Steven Spielberg’s 1993 film, "Schindler's List", explores the atrocities that occurred in Eastern Europe during the Holocaust and how one man was able to save over 1,000 European Jews from being systematically murdered by the Nazi regime. This powerful film gives its viewers an insight into the daily struggles of Jewish families living in overcrowded ghettos and the merciless executions of millions of Jews in death camps. Spielberg’s film captures the emotions of the time through startling visuals, an over-dramatic soundtrack, and a captivating story-line. Overall, "Schindler's List" is an excellent film that paints a picture of the atrocities that occurred during the Holocaust and how compassion and hope helped victims survive.
The film centers on the heroic actions taken by Oskar Schindler to save Jews from being exterminated in the Final Solution, the planned systematic extermination of Jews throughout Europe. Schindler was a Nazi industrialist who ran a factory that supplied the German military with ammunition and cooking pots. Schindler wants nothing but money and power; until he witnesses a massacre take place in a nearby ghetto. After witnessing the slaughter of hundreds of Jews, Schindler is deeply impacted and becomes sympathetic to the Jewish people. He decides to dedicate his wealth and power to helping them survive. When Schindler hears that there are Jews in the work camp nearby, he decides to act according to his conscience, risking his reputation by meeting with other business owners to try and persuade them to take some of the Jews in as workers. Schindler compiles a list of all of the Jews who he is willing to rescue from the work camp and employs them at his factory. Schindler sacrifices his reputation and his fortune to bring the Jews to safety. When Schindler was bringing Jews to his factory, one of the trains was separated and headed towards Auschwitz. Schindler quickly headed for the death camp and was able to get his workers back, despite the risk to his own safety.
Over time, Schindler began to establish a relationship with his factory workers. At Schindler’s factory, the Jewish workers were given shelter, food, and care. Schindler did everything in his power to keep his workers safe and away from the danger of the outside world. For example, at Schindler’s factory, none of the Nazi guards were permitted to enter the factory, shoot a worker, or carry a gun. If any guards violated any of these rules, they would have been jailed and Schindler would have been compensated. Schindler’s kindness towards his workers was scrutinized by his fellow Nazis, and he was the subject of investigation for kissing one of his female workers. Schindler was brave enough to continue sheltering Jews despite accusations made against him regarding his sympathy for them. Without Schindler’s intervention in the work camp, many of the Jews would have been murdered at death camps. Schindler was immensely courageous to help Jews. He sacrificed his reputation, nearly lost his business, and risked imprisonment to do what he knew was right.
At the end of the film, Oskar Schindler realizes that his actions had an enormous impact on the Jewish people. He regrets the times he wasted money on selfish things and wishes that he could have made more money to help more Jews. Schindler went from being a millionaire to a penniless man because he had to bribe others to help him out. Schindler is a determined hero who put the welfare of others before himself.
Haunting visuals and graphic depictions of genocide are what make "Schindler's List" an incredibly striking film. The film is almost entirely black and white. The only times the audience sees color are when Schindler spots a little girl wearing a red jacket walking through the streets of a Ghetto during a massacre, when Schindler sees the same girl, but dead, among a pile of bodies, and when a candle is lit by a Jewish Rabbi on the Sabbath. These brief but important scenes capture the audience’s attention and make a strong emotional impact on the viewer. Other scenes that were powerful but difficult to watch include a scene where Schindler is walking toward his car and notices that it is snowing, only to realize that the powder that is falling from the sky is actually of human remains. The scene where the children at the labor camp are being escorted onto trucks in order to be killed. Despite its many horrific scenes, there are other moments which show that there is still hope for a better future. When Schindler is at a train station with SS officials, he hoses down the trains, carrying dehydrated and suffocating Jewish prisoners. The dehydrated prisoners are grateful that someone would see their suffering and take action to stop it. This act gave the Jews hope of survival, and shows Schindler’s compassion and humanity. It is scenes like these that make "Schindler's List" a dramatic, yet hopeful, visual experience.
The film’s soundtrack, like its stunning visuals, create a melancholy and heart wrenching experience. The score is performed using stringed instruments like violins and cellos, which allow long, fluid, and pulsating notes to carry the audience through the emotionally driven film. The soundtrack also includes a choir of children singing, juxtaposed against the film’s graphic violence, which escalates the awfulness of the time. The director’s choice to use the innocent voices of children makes a strong emotional impact and painfully reminds the audience of the innumerable lives of children that were erased from existence. When the score is played over the film’s horrific visuals, the pulsating melodies and tear-jerking crescendos and decrescendos produce an unforgettable cinematic experience.
Overall, "Schindler's List" is a spectacular film that provides viewers with a frightening depiction of some of the worst moments of human history. The film beautifully synchronizes its horrifyingly accurate visuals with a gut wrenching score, leaving its audience emotionally impacted not only by the horrors of the Holocaust, but also with an understanding of how the kindness of one person can change history.
