Customer Reviews

Schindlers List Gift Set

5 star:		(298)
4 star:		(38)
3 star:		(29)
2 star:		(26)
1 star:		(43)

 

 

Schindler's List(released Dec/93)was deservedly the big winner of the /93-/94 OSCAR race with seven statuettes awarded.It boasts a powerhouse cast with the likes of Liam Neeson as Oscar Schindler,Ben Kingsley as his Jewish accountant Itzhak Stern,Ralph Fiennes as the sadistic camp commandant Amon Goeth,and many ,many more.The film was shot in b&w for effect,which beautifully served to heighten the intensity and emotion this movie produced.The story is of course based on facts,hard to believe facts in this day and age,but nonetheless they stand as testimony to the brutality(and corruption)of the German WW2 war machine.From the script to the acting to the film's entire execution(no pun intended)on film,it is flawless.Schindler in reality was no saint and in fact a womanizer(he was married during this period),a drunk and a poor businessman.But what in the beginning began as an attempt at selfish monetary gains through bribery and pressure,turned into an honest attempt to save as many Jews as he could in his factories,at an unbelievable personal risk.By the time the film comes to its inevitable conclusion you will,guaranteed,have shed a few tears during some of the many very touching moments.
Technically the film is in its original a/r of 1:85:1 and the picture is crisp and clear.This edition I review is the newest incarnation which celebrates Universal's 100th anniversary.As such there is an outer cover which opens at the front,which the regular DVD case just slips into.This edition is also,unfortunately,a one disc version.This is the only criticism of this DVD,that for a 100th anniversary release,Universal would choose to cheaply put this film onto a double sided DVD;prone to all the scratching and scuff marks one could ask for.This film,along with any other so called anniversary release,deserves much better.Extras include the usual from previous releases of this DVD such as the Shoah Foundation and Voices from the List featurettes,along with some true facts on Schindler himself.
In conclusion I can't say I approve of the manner in which this DVD has been released,but it is the film that is most important,and for that it gets all five stars;it's worth more.This is a film EVERY person in the world should be shown,and most importantly children and history students.This film is just one of the countless reasons that we should NEVER,EVER forget that period,that terrible period in our collective history.Highly recommended.

Although this 5 time Academy Award winning film certainly gets a beautiful presentation on disc, I both do and do not understand the complaining of the DVD presentation of Schindler's List. But first, let me discuss the benefits of the disc first.

The picture here is impressive, although there are noticeable flaws. The 1.85:1 anamorphic picture showcases excellent detail and rich black levels; at times the picture looked so good I thought that the movie was remastered by Lowery Digital Services. But then minor flaws show up, such as excessive grain and minor print flaws (such as in the sequence where Schindler Jews are calling out their names, I spotted a vertical line). Flaws aside, the picture is still beautiful and Janusz Kaminski's photography is put to good use here.

The audio is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS 5.1 Surround. All Dolby and DTS tracks give a sense of place to the film, and while the tracks aren't bass-heavy, they fit the movie's tone perfectly. It demonstrates excellent stereo separation and bass response, all the while not calling attention to itself. The two-sided disc cuts down on cost, and the menus allow one to access each part of the DVD with considerable ease. (The movie is also given French and Spanish spoken languages and subtitles, while the extras have optional subtitles in English, French, and Spanish.)

Now, the disadvantages. I know people were expecting an extras-packed version of this movie, but we only have two real extras included; the "Voices From the List" Featurette and "Behind the Shoah Visual Foundation" Featurette. Both are good extras detailing the various stories recounted by actual Schindler Jews, and while these are substantial enough, I had the feeling more could've been added. If Spielberg were to do commentaries, I would appreciate one done for this film, and the addition of the theatrical trailer would help too. Inclusion of those two extras would've added much more to the DVD.

Still, quibble about the extras aside, the disc release of this film gives newcomers a chance to be introduced to one of Spielberg's greatest cinematic achievements ever made, with great picture and sound. It may not always be easy viewing, but the impact it leaves is indelible and unforgettable. For fans of Spielberg's work and this movie, this disc is a must-have, despite the slim extras. (If you're intent on having more, the gift set is a viable option. Along with the DVD, it also includes a booklet, the movie's soundtrack CD, certificate of authenticity, a photo still book and a Plexiglas keep case.)

This film from Steven Spielberg was shot in black and white and is very effective as a film to portray what happened to the Jews in Germany/Poland etc.. from the ghettos to the concentration camps. The film is very realistic in its portrayal and the environment of that time in history of the 1930's and 1940's. This is a film that you may only want to watch once. It is an excellent film. The acting is very good, the reality of the killings is very graphic. The cinematography is excellent. The only reason I think that is a film to viewed once or twice in one's life is due to the depressing nature of the film. I think it is a film that younger generations (teenagers and some people in their 20's) should see because many are coming out of school without even knowing who Adolf Hitler was and what he had done. I think it's important that they see what occurred so a repeat of history does not happen. This is an important film, but not necessarily one you want to view over and over again.

Some other reviewers on this forum start bringing up that "other genocides occurred in history" and how come only this one is made into a film. I'm afraid folks that Spielberg didn't make an all encompassing film to include all of the past atrocities that happened in the past 1000 years. He focused just on the Holocast. Also it is just pure ignorance to deny that 5-6 million Jewish civilians were killed/murdered. Even if it was 10,000 Jews, it does not make it any better. It doesn't really matter if they were Jews or any other religion. The fact is that 6 million PEOPLE who were civilians were murdered. They were Germans, Polish, French and many other nationalities. It just happened they were of the Jewish faith that was targeted by the Nazis(Jews were used as a scapegoat to blame all of Germany's economic ills as a country on. The Nazis also killed and murdered gypsies too. The people (men, women and children) killed were white people (Jewish is not a race. It is a religion).
Actual documentation of what the Nazi's did is on film shot by British news cameras as the American and British soldiers entered these concentration camps throughout 1945. Disease was rampant in these camps due to all the mass graves and thousands of bodies that were left to rot (by the Germans) as the British bulldozers needed to bury these corpses. My father and grandfather were in the 2nd World War as part of the American and British invasion of Germany and witnessed it first hand. That's enough proof as far as I am concerned. Yes. Not all Germans were bad people, but there were enough of them to throw the world into a World War in 1939 and to allow this to go on just a few miles from their towns and villages.

