berg’s masterpiece

A master Hollywood filmmaker at the top of his powers

Schindler's List * #& % % (Universal) Rated 14 years (at Cineplex

Cdeon cinemas)

HE EMOTIONAL impact of this film is almost impossi-

ble to describe.

In a gigantic leap away
from his crowd-pleasers, Steven
Spielberg tackles the Holocaust.

With a limited budget, no “big
draw” stars and a documentary
black-and-white style, he has
mace a masterpiece.

Screenwriter Steven Zaillian has
brilliantly adapted Thomas
Keneally’s fact-based novel of
Nazi-occupied Pcland where Jews
were herded into Krakow until the

entire population was squeezed
into a few blocks.

But it wasn’t a nightmare for
everybody, Oskar Schindler (Liam
Neeson), a Catholic German,
discovered just how profitable war
could be.

Just as well, since he squandered
his money on good food, women
and expensive wines; he needed a

“huge income.
. 50, how do you become a
multi-millionaire when you're no
whiz at business? Simple. Hire
someone who is and use cheap
labor. a,

But his accountant, Itzak Stern

(Ben Kingsley), has an ulterior
. motive. tf the labor he hires:is -
‘ deemed essential to the war effort,
it means more than employment,
“it means no one-way ticket to
“ Auschwitz for his fellow Jews.

FILM REVIEW

To show how precarious the sit-
uation is, Stern himself is acciden-
tally loaded on the death train and
only escapes being shipped out
when his employer intercepts at
the last moment.

“Whiat if I'd been five minutes
later? Where would | be?” the
self-centred Schindler asks Stern.

The remarkable thing is that
gradually, Schindler takes greater
and greater risks to keep his 1,100
Jewish employees safe by enter-
taining and bribing the Nazis.

The camp commander, Amon
Goeth (Ralph Riennes), proves
useful since they both share ex-
pensive tastes, although the

. sadistic Goeth is just as likely to

spare someone as use thern for
early morning target practice.
* Strongly attracted to his Jewish

maid, Helen Hirsch (Embeth
Davidtz), he vents his guilty feel-
ings by routinely beating her.

The horror of Jewish extermina-
tion is conveyed repeatedly as
children, women and men are
shot at point-blank range, some
entirely at random,

However, the real heart-breakers
are in the small scenes.

Told that their meagre posses-
sions will follow, people hurriedly
scrawl their surnames on suitcases
before boarding trains.

In a back roam, we see the
truth, As the train departs, the lug-
gage is opened and sorted into
piles by Jews under armed guard.

One man, carefully inspecting
gems, suddenly has a mound of
teeth with gold fillings dumped in
front of him. He hesitates briefly
before resuming work. :

With a subtle and wrenching
John Williams score featuring
powerful Itzhak Perlman,
Spielberg takes us on a nightmare .
journey that has an optimistic and
moving ending. .

It may not be a journey most
moviegoers are willing to take,
especially during Christmas. But
they'll miss a master film-maker at
the height of his powers.

And, of course, the final
message, ‘Who saves one life
saves the world,’”’ couldn't be |
more seasonal.

SHOWTIME HOTLINES:
Famous Players .......0... 681-4255
Cineplex Odeon .......... 687-1515

wt *

— i,
NEWS photo Brad Ledwidga

WEST VANCOUVER artist Jim Spilsbury opened his show, Coast of Many Colours, Tuesday,
Dec. 14, at West Vancouver's Ferry Building Gatiery. .

Checklist for the w

~ HE DREADED wine
bore, the party guest
who can’t downa
glass of plonk without
_ delivering a sip-by-sip ser-
‘mon, is always on the prowl
during this festive season.
Most of us know or are related
to at least one. (Guess who it is in
ourmeb.) |
-At least they’re easy to choose
“presents for, you tell yourself, until
you're among the endless racks
and bins, with vintage charts,
‘Hugh Johnson’s guides and pro-
duct lists protruding from every
pocket. ‘

Here’s a short list of red wines
most WBs will be delighted to

rr

John Moore
WINE SPOTS

whisk from under the tree directly
to the cellar, where it becomes
“the gift that keeps on giving’ as
they agonize over the optimum
moment to pull the cork.

® Wolf Blass ‘President's Selec-
tion’’ Cabernet Sauvignon 1988

ine pore

{Aust.) $21.95
@ Chateau de la Marque 1985
Haut-Medoc. (France) $23.25
@ Don Maximiano Cabernet
Sauvignon Estate Reserva 1989
(Chile) $23.95
@ Amarone Masi 1988 (Italy)
$29.95
@ “Stags Leap’ Cabernet
Sauvignon 1989 (Calif.) $33.90
@ Torres Mas la Plana 1987
(Spain) $36.95
@ Chateau Ja Gurgue Margaux
1989 (France) $36.15

Stick to reds for gifts, because
only a very few whites with
stratospheric price-tags are worth
cellaring.

Have a merry and moderate
Christmas.

|" 7. Clitthanger:

Food Ban
THE GLASS Stipper will be
hosting a benefit concert,
Tuesday, Dec, 28, fron 9 pam.
to midnight, ta raise money for
the Vancouver Food Rank,

Jazz and blues musicians

from throughout) the Lower
Mainland will come together

December 17 - 23

4..-The Firm (new) =:
2. Sleepless in Seattle
3, Oragon
4. Aladdin

18. Alsing Sun's

6. Super Mario Brothers

8, Free Willy
‘9, Gullty as Sin

10. Made in America

for the evening,

Among the performers are
the Chris Sigerson Trio, Colicen
Savage, Sibel Thrasher, Cynthia
Rase, and fennifer Scott

Tickets are available at the
door for $10 with all proceeds
to the food bank.

Thrilter *
Romance

“1 JUST CAN'T GET PASTA TUESDAY
WITHOUT COMING IN TO BOSTON PIZZA!”

f

Now, every Tuesday is $4.95 Pasta

‘Tuesday at Boston Pizza. |

Come In. Sit Down. E#joy a full portion of your favourite pasta,

mix ‘n matched

bread, all fer a price that’s just too good to
Only on $4.95 Pasta Tuesday!

NE DR. N.VAN. |

with your favourite pasta sauce, plus garlic

sta up; just $4.95.
984-0407 |

hoy Orchestry

Bags Bunny is back! And the VSO is anee again tooning

up te play sour favourite merrie melodies, From the “Rabbit of Seville”

to "What's

pera Doe? the waseally wabbit's greatest symphonic maments

are glorified on the big serven with five orchestral aceompaniment by

the VSO. Don't miss this ullimate animation experience!

BUGS BUY
7m Droadwag
STARRINS

Bugs Bunny
George Daugherty,
cundactar & cceatut
Vancouver Seanphony Orchestra

dAWBARY 1 - 2PM & 7 PHA
JARDARY 2 - 7 PM
ORPOEWMA THEATRE

For tickets and information
call the Symphony Hotline at
378-2434
or call Ticketmaster
R11
Ticket peices:
Adults $2 Hh Students $UB-S20
Children $14-$16, Family of 1$69-875"

Plas applicable surcharges,
“Matinee only, minimum uf 2 children,

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