levy

Mark Ivanir

Béatrice Macola

Andrzej Seweryn

Friedrich von Thun

Krzysztof Luft

Harry Nehring

Norbert Weisser

Adi Nitzan

Michael Schneider

Miri Fabian

Anna Mucha

Albert Misak

At the start of World War II, Oskar Schindler (Neeson), a wealthy businessman who owns a munitions factory, while a member of the Nazi Party, quickly learns to manipulate the corrupt and cruel system to his own purposes. The drinking, gambling and womanizing Schindler becomes moved by the plight of the Jews and he risks his own life and fortune by rescuing more than one thousand of them from the gas chambers by employing them in his factory.

This long (185 minutes) and ambitious movie finally brought Steven Spielberg one of the top Academy Awards after trying for nearly twenty years. With an intelligent script, a superb cast and by shooting in Poland in many of the authentic backgrounds, in a restrained manner and in powerful black-and-white images - hand-held camera footage gives it a documentary style resonance - Spielberg came closer than most directors to filming the impossible - the Holocaust. Possibly the most moving moment in the film is the epilogue (in color) of the actual survivors and their families, including his widow, filing past Oskar Schindler's grave in Israel.

Steven Spielberg was not paid for this film. He refused to accept a salary citing that it would be "blood money".

At his insistence, all royalties and residuals from this film that would normally have gone to Director Steven Spielberg instead are given to the Shoah Foundation, which records and preserves written and videotaped testimonies from survivors of genocide worldwide, including the Holocaust.

The producer Branko Lustig was a real life holocaust survivor of Auschwitz, having been imprisoned there as a boy. Accepting his Oscar, he recited his serial number A3317.

Tim Roth was considered for the role of Amon Goeth.

Director Steven Spielberg was unable to get permission to film inside Auschwitz, so the scenes of the death camp were actually filmed outside the gates on a set constructed in a mirror image of the real location on the other side.

To gather costumes for 20,000 extras, the costume designer took out advertisements seeking clothes. As economic conditions were poor in Poland, many people were eager to sell clothing they still owned from the 1930s and '40s.

According to the art directors; no green was used on the set in form of paint or clothing because it did not show up well on black and white film. Special attention was paid to how much lighting or paint was used in order to appear correctly on film regardless of how unrealistic it seemed in real life.

Harrison Ford was offered the title role but declined, saying that some people would not be able to look past him as a star to see the importance of the film.

Both Kevin Costner and Mel Gibson offered their services, but Steven Spielberg decided to go with less familiar names, as the presence of a major star would be too distracting.

The original missing list of Schindler's Jews was found in a suitcase together with his written legacy hidden in the attic of Schindler's flat in Hildesheim in 1999. Schindler stayed there during the last few months before his death in 1974.

About 40% of the film was shot using a hand held camera.

There is a Jewish tradition that when one visits a grave, one leaves a small stone on the marker as a sign of respect. This is why the cast and the Schindlerjuden cover Schindler's grave with stones at the end of the movie.

In reality it was not Itzhak Stern who helped Schindler put the list together, but Marcel Goldberg. Many survivors who speak of Goldberg do so with disdain, as he was unscrupulous in deciding who ended up on the list, reportedly accepting bribes from some Survivors, taking names off the list to add theirs instead.

In real life, Schindler was not arrested for kissing the Jewish girl at his birthday party. He was arrested three times for dealings in the black market.

Martin-Scorsese turned down the chance to direct the film in the 1980s, as he felt he couldn't do as good a job as a Jewish director. He agreed to swap films with Steven Spielberg, taking over Cape Fear (1991) instead.

A direct copy of the real list, which was among other things in Thomas Keneally collection, was found by the staff of the National Library in New South Wales, AU. The 13 page list, after the restoration, is displayed in the library's museum.

Amon Goeth: The truth, Helen, is always the right answer.

Itzhak Stern: It's Hebrew, it's from the Talmud. It says, "Whoever saves one life, saves the world entire."

Oskar Schindler: My father was fond of saying you need three things in life - a good doctor, a forgiving priest, and a clever accountant. The first two, I've never had much use for.

Schindler was never awarded the Golden Nazi Party Badge, and thus couldn't have sold it to save more Jews. In any event, all but a few of the badges were made of gold-plated brass.

When Schindler and Stern negotiate with the Jewish investors outside the ghetto, Steven Spielberg is reflected on the rear window (his jacket is blowing in the wind).

The scene inside the cellar between Oskar and the maid, when she faces the camera head on, has no light coming from the right, yet as the scene progresses and the shot tightens, somebody turns on a light which becomes visible as they cut to her left and her head tilts forward.

The first time Amon Goeth shoots a Jewish prisoner, the large dirt squib is clearly visible in the background before it detonates.

Schindler's List, despite blatant compromises, is a rending historical document. But the film's near-certain victory is based less on merit than on the marketing of its ambitious intentions. The academy doesn't judge movies, it weighs them by subject matter. On that basis, Spielberg's epic tips the scales. Reviewed by: Peter Travers of Rolling Stone.

Spielberg restages the Holocaust with an existential vividness unprecedented in any
non-documentary film: He makes us feel as if we're living right inside the 20th century's darkest-and most defining-episode. Reviewed by: Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly.

What is most amazing about this film is how completely Spielberg serves his story. The movie is brilliantly acted, written, directed and seen. Individual scenes are masterpieces of art direction, cinematography, special effects, crowd control. Reviewed by: Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times.