Order this DVD from Amazon.com
|
Schindler's List
Collector's Gift Set
(Universal Studios Home Entertainment)
|
| DVD Release Date:
|
March 9, 2004
|
| Length:
|
196 mins.
|
| Rated:
|
R
|
| Format:
|
Anamorphic Widescreen (1.85:1)
|
| Audio:
|
English DTS 5.1 Surround, English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround, French Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
|
| Subtitles:
|
Subtitles: French, Spanish, Captions: English
|
| Extras:
|
Voices From the List, The Shoah Foundation Story with Steven Spielberg, Cast and Filmmakers, About Oskar Schindler, Schindler's List: Images of the Steven Spielberg Film Picture Book, Limited Edition Senitype, CD Soundtrack, Certificate of Authenticity
|
Schindler's List, Steven Spielberg's crowning film achievement, is finally available on DVD. This movie is a must-have for any film aficionado's home collection.
The Film
Schindler's List is the true story of Oskar Schindler, a German Nazi who saved the lives of 1,100 Jewish prisoners during World War II by employing them in his factory. It is a remarkable film, which provides an insight into this incredible story of personal sacrifice and the triumph of the human spirit. It is also a vivid historical piece which portrays, often in startling detail, the horrors of life in the Nazi labour and concentration camps.
This is a film in which an excellent script is supported by a strong cast. Liam Neeson received an Academy Award Nomination for his portrayal of Oskar Schindler, as did Ralph Fiennes for his portrayal of Amon Goeth, a sadistic Nazi officer. Ben Kingsley rounds out the headlining cast in the role of Itzhak Stern, Schindler's Jewish accountant.
This movie was a triumph for Steven Spielberg, who won an Academy Award for Best Director. The film itself won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1993.
Schindler's List is a, "thinking film". For those who are viewing it for the first time (although I would have a hard time believing that there are many of you out there), this film is a far cry from an, "action-packed" war film, such as Saving Private Ryan or Pearl Harbor. It is a slow, deliberate film that leaves the viewer with mixed emotions at its conclusion.
Be warned that this is not a standard-length feature film. The film itself runs 3 hours and 15 minutes. It has also been shot almost entirely in black and white.
The DVD offers the original widescreen edition of the film. The North American DVD offers English (in Dolby Digital and Digital DTS ), French and Spanish language options. It is also closed-captioned for the hearing impaired and offers French and Spanish subtitles.
There is not a lot that I can say to review this movie. Schindler's List is considered to be, and is in fact, one of the most profound movies ever made about the Holocaust (with Sophie's Choice being a close second, to me). This movie is flawless and, without hesitation, I would give it a 10/10.
Bonus Features
This film does not come with a lot of the "bells and whistles" that some people now expect from a DVD. There are no, "making of" featurettes. There are no interviews with the cast. There is no running commentary. There are no deleted scenes or out-takes. To be frank, I do not think that most of these features would have been appropriate for this DVD. The subject-matter of this film is simply too serious to be undermined by a whimsical, "why we loved making this movie" featurette.
What you do get with the DVD are two excellent features. One is a segment called, "Voices from the List", a 77-minute feature which depicts interviews with several of the Jewish Holocaust Survivors who worked with Schindler in his factory. They provide insights into life in the Jewish ghettos and labour camps that are often difficult to hear. They also discuss their relationships with Oskar Schindler, the man who safely navigated them through the war.
The second segment is called, "The Shoah Foundation Story", which is a brief documentary about the Survivors of the Shoah Visual History Foundation, an organization which was developed by Steven Spielberg after he completed Schindler's List. It is now the largest collection of visual history testimonies in the world, containing nearly 52,000 videotaped interviews with Holocaust survivors and witnesses. The purpose of the Foundation is to act as an educational tool to address issues such as prejudice, intolerance and bigotry and, hopefully, to ensure that the world does not have to endure another shameful and horrific episode in its history such as the Holocaust.
In addition to the two features, the DVD also includes a visual overview of the biography of Oskar Schindler and biographical information about the "key players" in the creation of the film.
In addition to the DVD, the Collector's Gift Set also includes a Picture Book with images taken by photographer David James during the making of the film. These photographs are simply stunning. Also included is the Academy Award winning soundtrack for the film, which includes violin solos by virtuoso Itzhak Perlman. The Gift Set also includes a Limited Edition Senitype and a Certificate of Authenticity.
While I expect that some people may criticize the lack of "flashy" bonus features on this DVD, I believe that the bonus features that have been selected are appropriate and respectful of the subject-matter of the film. The "Voices from the List" interviews alone were as compelling as the movie. I would give the bonus features an 8/10.
| The Movie: |
 |
10/10 |
| The Extras: |
 |
8/10 |
|
|
|
Visit SchindlersList.com
Visit ShoahFoundation.com
What did you think?
Have your say on our Message Boards...
Erin Cullin - Senior Editor
More Reviews - Click Here
|
