Powerful Analysis of Schindler's List
Powerful Analysis of Schindler's List
This is one of the most emotional movies I've ever seen. Spielberg has documented evil and made a moving tribute to the victims and survivors of the Holocaust. The story centers around the true story of Oskar Schindler, a war profiteer who paid to save the lives of Jews during the holocaust. Liam Neeson was outstanding as the lead and the script gave him a rich character to portray. The film presents Schindler as a business man, a womanizer, a profiteer, and a humanitarian. His contrasts allow for a beautiful character development. His interactions with Ralph Fiennes, who is very chilling as the commandant of the concentration camp Ammon Goeth, shows him to be a man struggling with hypocrisy. He disapproves of Goeth's cold-blooded murder and harsh treatment of the Jews, but he clearly enjoys Goeth's company. He has a hard time reconciling the two sides of Goeth's personality. He uses his influence to try and persuade Goeth to be more forgiving, to have morals and treat the Jews with the dignity that all humans deserve. Ben Kingsley is outstanding as Itzhak Stern, a Jewish businessman that really runs Schindler's factory. But the real star is Spielberg's unforgiving examination of the holocaust. His use of black and white film (a very beautiful stock, not the grainy kind you see in independent films) is inspired. Because all the things that you've seen about the holocaust are in black and white, the film doesn't appear to be unusual. This also leaves him room to do something brilliant. When the SS is liquidating the Warsaw Ghetto, there is a girl that is wearing a bright red dress. This is one of the two times that there is color in the film (the other is the flame of a candle). This is a brilliant visual move by Spielberg. In the middle of all this murder and horror, he suddenly brings in color to remind you that this is real. This really happened. It's just brilliant. His depiction of cold-blooded murder destroys your faith in man. But Schindler redeems humanity by buying the lives of people. Without his intervention they will surely die. Schindler understands this fact and spends all his money to save people. The most emotional moment for me was at the end. The Nazis have signed their surrender and the Jews are...