30 years after the success of the novel adaptation “Schindler’s List” (1993) by director Steven Spielberg (76), the filmmaker explains why the cemetery scene at the end of the film was so important to him. In the final scene, which was added very late, survivors of the Holocaust visit the grave of Oskar Schindler (1908-1974). In doing so, Spielberg apparently wanted to ensure that the film’s story was based on true facts.
“Holocaust denial was on the rise again – that was the only reason I made the film in 1993,” he said in an interview with The Sunday Times, quoted by Deadline. “The ending was a way of confirming that everything in the film is true.” Spielberg also stated that prior to Schindler’s List he had never made a film that “confronted so directly with a message” that he felt the world needed to hear. “He had an important message that is even more important today than it was in 1993 because anti-Semitism is so much worse now than it was when I made the film,” he added.
In addition to the film’s powerful political message, “Schindler’s List” was also one of Spielberg’s most critically acclaimed films. The film won seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture and its first Best Director award. The film was also one of the highest-grossing black-and-white films at the domestic box office with $96 million, part of worldwide box office earnings of $321.3 million.
“Schindler’s List” tells the story of German industrialist Oskar Schindler (Liam Neeson, 70) who saved the lives of more than 1,100 Jews during the Holocaust. The film, starring Ben Kingsley (79) and Ralph Fiennes (60), was released in theaters on December 15, 1993.
Steven Spielberg is currently on an awards and promotional tour for his latest film The Fabelmans. The film is nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Spielberg’s first nomination for Best Screenplay.
Loosely based on Spielberg’s childhood, the Universal Amblin film co-written with Tony Kushner (66) follows Sammy Fabelman (Gabriel LaBelle, 20), a young man growing up in post-war Arizona who discovers a harrowing family secret and then explores how the power of movies can help him see the truth.
