Blu-ray Review: Steven Spielberg’s Timeless ‘Schindler’s List’ Makes HD Debut

CHICAGO – It’s been 20 years since “Schindler’s List” became a critical and commercial phenomenon, winning Best Picture and Best Director for the first time in the legendary career of its beloved filmmaker, Steven Spielberg. Since then, it’s become something more divisive in certain critical communities, with many writers choosing to hold it up as an example of Spielberg’s weaknesses in terms of sentimentality and cinematic manipulation. Watching it again, on Blu-ray for the first time, those charges seem even more cynically stupid. This is an incredible film, beautifully shot by Columbia College grad Janusz Kaminski, containing some of the best performances in the careers of its multi-talented cast, and timeless in its themes of how humanity can survive even the purest representation of evil.

Rating: 5.0/5.0

The Blu-ray, 20th anniversary limited edition is tastefully designed in that it’s not weighed down with special features. In fact, the film itself is alone on a Blu-ray disc with really only one significant special feature on another disc, “Voices From the List,” a feature-length documentary of its own. The key here is the restoration of Spielberg’s film and a chance to re-appreciate it. The movie looks amazing in HD, restored from the negative in ways that allow this much-seen film to be viewed in a way it hasn’t been in years. The Universal habit of allowing for multiple viewing options continues as well with a DVD version and Ultraviolet version included in the same release. We’ve waited a long time to have “Schindler’s List” on Blu-ray. It was worth it.

Schindler’s List was released on Blu-ray on March 5, 2013
Photo credit: Warner Bros.

Synopsis:
Experience one of the most historically significant films of all time like never before with the 20th Anniversary Limited Edition of Steven Spielberg’s cinematic masterpiece, Schindler’s List. Winner of seven Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director, this incredible true story follows the enigmatic Oskar Schindler (Liam Neeson), who saved the lives of more than 1,100 Jews during the Holocaust. It is the triumph of one man who made a difference and the drama of those who survived one of the darkest chapters in human history because of what he did. Meticulously restored from the original film negative in pristine high definition and supervised by Steven Spielberg, Schindler’s List is a powerful story whose lessons of courage and faith continue to inspire generations.

Special Features:
o Voices From The List: Feature Length Documentary With Testimonies And Archival Footage
o USC Shoah Foundation Story With Steven Spielberg: A Behind The Scenes Look
o Digital Copy Included

[11]	By BRIAN TALLERICO [12] Content Director HollywoodChicago.com brian@hollywoodchicago.com [11]