This is a good film. Good coverage of a very bad time in world history.

Schindler's List DVD Review

The Holocaust refers to the period from January 30, 1933, when Adolf Hitler became chancellor of Germany, to May 8, 1945 (V­E Day), when the war in Europe ended. During this time, Jewish people in Europe were subjected to harsh persecution that ultimately led to the murder of 6,000,000 Jews (1.5 million of these being children) and the destruction of 5,000 Jewish communities. Schindler's List is a movie that based on these true and inhuman events. This masterpiece has given people a vision into these brutal acts. During this time Oskar Schindler saved over 1000 Jews from concentration camps over the period of the Jewish Holocaust of World War II. Schindler would forge documents and provides different names, as well as work certificates for his factory so the Jewish people would be rescued from extermination, those who would be considered dispensable and be sent to the ghetto and concentration camps. Schindler's other employees recruited Jewish workers and were taught, and given instructions by the technicians on how to use the heavy machinery to manufacture soup bowls and by doing this he saved many Jewish lives. This motion picture captured and allowed us to go back to that time to witness how these people were unjustifiably tortured, and punished. It gives us an illustration to see the disgusting deeds committed in these concentration camps. The Jewish people were beaten, gassed, murdered, tortured and hung. They were fed and treated like animals. This film enlightens the viewer into the disturbing reality that was the Holocaust and illustrates how the Jewish citizens of Germany were ordered to perform unthinkable and revolting tasks. It shows the ghetto residents restricted to the confines of the small area provided, were there was no freedom and very little food or water. Schindler's List illustrates the atrocious events that people in power can execute behind closed doors. It is movies like this that can ensure an event like the Holocaust will not go unnoticed by the public in the future. It's a must see movie and has been awarded 7 Academy Awards. Truly an outstanding movie.

I couldn't wait for this dvd to come out. Now that it finally has, I wonder, why did they have to use such poor packaging? A regular dvd case would have been nice. Instead they slapped this two sided dvd into a slim, open "book like" package. If the packaging was any worse, I may not have bought the dvd, which would have been a shame since I have been looking forward to owning this movie on dvd...

Disclaimer: I realize these are ONLY DVDs, shiny little discs that hold the wonder of film on them, BUT Schindler's List "is an absolute good," "it is life."

No word in any language could ever express the amount of discontent I hold towards Warner Bros. for their initial treatment of Goodfellas on DVD. A 5-star film deserves AT LEAST 4-star treatment. Seriously, who wants to stop halfway through a film and flip the disc over to continue their viewing pleasure? Fortunately for Warner Bros., they are redeeming themselves by re-releasing Goodfellas in a format a film of its caliber deserves - a member of the Two Disc Special Edition set with the likes of Casablanca, Citizen Kane, and Singin in the Rain.

Now, Universal? In 2004, well into the age of the DVD? Where high quality picture, special features, and two-disc special editions reign supreme? How could a film such as Schindler's List receive the treatment that Goodfellas (forgiving Warner Bros. a bit, they did release Goodfellas before the current DVD age) first received? Universal has released a 5-star film during a time when DVDs are providing the film viewer, like never before, a crystal clear, specially packaged backstage pass to experience their favorite films in a 2-star set straight out of the 20th century. The LEAST Schindler's List deserved was to have the viewer have to take a separate disc out of the package and insert it into the DVD player halfway through the film, not flip the same disc over (Geez, even the supposedly "cheap" distribution people over at Miramax had the respect for a film like Gangs of New York - not even in the same league as Schindler's List - to place the second half of the film on another disc). Seriously Universal, you had quite a few years to develop this project and offer it the treatment it deserved. It's unfortunate this wonderful film experience wasn't shown more respect and at least given two discs to share its message on.

Treatments such as this were meant for "flicks" like Battlefield Earth and Crossroads.

It's been almost 20 years since "Schindler's List" came out in theatres, but it is still a powerful and engaging movie! I show it to my history students as we study the Holocaust and they watch in silence the whole way through. The acting is phenomenal, and the message is powerful. People can act for the good of others, one person can make a difference. "Who ever saves one life, saves the world entire".

I have recieved many new DVD's from Amazon.ca, with no issues. However, this copy of Schindler's list is either not new, or a burned copy. It was wrapped in loose shrink wrap, not factory sealed, and had no seal on the top, as do all factory DVD's. Not cool.

I watched this show when it first came out and loved it then. When i saw it for sale, i had to get it to watch it again. A shocking, scary, horrific retelling of the concentration camps and the horrors of the second world war. But it also shows you that there were victories (small in comparison) but victories all the same that came out of nowhere during that time. One man with his initial goal being to profit financially from the war ended up being a hero to hundreds who's lives he saved. This is a must see movie.

In "Schindler's List" you see the evolution of a man and the events of the Halocaust. Wile the story is both haunting and chilling, the style of this movuie also stands out. It is almost completely black and white, except for a few objects. There is a little girl dressed in red which will touch your heart as she strolls through the streets full of violence, completely unnoticed. The cinematography and acting are also amazing. Both Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes were nominated for Oscars. They both give great, but different, performances.