Schindler's List by Steven Spielberg - Essay Example

?Schindler's List The atrocities faced by the Jews in ghettos and concentration camps are symbolic of human rights violation and cruelty. The discrimination and marginalization based on one’s religious belief and racial identity is totally against the values gained by the human race. Within this context, Steven Spielberg’s initiative (say, the film Schindler's List) is noteworthy because he makes use of his craftsmanship to deal with a familiar theme from a different angle of view, apart from other directors. Thesis statement: Among the films which portray the hardships faced by the Jews in German concentration camps, Steven Spielberg’s point of view in the movie Schindler's List is unique, because the director attempts to make the audience feel the hardships faced by human beings. Plot summary: The film’s plot revolves around the central character, Oskar Schindler. This protagonist is entirely different from conventional heroes because he is a cunning businessman. For instance, Schindler manipulates businessmen and slaves among the Jews in Europe. Besides, he was German and a member of Nazi Party. Gradually, he came to realize the fact that he is so attached to the Jewish slaves who worked for him in his factory. Thereafter, his aim was to save his workers from the Nazis. In the end, Schindler was able to save his workers and relocated them to a new site. But Schindler was aware of the fact that his identity as the member of Nazi Party will not help him to save himself from the Red Army. Besides, his workers agree with his plan to flee. Somehow, Schindler manages to escape from the Red Army and saves his life. Yosefa Loshitzky opined that, “As the first studio film to deal directly with the enormity of the Holocaust, one made by the most commercially successful director in the movie history, Schindler’s List attempts to provide the popular imagination with a master narrative about the Holocaust” (2). The director develops the plot into a realistic story of the kindness and philanthropy, disregarding racial difference. The director’s point of view: concentration camps, holocaust, and survival instinct In the film, the director’s point of view or the director’s individual freedom is evident in the portrayal of concentration camps, holocaust, and survival instinct of the victims. First of all, the director provides ample importance to the portrayal of the Polish Jews in the German concentration camps and ghettos. According to Jonathan Rosenbaum, “Likewise, SCHILDLER’S LIST assumes a desire to identify with the class in power; it can only tell us what it has to say about Schindler by turning us into Schindler-which also means turning us into a Nazi” (104). In the film, the Jewish victims of racial discrimination in Europe are relocated to a ghetto named as Krakow Ghetto. On the other side, Plaszow concentration camp is another location, where the victims are treated without mercy. To be specific, the Jews those who are not able to work are brutally murdered. In the film, Auschwitz concentration camp is another location where the Jewish victims are forced to undergo inhuman treatment from the German authorities. Gradually, the film’s plot develops into the lives of the Jewish workers under Schindler. In the initial stages, Schindler considered his workers as mere slaves. Somehow, constant contact with the workers changed Schindler’s mind and he began to consider them as his extended family. This is entirely different from the atrocities faced by the other Jews during German holocaust. Tobias Goldschmidt stated that, “Spielberg’s most important argument for the production of Schindler’s List was the lack of knowledge about the Holocaust in the American society” (6). Still, Schindler’s Jews never mistrusted their master. They were aware of the fact that Schindler will not allow them to be in the hands of Gestapo. On the other side, Schindler’s relation with the members of Nazi Party was helpful for the Jewish workers. In addition, Schindler allowed his workers to observe their religious rituals. This secular attitude accelerated hope among the Jewish workers. To be specific, one cannot imagine that a member of Nazi Party in Nazi Germany is ready to help the Jews. Mordecai Paldiel stated that, “The most celebrated case in this category is that of Oskar Schindler who claimed that his 1,200 Jewish workers were indispensable for the war effort in his factory in Brunnlitz, Moravia, when in fact, they did not produce a single shell during the whole eight months of the firm’s operation” (24). Still, Schindler’s attempt, added with the survival instinct of the Jewish workers, eventually led to the freedom of Polish Jews in Germany. The director’s attempt to make the audience feel the hardships faced by human beings This section is broadly divided into three: war profiteering, symbolism, and historical references. War profiteering In the film, some of the main characters, for instance, Oskar Schindler and Amon Goeth are symbolic of war profiteering and bribery. To be specific, Schindler considers the WWII as the best available option to overcome economic problems. Frederick Wasser made clear that, “Schindler, at first, simply seems to be an opportunist, but he takes increasingly proactive steps to save his Jewish workers as the authorities ship people off to the death camp at Auschwitz” (154). As pointed out, he was the member of Nazi party. But