Regarded as one of the greatest movies of all time is Steven Spielberg’s 1993 epic historical drama Schindler’s List. The movie stars Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Ben Kingsley, and more. The movie follows a German industrialist employing over a thousand Polish-Jewish refugees, saving them from the horrifying Holocaust.
Upon release, the movie not only received critical and commercial acclaim but also was deemed as culturally, historically, and aesthetically significant. The movie was highly praised for its tone, direction, performances of the actors, cinematography, and background score. Spielberg approached the movie as a documentary and thus it was filmed in black and white. Fiennes revealed one harrowing experience he encountered during filming.
Ralph Fiennes recalls encountering antisemitic incidents while filming Schindler’s List
Actor Ralph Fiennes played Amon Göth in Steven Spielberg’s epic historical drama Schindler’s List in 1993, for which he was highly praised. The critics as well as fans were impressed and horrified with Fiennes’ performance as someone who was tasked to overlook the concentration camps.
During an interview, the actor was asked if he or any of the cast and crew faced any challenges while filming in Poland for 72 days. To which he said that, in particular, he did not see any but recalled that there were one or two incidents. He said,
The ugly head of anti-semitism cropped up. But I know that a lot of journalists have sort of heard about this and are focusing on it, and it definitely happened, but I’d be wrong to give the impression that we were surrounded by people hating us for making a film about the Holocaust.
The actor added that it’s not the case and pointed out that, according to him, people are really fascinated by filmmaking. He mentions the public; they are much less interested in the content than they are about all the trust and the machines.
In another interview (via JTA), he mentioned that while he was getting dressed for his role as Amon Göth, a woman approached him. The actor said the woman told him in Polish that the Germans were wonderful people and they didn’t kill anyone who didn’t deserve it.
Fiennes mentioned that another woman who had started walking across the set during filming and was stopped shook the entire crew.
Filmmaker Steven Spielberg talks about filming Schindler’s List
At the Tribeca Film Festival, the 25th anniversary of Schindler’s List was celebrated, and the filmmaker Steven Spielberg was joined by the cast including Liam Neeson, Ben Kingsley, and more. Spielberg at the time shared (via NY Post)
Feels like five years ago. I used to wake up in the middle of the night fearing people would see Schindler’s List and not believe it.
He mentioned that the final scene in the movie, where everyone visits Oskar Schindler’s grave in Jerusalem, was his attempt to certify that what they had done was credible. He also recalled that he was blindsided by Emilie Schindler’s look after she visited the grave, which was later known to be the first time she had visited the cemetery.
During the conversation, Spielberg shared that recreating the horrors of the Holocaust was not easy. It did take a toll on a few actors, including two Israeli girls who were in a scene where a group of girls and women are pushed into a shower fearing that the gas will be turned on instead of water. Spielberg recalled that the two girls couldn’t film for the next three days because they had breakdowns.
Recalling one scene in which the Nazis made the prisoners strip naked and run around the yard to weed out the sick from the healthy was traumatic to film. He mentioned that it was the most traumatic day of shooting in his career.
The cast and crew have shared that it is very difficult to find the right words to describe the atrocities of the Holocaust, but Steven Spielberg’s Schindler’s List can give one an idea of what it was.
Schindler’s List is available to watch on Prime Video.
Frequently asked questions
What did Ralph Fiennes describe encountering while filming Schindler’s List?
Fiennes recalled that while shooting on location in Poland, real-life antisemitism occasionally surfaced around the production. He described how, while he was getting into costume as Nazi officer Amon Goth, a passer-by made a disturbing prejudiced remark to him. He stressed, though, that the cast was not constantly surrounded by hatred, noting that some journalists had seized on the topic even though such moments ‘definitely happened.’
Who directed Schindler’s List and who starred in it?
Schindler’s List was directed by Steven Spielberg and released in 1993 by Universal Pictures. Liam Neeson stars as industrialist Oskar Schindler, Ben Kingsley plays his accountant Itzhak Stern, and Ralph Fiennes plays SS officer Amon Goth. The black-and-white historical drama depicts Schindler saving more than a thousand Polish-Jewish workers from the Holocaust.
Where was Schindler’s List filmed, and how did the shoot affect the cast?
The film was shot on location in Poland, with Fiennes recalling roughly 72 days of filming near sites tied to its Holocaust story. Spielberg has said the emotionally heavy subject matter took a heavy toll on the production, recalling that some cast members had breakdowns and could not film for days after the most harrowing scenes.
