15 Surprising Facts About The Making Of "Schindler"s List"

When Steven Spielberg announced that he was making a film about the Holocaust, many assumed that it would be similar to those that preceded it. However, Spielberg told an amazing story that had virtually gone untold since that tragic period in history. The film went on to win too many awards to list, and has gone down in history as one of Spielberg’s best. But as iconic as the film has become, there is still much that most fans don’t know about it. 

Here are some incredibly interesting facts about the film. 

1. Steven Spielberg did his own research.

Steven traveled to Poland before filming began to meet with real-life Holocaust survivors. 

2. The studio didn’t want the entire film to be in black and white. 

Everybody disagreed with Spielberg’s idea to shoot the film in black and white EXCEPT for the studio’s CEO. 

3. It’s technically a student film.

Spielberg dropped out of college back in the day, but always wanted to get his diploma. So, while secretly going to class to try and finish his course, Spielberg submitted Schindler’s List as his final project. 

4. The movie wasn’t supposed to be in English. 

Spielberg initially thought that the film would be more effective if it was shot in Polish and German with English subtitles. However, he eventually decided that he wanted audiences to embrace the images on screen, and not get stuck reading subtitles.