Healthy Living Books DVD

Rating: - A must see
There isn't much to say about this film really, it speaks for itself. Everyone should see this film in their lifetime. Just one small part of the story of the holocaust, yet touching and amazing that one man can do so much. We should all know a bit about this epically tragic period, why not let spielberg and neeson guide you through.

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Rating: - "There are eleven hundred people alive because of you, look at them."
This is, without a doubt, one of the greatest and most heartwrenchingly moving films i have ever seen. Spielberg lends his mastery of filmmaking to do great justice to the true story of Oskar Shindler, a memer of the Nazi party who saved more than 11 thousand jews during the holocaust and the suffering of the jews during the second world war.

Staring Liam Neeson, Ben Kingsley and Ralph Fiennes this 3 hour film, with the help of beautiful cinematography and skillful acting, draws the audience into its bosom and rewards them for putting this time aside to watch it.

Have your tissues at the ready for this film is sure to bring you a very tearful yet rewarding experience.

"Whoever saves one life saves the world entire."

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Rating: - Literally awesome
I'd been wanting to see this film for ages but never got around to it, i bought it about a week and a half ago, looking at the reverse i was schoked at the fact that it was 3 hours long! I have a really short attention span, and it was also in black and white, which i thought would put me off. Usually i watch films and work through them or talk to friends nose around on teh computer etc but after watching about half an hour of this film i couldn't tear myself away, i completely neglected my laptop for the next two and a half hours! it didn't get boring at all and i didn't even notice it wasn't in black and white.All though we all know of the tragic events of the holocaust watching it unfold in front of you through spielberg's magic doesn't fail to shock and affect. The stellar acting from Liam Neeson, particularly at the end, had me bawling away, and the colour piece with his grave at the end had me sobbing further. An important film to watch. The best films of the nineties?

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Rating: - A dedication
Oskar Schindler was a maverick Sudeten German industrialist, who put his life and livelihood on the line to save 6,000 Jews from the Nazi death machine.

This is his story, but not his story alone. It is also the story of the 6 million Jews who perished in Hitler's holocaust, and the 6 000 who where saved by Oscar Schindler.
The movie is masterfully portrayed, and was indeed true to the book by Thomas Keneally.
It is three harrowing hours about the unspeakable horrors visited upon the Jewish men, women and children who Hitler and his Nazi Party had decided had to die.
The images that take place in the movie will stay in your mind forever.

The antagonist to the compassion of Oscar Schindler (Liam Neeson) is the sadistic monster, the SS Commandant Amon Goeth. Schindler and Goeth are both members of the Nazi Party in high standing, who mixes in the same circles, and both make splash at the debauched Nazi parties held at Goethe's villa. But their reaction to the merciless slaughter is diametrically opposed. It brings out the man of compassion in Schindler, and the psychopathic demon in Goeth.
During the liquidation of the Warsaw ghetto, we see even the difference in their mistresses. After Schindler and his mistress Ingrid have gone for a morning ride, they observe from a hilltop the horrors the SS are visiting among the Jewish population of the Warsaw ghetto. And Ingrid visibly upset says " Oscar, let's get out of here"

Goeth on the other hand is taking pot-shots at the Jews on the streets below with his hunting rifle. His mistress Majola, simply sighs and says `Amon, you are such a dammn child.' irritated that she has been woken by the gunshots, and that she is not receiving Goeth's attention, but completely cold to the slaughter going on around her.

But two scenes stood out most in my mind.

That of as beautiful Jewish girl child, of about four years of age, in a bright red jacket, which is the only colour plate in the black and white movie. Schindler observes this angelic child making her way through the crowds of Jews who are being herded out the ghetto by the Nazis. We see the little girl hiding under a bed, terrified, and that is the last time we see her, before we see later in the movie, her mangled little body, being wheeled to the crematorium on a trolley, identified by her red jacket.

The story of the little girl in red made me think of another child. A beautiful and vivacious child, who was murdered 60 years later by Arafatian terrorists at Adura in Judea, as she hid terrified under her parent's bed-Danielle Shefi.

G-D bless the lovely souls of the angels - the little girl in red who died at Auschwitz, and of Danielle Shefi, who died at Adura. . G-D bless the souls of all Jewish children murdered by the enemies of the Jews and of Israel.

The other scene that brought tears to my eyes, was at the end of the movie where the Schindlerjuden march in the direction of Israel singing a hauntingly beautiful rendition of Yerushalayem Shel Zahav (Jerusalem of Gold), before we see the Schindlerjuden and their children and grandchildren, in real life, placing stones on the grave of Oscar Schindler at the Christian cemetery in Jerusalem.

This movie must be shown to all high school students, so that they can be equipped to answer so many questions that are thrown at us today: Why did the Jews not rise up? , Why did the Nazis do what they did? Why did the people of Europe allow it to happen? Why do we need the State of Israel?

We are living through a time when the same hatreds are rising again. Hatred of Israel is the new form of anti-Semitism that has shown it's hideous face again. I look at the scene, near the beginning of the movie, where the Jews are being herded into the ghettoes , and a young Polish girl of about 11, is shouting `You bad Jews, you bad Jews'.
And I think of all the anti-Israel demonstrations taking place today, where the same voices of hate, and bloodlust are being raised.

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Rating: - Well worth watching, but lacks emotion for most of the film
It's taken me 15 years to watch this film and I'm pleased that I have, Oskar Schindler (Liam Neeson) essentially puts together a list of 1,100 Jewish people whom he has used his personal fortune to essentially buy from the Nazis.

For me the first 2 hours mainly goes by without much incident and feel that much of this could easily have been cut from the general release at least, after this however this does get better with the final half hour being by far the most interesting and emotional part of the film.

This should have been a very emotional film, but for the best part lacks heart, Liam Neeson puts in an excellent performance, particularly in the final third, Sir Ben Kingsley is effective (if under used), but the letdown was the casting of Ralph Fiennes who just isn't a good enough actor for such an important role and film, he's okay, but that's it.

I'd recommend that you watch this film as it's such an important part of history, millions of Jewish people were slaughtered, Oskar Schindler was responsible for saving 1,100 Jews and deserves respect and our thanks for this act of human kindness, sadly his life after the war both financially and relationship wise were really quite bad.

I know this is a bit picky, but when Oskar Schindler asks for 3 minutes silence to be observed the "silence" in the film did not even last a minute, out of respect I think that this should have been honoured in it's entirety.

I've given this 3 stars, 2 for the first 2 hours and 4 for the last hour.