Strengths And Weaknesses Of The Film Schindler's List

484 Words2 Pages

The film Schindler 's List stands among the most successful and noteworthy Holocaust films of the twentieth century. It portrays the moral development of one Oskar Schindler, a rising Nazi businessman, who saved roughly one thousand Jewish prisoners of the Krakow Ghetto by employing them at his factory. By heavily bribing Nazi officials and outsourcing his production, Schindler was able to his deem his Jewish workers essential to the war effort, saving them from otherwise certain death. Like all films, Schindler 's List has its strengths and weaknesses. The director 's decision to begin in full color with candles which fade into black and white not only helps the viewer enter a solemn and serious mindset, but it also minimizes distractions as to focus solely on the film 's message while the story unfolds. This decision also …show more content…

The most prevalent theme throughout Schindler 's List is the fragility of life. Countless Jews are murdered throughout the film for minor offenses and most for no reason at all. The accurate representation of the liquidation of Krakow also demonstrates how little the Nazis cared for the Jews, people who had once been their neighbors. The interactions between the Nazi Lieutenant Goth and his maid represent the struggle some Nazis had with treating people as animals while their humane morals overpowered them at times. The value of life as determined by Schindler and Goth is diametrically opposed. Schindler risks his life and gives up fortune to save hundreds, while Goth sends thousands to their death and even casually snipes Jewish prisoners one morning for sport. These events all display just how easily life can be saved, traded, or taken away, and illustrate the value of remembering how the Holocaust happened. The film encompasses the idea that life only has as much value as those in control deem it to be. Through this focus on the fragility of life, the film acts as a reminder of what happens when good people stand idle in the wake

Open Document