Terry Gilliam criticizes Spielberg and Schindler's List

In a TCM interview, the legendary film director Terry Gilliam reveals his opinion on Schindler's List and Spielberg and mainstream Hollywood in general, saying things that most filmmakers, critics and viewers are too scared to express.

He also mentions Stanley Kubrick, compares Kubrick and Spielberg and praises the ending of 2001: A Space Odyssey for its thought-provoking ambiguity.

• Category

  Film & Animation

[S Lee]

"Schindler's list was about saving a few people"

Oskar Schindler saved around 1,200 people. Of course, compared to the 6 million who perished, that is miniscule. But let us not forget the few people who were beacons of light in a time of unfathomable darkness. Whoever saves one life, saves the world entire. The value of even one life is what Schindler's List illuminated and that is why I don't agree with this gentleman.

[MEdalFan26]

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[S Lee]

That's not what the quote means though. The quote means that, when you save one person, the life of that one person who is saved includes his/her experience of the world, i.e. their subjective reality. It doesn't negate the fact that millions of people died and that's not the aim of Spielberg nor the movie. I think this is where you are mistaken.

[Sunwukong13]

I think your sentence regarding the film message right there speaks to why Gilliam is critizing the film. "Whoever saves one life, Saves the world entire." When millions of people were dying does that message really give you peace? I mean the film says you save one life you save the world but more than a million died?! Do you really think that if you save one life, you can amount to saving the entire world?

[Sunwukong13]

Don't get me wrong I love the film. The film is my opinion is about a man who was actually a failure his entire life finally finds his success. The holocaust serves as a background to his success. Its a great character study that ends with a happy ending. But is that enough? Is what Gilliam is trying to say. I'm sure in Gilliam's mind he sees the Holocaust subject matter as a failure of human morality, and to another degree the truth of human nature.

[S Lee]

I don't agree with your assessment of the debate. Schindler's List, believe it or not, did not lessen the gravity of the holocaust in my mind. There were many scenes where I almost had to avert my eyes completely because they were just too terrible. But don't forget, the movie was based on a true story. It's not a full account of the holocaust (what movie truly could completely accurately convey the death of millions?), but the story of Oskar Schindler and his Schindlerjuden.

[dantaylor98dt]

Terry Gilliam made Brazil one of the best films ever made.

[Sunwukong13]

I think you are getting the wrong impression, its not about whos right or wrong, its about what the director is giving you. Is it an easy answer or not. If you feel that saving one life can save the world is enough for you to sleep at night and feel good in the morning to live another day then that's okay. Gilliam is saying that is that really enough? So that's where the debate comes in.

[Rojo Rhino]

funny!

[Rojo Rhino]

but to make a movie about the holocaust, you should use it to show how horrible it was. How men became like sheep to kill others. Schindler's List is kinda a movie about "Hey, it wasn't all bad!" "Sure this bad stuff happens, but here's an uplifting little corner of the part of history!". I think a Stanley Kubrick film about the holocaust (Aryan Papers) would've been much more important. Not as comforting, but more honest and poetic

[monumentalpictures]

No, you're saying you have no idea who stanley kubrick is.

[Daniel Brown]

History can make us ask questions certainly.