his political/racial identity did not hinder him from creating business relationship with Jews, especially with the business class. On the other side, Amon Goeth is a Nazi official. But he was influenced by Schindler and began to consider his military career as an opportunity to be rich by the means of bribery. Besides, Schindler opened his factory to exploit the Jewish slaves. So, one can easily identify the fact that some of the people with business mind consider war as an easy opportunity to be rich. They do not consider their aim as immoral and inhuman because they are in search of possibilities within political turmoil. To be specific, the director provides ample importance to the characters who are under the influence of war profiteering and bribery to contrast them with the hardships faced by the Jews. Symbolism First of all, the film’s name is symbolic of the list of the workers prepared by Schindler. This list was helpful for the Jewish slaves to keep themselves away from Nazi concentration camps. So, the film’s name is symbolic of freedom and hope. At the same time, the director makes use of a number of symbols to communicate with the audience. For instance, the girl in the film, who usually wears read coat, is symbolic of the change in Schindler’s attitude towards the Jewish workers. Besides, the color combination of the film is black and white. The girl’s dress (red) is projected in black and white background. Wright and Miller pointed out that, “The symbol that dominates this magnificent movie, which is shot in black and white, is the image an innocent little girl whom Schindler nicknames “Red Coat” as he travels throughout Krakow, and whose red coat Spielberg portrays as the only color image in the movie” (188). The importance given to the color red is symbolic of change or transformation. Another interpretation of the usage of red color is that the same is symbolic of the brutality faced by the innocent Jews under Adolf Hitler. The opening scene in the film consists of the religious ritual of the Jews, named as Shabbat. In this scene, candles are lit and the same is symbolic of hope. Then, the light gradually fades out and smoke covers the scene. This is symbolic of the shadow of hopelessness felt by the Jews who were forced to undergo the brutality of the German authorities. So, one can see that the director makes use of a number of symbols to convey his message to the audience in a different way. Historical references The film is interconnected with world history, especially the political and military history of Europe. To be specific, WWII is an integral part of the film because almost all the events in the film are happened during the WWII and the following years. For instance, Adolf Hitler’s aim to uphold the supremacy of Aryan race and to control the whole world is closely related to the grass root level reason behind the WWII. At the same time, the hardships faced by the Jews in Europe are interconnected with Hitler’s aim and his hatred towards them. So, this film can be considered as historical anecdote, with difference in director’s aim and point of view. For instance, the film’s plot is related to the life history of Schindler and his workers. To be specific, Schindler is not an imaginary character. Instead, he lived in Germany during WWII. The director made use of Schindler’s life as the theme to portray his views on the atrocities faced by the Jews. Tim Cole made clear that, “Spielberg has spoken of Schindler’s List as being a document rather than a film, and his role as being that of witness rather than film director” (75). So, the director never neglects the historical importance of the plot/theme made use by him in the film. Summing, there is no other historical incident similar to the hardships suffered by the Jews under Nazi Germany. But the Jews survived this racial discrimination/marginalization and their story is one among the best examples of survival. But there were some people who tried their level best to save the Jews from the clutches of Nazis. In the film Schindler’s List, Steven Spielberg selected a German Nazi as the protagonist who is ready to help the Jews to prove that sympathy can transform an individual from an opportunist to a humanitarian. So, the film is entirely different from other films which portray the Jewish life because the director approaches the theme and plot from a different angle of view. Besides, the film fills the minds of the audience with hope because the director never neglects the scope of humanitarian concern towards the downtrodden individuals. Works Cited Cole, Tim. Selling the Holocaust: From Auschwitz to Schindler How History is Bought, Packaged and Sold. New York: Routledge, 2000. Print. Goldschmidt, Tobias. SCHINDLERS LIST an appropriate way of dealing with the holocaust. N.p.: GRIN Verlag, 2003. Print. Loshitzky, Yosefa. Spielberg's Holocaust: Critical Perspectives on Schindler's List. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1997. Print. Paldiel, Mordecai. Saving the Jews: Amazing Stories of Men and Women Who Defied the "Final Solution". Rockville: Schreiber, 2000. Print. Rosenbaum, Jonathan. Movies as Politics. California: University of California Press, 1997. Print. Wasser, Frederick. Steven Spielberg's America. Cornwall: Polity, 2010. Print. Wright, Kate, and Arthur Miller. Screenwriting Is Storytelling: Creating an A-List Screenplay That Sells. New York: Penguin, 2004. Print. Read More