Cinematography, script, performance, directing... are all elements that have made this film so good to watch. Of-course the real story is the real notch behind which this is all so moving and amazing. The thing is that it takes brilliant directing, Spielberg, and performance to be able to reflect this true experience through a movie so smoothly. The attention to details has contributed to this very successful portrayal of the great pain, degradation and global disaster that took place 50 years ago. Details such as the nudity scenes of this large number of people that conveys the concept of lack of individuality to a degree implying disrespect and humiliation that is scary. The components of the characters of Oskar and Stern are very well presented because they are real characters with components of good and bad. Black and white certainly adds to the state of mind the movie puts you in. The idea of masses of people all the time enhances the magnitude of the catastrophe even further.
