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Steven Spielberg is considered one of the finest filmmakers of today and his 1993 film,Schindler’s List,is a great example why. Set in the time of the Holocaust, the film focuses on the story of a German manufacturer, Oskar Schindler, who goes out of his way to save the Jews from a harrowing fate.
Since Steven Spielberg is from the Jewish community himself and has family members who were affected by the Holocaust, makingSchindler’s Listwas an extremely tough task for him. After all, it is one thing watching a film and a completely different thing relating to it. Steven Spielberg found his savior in the late Robin Williams, who despite not being in the film, helped a great ton in its development.
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How Robin Williams Helped Steven Spielberg FinishSchindler’s List
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Schindler’s Listwas released afterRobin Williamstook over the role of John Keating inDead Poets Society, beatingLiam Neesonto it. A few years later, Williams would go on to make Neeson’sSchindler’s Listpossible. How? By simply being there to makeSteven Spielberglaugh during the tough shoot of the film.
As mentioned above, Spielberg was personally affected by the Holocaust. His father had lost about twenty relatives during the period. Spielberg himself was bullied at his high school for his beliefs. It was difficult for him to accept his heritage and therefore,Schindler’s Listhit close to home.
Making the film was draining Spielberg emotionally, day by day. This is where Williams came in. He was right by the filmmaker’s side to ease his mood by making him laugh and lifting his spirits whenever they would hit a low.
As reported by IndieWire, Spielberg spoke at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival where he revealed the weekly phone calls he would have with Williams.
“Robin knew what I was going through and once a week, Robin would call me on schedule and he would do fifteen minutes of stand-up on the phone. I would laugh hysterically because I had to release so much. The way Robin is on the telephone, he’d always hang up on the loudest, best laugh you’d give him. He’d never say goodbye, just hand up on the biggest laugh.”
Williams’ understanding of Spielberg’s situation, with whom he worked onHook(1991), says a lot about why friends who will be right there to pick you up when you are falling are important. Thanks to Williams’ contributions, the filmmaker was able to deliver one of the best films of his career without reaching his breaking point.
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Why Did Steven Spielberg Decide to Direct the Film?
IfSchindler’s Listwas such a difficult topic for Spielberg, why didn’t he just get another director for it? Well, he tried.
Spielberg had offered the film toMartin Scorsesebefore deciding that he himself should direct the project. So what changed the filmmaker’s mind? Talking to Entertainment Weekly, Spielberg stated that he offered the task to Scorsese after he realized his previous choice, journalist Kurt Luedtke could have“journalistic conflicts about not believing the story.”
However, when he gave the film to Scorsese, he realized that he missed it.
“I thought Marty would do a great job with it. He wouldn’t back down from truth or violence. But the minute I gave it to Marty, I missed it. I’d given away a chance to do something for my children and family about the Holocaust.”
Thus, the two filmmakers became a part of barter. Spielberg gave ScorseseCape Fearand Scorsese gave backSchindler’s List.The rest is history.
You can rent/buySchindler’s Listfrom Prime Video.
Source:IndieWire
Mishkaat Khan
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2257
A connoisseur of all things horror, fantasy, and the occasional chick flick, Mishkaat has been penning pieces for FandomWire since 2022. She started off as an intern and has worked her way up to a Senior Writer with over 2000 articles to her name.Outside of entertainment, she has also written well-researched medical content as a freelance writer and has experience in social media management.When not writing, you can find her relaxing with a romance novel and a tall glass of iced coffee in her hand or watching re-runs of ‘Supernatural’ and ‘The Office.’
