The real Oskar Schindler served as a Nazi spy in Czechoslovakia before buying factories in Poland after Germany invaded that country in 1939. Schindler bribed German officials to allow him to use Jewish labor. Over time, Schindler became protective of his work force and worked to keep them from being sent to concentration camps. He died in 1974 at age 66.

Steven Spielberg became interested in the story when he read a New York Times review of Thomas Keneally's 1982 novel “Schindler's Ark.” Planning to tackle the project ten years later, he hired Kurt Luedtke — who had written the screenplay for “Out of Africa” — to write a script, but Luedtke gave up after four years, finding Schindler's real-life actions unbelievable.

Spielberg tried to recruit other directors for the project: Sydney Pollack, Martin Scorsese, Billy Wilder and Roman Polanski. He finally decided to direct the film himself after he noticed how Holocaust deniers were gaining traction in the media. Universal Pictures offered to fund the movie — but only if Spielberg would make “Jurassic Park” first.

Spielberg considered Kyle MacLachlan, Warren Beatty and Harrison Ford to play Schindler. Kevin Costner lobbied for the role. Spielberg said he wanted an unknown actor whose “star quality” wouldn't overpower the character. He eventually settled upon Liam Neeson, whose work on this film would earn him an Oscar nomination for Best Actor.

The character of Schindler's accountant, Itzhak Stern, was a composite of three real-life associates of Schindler's: his accountant, Stern; the manager of his factory, Abraham Bankier; and German SS officer Amon Göth's personal secretary, Mietek Pemper. Spielberg offered the role to Dustin Hoffman, who declined. He hired Ben Kingsley instead.

Ralph Fiennes' character of Amon Göth oversees the construction and population of a concentration camp, brutalizes a number of Jews — including his maid — and enjoys randomly shooting Jews from the balcony of his villa. Schindler is careful to maintain his friendship with Göth and to continue to bribe him in order for Schindler to save as many Jews as possible.

When Spielberg first showed his longtime music collaborator, John Williams, a rough cut of “Schindler's List,” Williams needed to take a brief walk outside to pull himself together. He then told Spielberg that he deserved a better composer for this project. “I know,” Spielberg replied, “but they're all dead.” Williams' soundtrack would win an Academy Award.

There is a Jewish tradition that when one visits a grave, one leaves a small stone on the marker as a sign of respect. Halfway through production, Spielberg had an idea for an epilogue to the film in which 128 actual Holocaust survivors would visit Schindler's actual grave in Jerusalem. The unseen man at the end who places a rose instead of a stone: Liam Neeson.