30 years ago, the first minutes of this Spielberg film hit the hearts of the audience

7 Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Music for the powerful score of the imperial John Williams, an undeniable monument of cinema since its release in cinemas in 1993, a colossal challenge that Steven Spielberg took on bolder than ever. …

Schindler’s List is not only among his director’s greatest works, but also among the best feature films of all time (at least according to AlloCiné viewers, who gave it an average of 4.59 out of 5 and therefore the second place in their overall rating. ).

• 21 years ago, no one could have imagined that this highly anticipated film would start like this

The first scene from Schindler’s List

Shot entirely in black and white (with a few memorable exceptions), this 3 hour and 15 minute mural has no shortage of cut sequences to stay etched in your memory forever. Between the gruesome liquidation of the Krakow ghetto, the fascinating one-on-one encounters between Oskar Schindler and Amon Gott, and of course the shocking final six, Spielberg’s film has a series of great cinematic moments.

But today let’s go back to the first few seconds of the full-length film, which hits the audience with force from the very beginning and immediately grabs their attention and never lets go.

A candle in the dark

We strike a match in absolute darkness and light two candles with its fragile flame. As their wax burns, without the slightest music, to the sound of the Sabbath blessing, the color of the image gradually fades and the film gradually transitions to black and white.

The last glow of the last candle finally fades, and the thin plume of smoke it produces is suddenly replaced by a thick locomotive cloud.

Magnificent and terrifying at the same time, this masterful ellipse has nothing to envy to what the desert sun in Lawrence of Arabia called out with a blow to the fire of a match. With a single shot of rare power, from the first seconds of his film, Spielberg already presents two forces that will clash, the overwhelming drama that must be played out, the story that he is about to tell. tell us

“Glimmer of Hope”.

Rich and deep enough to offer each viewer their own way of interpreting it, the first shot of the film (which is, therefore, one of the colorful unforgettable Little Girl in Red) was inspired by Spielberg at the end of the shoot. , as he filmed the Saturday ceremony.

“That gave me the idea to start the film with candles lit. I thought it would be a strong contrast to start the film with a normal Sabbath service before the steamboat starts against the Jews.”she said Entertainment Weekly on the mic in 1994He also explained that the candles (at the beginning of the film, but also at the end) represented him “Reflection of Colors”, “Glimmer of Hope” In the middle of his only black and white film.

(Re)discover our video dedicated to Steven Spielberg…