By CHRISTA BUGEE
BYU students had mixed reactions to 'Schindler's List,' an R-rated movie that aired in partially-edited form Sunday evening on NBC with a TV-M (mature audiences) rating.
Although some of the more graphic violence and nudity were cut or black lined, a lot of the scenes were left uncut with full-frontal nudity and brutal killing to portray the historical aspect of the film.
'It was violent, but it was appropriate because it was portraying a historical event,' said Jessica Hannan, a sophomore from La Canada, Calif., majoring in math education. 'We need to learn from past mistakes so we won't make them again in the future. However, I don't think it was appropriate for young audiences.'
'That's how history was, and you can't change it,' said Karen Winters, a sophomore from Lancaster, Penn., majoring in nursing. 'It was appropriate.'
Many other students agreed. 'I thought it was very informative, and I learned a lot,' said Paul Hatch, a freshman from Bountiful, majoring in early childhood development. 'But, I don't think I'd watch it again.'
'I loved the movie,' said Andrew Mason, a freshman from Lubbock, Texas, majoring in pre-business. 'In the context, 'Schindler's List' didn't offend me at all. I think the movie is important because it will help future generations understand what really happened.'
'I thought it was appropriate,' Mason said. 'A lot of my roommates thought I was bad for watching it on Sunday since it's an R-rated movie.'
Not all students agreed with every aspect of the movie. Colleen Van Orden, a senior from Layton, majoring in Spanish teaching, said, 'I think that when it is on TV they should take more of the violence and nudity out because you never know who's going to be watching it.'
All the advertisements and previews for 'Schindler's List' had the movie being shown nationwide at 6:30 p.m. Central Standard Time, but throughout Utah, Schindler's List was seen at 8 p.m. Mountain Standard Time, because it was geared toward a more mature adult audience.
'I was a little shocked,' said Lana Rose, a senior from Eugene, Ore. Allowing the violence and nudity to be shown on TV opened the door for other less necessary, questionable scenes in the future, Rose said.
'As far as 'Schindler's List' goes, they did edit some of the gratuitous nudity, but the nudity they did show was appropriate for the message of the film,' Rose said.
'The movie was very thought provoking,' said Greg Danklef, a junior from Pleasant Grove, majoring in political science. 'I felt it was very responsible of the TV station and even Spielberg to warn the viewers beforehand that the program would portray violence and graphic scenes not normally found on TV, so the viewers could make a responsible choice of whether to watch it or not.'
'I thought it was an accurate depiction of what I believe the holocaust was, but I didn't think it should of been on TV,' said Brett Higginbotham, a junior from Monterey, Calif., majoring in accounting.