Schindler’s List, directed by Steven Spielberg and released in 1993, is a powerful and emotionally charged film based on true events during the Holocaust. The movie is renowned for its historical accuracy, stark cinematography, and profound storytelling.
The plot revolves around Oskar Schindler, a German businessman played by Liam Neeson. Initially, Schindler is portrayed as a profiteer who seeks to capitalize on the war by employing Jewish workers in his factory, as they are cheaper than Polish workers. However, as the film progresses, his motivations evolve from self-interest to a compassionate and courageous effort to save his Jewish employees from the Holocaust.
The story unfolds in Kraków, Poland, during World War II. Schindler, a member of the Nazi Party, initially sees the war as an opportunity to make a fortune. He cultivates relationships with Nazi officials and sets up a factory to produce enamelware, staffing it with Jewish workers whom he saves from concentration camps.
The film also follows the story of Itzhak Stern, played by Ben Kingsley, a Jewish accountant who becomes Schindler’s confidant and the de facto manager of the factory. Stern helps Schindler understand the plight of the Jews and plays a crucial role in the list of names that would later be known as Schindler’s List — a list of Jews whom Schindler would save from the gas chambers by employing them in his factory.
A significant and chilling aspect of the film is the portrayal of Amon Göth, a ruthless Nazi officer played by Ralph Fiennes. Göth is in charge of the Płaszów concentration camp and is depicted as a brutal and sadistic man. The contrast between Göth’s inhumanity and Schindler’s growing empathy and moral awakening is a central theme of the film.
As the war progresses and the situation for Jews becomes more perilous, Schindler’s focus shifts entirely from profit to the preservation of human life. He spends his entire fortune bribing Nazi officials to keep his workers safe and to ensure the safety of as many Jews as possible.
The movie culminates with the end of the war and the liberation of the concentration camps. Schindler, now penniless and considered a war criminal by the Allies due to his former Nazi affiliations, must flee. In an emotional farewell, his workers present him with a ring made from a gold dental filling, engraved with a Talmudic quotation, “Whoever saves one life, saves the world entire.”
Schindler’s List is shot primarily in black and white, which adds to the film’s somber and realistic portrayal of the Holocaust. It is widely regarded as one of the most important films ever made about the Holocaust, not only for its artistic and cinematic achievements but also for its educational impact in conveying the horrors of this period in history.
The film is a haunting reminder of the atrocities of the Holocaust, and through the story of Oskar Schindler, it also serves as a testament to the capacity for good in humanity, even in the darkest of times.
