The Making of Schindler's List: Behind the Scenes of an Epic Film [Hardcover]

Franciszek Palowski (Author), Anna Ware (Translator), Robert G. Ware (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1998

When the film "Schindler's List" was first released in 1993, it was acclaimed as both a motion picture masterpiece and a reaffirmation of the human spirit. "The Making of Schindler's List" bears witness to the process of making a daring work of film about a compelling and frightening part of history of photos, many in color .

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

When Steven Spielberg went to Krakow, Poland, to create a film based on Schindler's List, the best-selling book about the rescue of 1,200 Jews by German businessman Oskar Schindler during the Holocaust, he tried to include all the fascinating stories about that remarkable event. But even a feature film could not contain them all, and Palowski, a renowned Polish journalist, attempts to include the remainder here. He interviews survivors and describes the ordeal of filming on location under adverse conditions. Reenacting this sad and unusual chapter of history created many meaningful events. A woman who was tormented by concentration camp commander Amon Goeth almost fainted after seeing actor Ralph Fiennes in costume. Other survivors tell Palowski their memories from the war as the production moves take by take through the streets and houses of the old Jewish ghetto. It is a fascinating account but suffers from a poor, often awkward translation. Those who enjoyed the film will find this book very interesting. Ted Leventhal

From Kirkus Reviews

Palowski is a veteran Polish journalist who served as an informal guide and interpreter for Steven Spielberg during the making of Schindler's List; he kept a diary of sorts, and he now offers a distillation of its contents. This book was written originally for a Polish audience and published there before Spielberg's film was released in Poland. It now appears here in a somewhat awkward translation (``But I am asking him to stop avoiding the issue of my statement''). As a TV and print journalist, Palowski has covered the top echelon of the Polish film industry for many years; he was one of the many people who pushed to bring the filming of Schindler's List to the country in which many of the events took place, and he spent some time with Spielberg before filming began. He may be a battle-hardened reporter, but when he finds himself surrounded by the likes of Spielberg, Ben Kingsley, George Lucas, and other Hollywood heavyweights, he is reduced to Jell-O. Palowski is close friends with the man whose story triggered Thomas Keneally's interest in Schindler's Jews, an LA businessman named Poldek Page, and when he is recounting the stories of Page and other Holocaust survivors, this book is surefooted and fresh. But mostly this slender volume recounts the day-to-day trivia of Spielberg's filming in Krakow and its vicinity, as seen from something of a distance. The book's tone is surprisingly naive, given the author's familiarity with the entertainment industry, and that's what gives it a certain dopey charm, but there's little here that will enlighten those interested in filmmaking, the Holocaust, or Spielberg. (photos, not seen) -- Copyright ©1998, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 196 pages
• Publisher: Birch Lane Pr (March 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1559724455
• ISBN-13: 978-1559724456
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #691,015 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars There are stories and history behind the scene., November 20, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Making of Schindler's List: Behind the Scenes of an Epic Film (Hardcover)

If you expect information about the "technical making" of this movie, you won't get much. If you search for true stories, heartwarming stories sometimes told by real characters behind the scene, you'll get more than you expect. At some points, it was hard for me to go forward without tears. For those who watched the movie, it does add much.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars docu moviemaking, September 23, 2011

By 

daniel k - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Making of Schindler's List: Behind the Scenes of an Epic Film (Hardcover)

i enjoyed reading this book. i viewed Shindler's List as a documentary, prior to reading this book. I learned a lot about the moviemaking aspect of this extraordinary achievement , from a non documentary point of view. reality has set into my experience of the movie, not detracting but rather promoting the reality of the movie. a must for those who have been so impressed by the reality within the movie , as much as myself.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Additional perspective on "Schindler's List, August 20, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Making of Schindler's List: Behind the Scenes of an Epic Film (Hardcover)

I just finished reading this in less than a week! I loved this book. As a collector of books on this movie it is by far the best one I have found. I especially loved the color photo inset. I will watch the movie again this weekend to see the author playing a German clerk in the railway siding luggage scene where he asks everone to "clearly label your luggage and it will follow you." I never knew who played this part and how many "takes" it took to get the scene correct. I also never knew Spielberg was referred to as "the master" by his cast and crew. This book gives one many interesting little details about the making of the movie. Ones that really enjoys the movie MUST read this book. It's a must!