Out of the coruscating bonanza of films that Steven Spielberg has brought to life, Schindler’s List is arguably the most haunting masterpiece he’s ever directed, and it shows.
Not only did the ’90s war classic have the world in a complete chokehold, but the film – perhaps the closest to Spielberg’s heart – would have a ripple effect on his future directorial outings as well.
Schindler’s List – Steven Spielberg’s Tour de Force
When Steven Spielberg was shepherding what can easily pass as his magnum opus, he wasn’t aware of the sensational impact his work would have on the film industry. If anything, he was scared of Schindler’s List blowing up in his face.
To his pleasant surprise, however, it turned out to be one of the best decisions he’d go on to make throughout his tenure spanning five triumphant decades.
Set against the war-torn backdrop of World War II, the film – adapted from Thomas Keneally’s Schindler’s Ark – recounts the true story of Oskar Schindler, a German businessman who clandestinely saved the lives of over a thousand Jews from the tragedy of the Holocaust.
Rich with pain and pathos, Schindler’s List went on to land seven Academy Awards out of twelve nominations, making a whopping $322 million globally against a modest production budget of $22 million (via Box Office Mojo). And little did Spielberg know, it would end up transforming not just his career, but his person too.
The Domino Effect That Schindler’s List Had
The potency of Schindler’s List has been well-documented if the reactions of fans and critics are anything to go by. With a 98% Rotten Tomatoes score, you best believe you’re in for a cinematic treat of a lifetime.
The Liam Neeson-starrer is one of those rare theatrical achievements that end up embedding themselves deep within your consciousness. It’s an experience so indelibly visceral that you wouldn’t be able to forget it even if you wanted to.
If that’s the extent of its power on the audience, just imagine what it would mean for the Oscar-winning director who helmed it. And let’s not forget that with his Jewish background, the film held an even more profound connotation for the 77-year-old.
“I think making Schindler’s List broke him in a lot of ways,” one Reddit user remarked in a comment thread, alluding to how the movie irrevocably altered a part of Spielberg. The same is evident in his succeeding works, which can be viewed as an ode to filmmaking as an art rather than a means to a monetary end.
You can tell how mass appeal and box-office knockouts stopped being his concern from movies like Saving Private Ryan and even the sci-fi hit, Ready Player One, which, as another user commented, was him trying to “reconnect to his past”. But then again, none of that has ever stopped his films from being absolute hits either.
Schindler’s List can be rented on Apple TV+.
