History Trivia / SchindlersList

** While no one doubts the quality of the film ultimately released, Creator/StevenSpielberg was originally to serve as a producer, with previously considered directors including Creator/SydneyPollack, Creator/RomanPolanski (who turned it down due to his own past as a Holocaust survivor, and a relative of some of the Schindlerjuden, though he would go on to direct ''Film/ThePianist''), Creator/SidneyLumet (who felt that he had already covered the subject of the Holocaust, with ''The Pawnbroker'') and Creator/MartinScorsese, who felt that the story could only be properly told by a Jewish filmmaker[[note]]In turn, Spielberg handed his directing gig for the 1991 version of ''Film/CapeFear'' over to Scorsese (he stayed on as producer), and Scorsese would tackle the Holocaust briefly in ''Film/ShutterIsland''[[/note]]. Creator/BillyWilder also expressed interest in directing the film.

* CreatorsFavoriteEpisode: Creator/StevenSpielberg called this his most important film and the "best film he's ever made".

* CreatorsFavoriteEpisode: Creator/StevenSpielberg called this his most important film and the film he's most proud of making.

* CreatorsFavoriteEpisode: Creator/StevenSpielberg called this his most important film.

* PlayingAgainstType: ''Big time'' in the Japanese dub: Amon Goethe was voiced by Creator/HideyukiTanaka, a voice actor who was well-know for voicing very heroic roles, including [[Manga/SaintSeiya Leo Aioria]], [[Manga/CityHunter Hideyuki Makimura]], [[Franchise/MetalGear Otacon]] and [[Anime/{{Dancougar}} Alan Igor]]. Voicing a {{Sadist}} scumbag like him is definitely ''very'' outside of such roles. And that would ''not'' be the first time he would end up voicing such kind of villains later, as he is well-known in Japan for voicing another similar character like Goethe: [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsInTheSky Georg Weissmann]].

* DoingItForTheArt: Spielberg refused to accept a director's salary for this film, feeling that doing so would be "blood money," and instead funneled it into the establishment of the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USC_Shoah_Foundation_Institute_for_Visual_History_and_Education Survivors of the Shoah Visual History Foundation]]. He also deliberately left the ''Film/ETTheExtraTerrestrial''-inspired Creator/AmblinEntertainment VanityPlate off the film to keep it from appearing "whimsical" and still refuses to autograph any copies of the films or promotional materials.

* DoingItForTheArt: Spielberg refused to accept a director's salary for this film, feeling that doing so would be "blood money," and instead funneled it into the establishment of the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USC_Shoah_Foundation_Institute_for_Visual_History_and_Education Survivors of the Shoah Visual History Foundation]]. He also deliberately left the ''Film/ETTheExtraTerrestrial''-inspired Creator/AmblinEntertainment VanityPlate off the film to keep it from appearing "whimsical" and refused to autograph any copies of the films or promotional materials.

* DoingItForTheArt: Spielberg refused to accept a director's salary for this film, feeling that doing so would be "blood money," and instead funneled it into the establishment of the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USC_Shoah_Foundation_Institute_for_Visual_History_and_Education Survivors of the Shoah Visual History Foundation]]. He also deliberately left the ''Film/ETTheExtraTerrestrial''-inspired Creator/AmblinEntertainment VanityPlate off the film to keep it from appearing "whimsical" and refused to autograph any promotional materials. He's even said he refuses to provide autographs for copies of the films or promotional materials.

* CreatorChosenCasting: Creator/StevenSpielberg cast Creator/LiamNeeson after seeing him in ''Theatre/AnnaChristie'' on Broadway. He cast Creator/RalphFiennes after seeing him in ''Dangerous Man: Lawrence After Arabia'' and ''Literature/WutheringHeights''.

* DoingItForTheArt: Spielberg refused to accept a director's salary for this film, feeling that doing so would be "blood money," and instead funneled it into the establishment of the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USC_Shoah_Foundation_Institute_for_Visual_History_and_Education Survivors of the Shoah Visual History Foundation]]. He also deliberately left the ''Film/ETTheExtraTerrestrial''-inspired Creator/AmblinEntertainment VanityPlate off the film to keep it from appearing "whimsical" and refused to autograph any promotional materials.