As we approach the Oscars ceremony we are reminded again that director Steven Spielberg has become one of the most iconic filmmakers in Hollywood history. While “The Post” is a fine film about a specific moment in history, the real gem in his filmography is none other than “Schindler’s List.” The film about a Nazi businessman who saved the lives of over 1,100 Jews during the Holocaust, is a powerful movie that captured the hearts and minds of millions when it was released in 1993.
However, it wasn’t until 1997 that the film reached a truly massive audience. In February 1997, NBC aired the entire uncut “Schindler’s List” on network television. Almost unheard of back then, the network and Steven Spielberg teamed up to bring the film to the largest audience imaginable. And boy, did it work. It’s estimated that 65 million people tuned in that night to watch the 3-hour-plus film, which is more than double the audience that saw it in theaters.
The magic of YouTube (and attentive users of Reddit) has kept portions of that broadcast alive. As part of the film’s network debut, Spielberg himself introduced the film and gave a closing thought at the end. In the first video (at the 6:57 mark), you see Spielberg explain to an audience that a crazy thing was about to happen. They were going to be shown something that wasn’t edited for content. It was going to preserve all the violence and graphic imagery, and as Spielberg points out, parents should decide for themselves if children are of the appropriate age to watch.
The second video (about the 1:50 mark) picks up immediately following the film. Spielberg takes a moment to not only discuss the importance of “Schindler’s List,” but to also promote his newly formed Shoah Foundation. It’s a little dated, seeing the “advanced technology” on display, however, the passion that Spielberg has for the film and the foundation are evident.
For those perhaps wary of watching Spielberg talking about the Holocaust and feeling depressed the whole time, fear not! For some reason, the two videos were not edited very tightly and they still contain all that 1997 goodness. Car commercials, fast food spots, and even the local news trying to capitalize on the event are all seen in alarming 4:3 aspect ratio.
Overall, these videos signify just how far we’ve come, for better or worse, in 21 years. The odds of anything that isn’t released by the NFL reaching an audience of 65 million on TV, are next to nothing. However, today’s technology offers filmmakers like Spielberg the chance to get their work seen by millions of people over dozens of platforms.