Deconstructing the Obvious: Schindler’s List

An event occurred over half a century ago that took nearly six million innocent lives had left us with all kinds of story about it. Among those are Night by Elie Wiesel and Schindler’s List by Steven Spielberg. These two pieces of literatures may be similar, yet different in many ways. For instance, the Holocaust. It is one recognizable way that shows the similarity between the movie and the book. However, they are very different because one is about a person saving, or rather buying, 1200 lives and the other is many lives that were saved by a union, Schindler’s List and Night, respectively. Which can indicate the fact that Jewish were treated as less than human when they were bought like some objects. Other factors include

The plot is one of the components of the story that gives it its realistic feel. The story follows the author’s experience during the Holocaust, from their town in Sighet to the Birkenau, Buna and finally in Buchenwald where they were liberated by the Americans. One would think that the story would only follow the events that happened through the camp, but the author is able to include the change that he experienced during his time at camp. He starts to say his own thoughts when he talks about how he “stood petrified… [he] watched and kept silent. Only yesterday, [he] would’ve dug [his] nails to the criminal’s flesh” (Wiesel, p.39). His thoughts about change culminate when he decided to [look… in the mirror on

Hollywood has the reputation of films encompassing more exaggerated drama than realism; however, the movie Schindler’s List (directed by Steven Spielberg) is exemplified by a mostly accurate portrayal of historical events. Spielberg’s paid homage and use of a man’s story provides a realistic view of the horrors of the Holocaust.

‘Schindler’s List’ is no less a “Jewish story” or a “German story” than it is a human story. And its subject matter applies to every generation.’ [Stephen Spielberg] Discuss.

And you betrayed me! I saw you every day in her eyes and I heard you in her voice when she laughed, and I felt you inside of me when she called me “daddy” and you betrayed me. You broke my heart.” This rhetorical choice instigates pathos while also showing insight to the main character’s disparity. Also, both pieces use pathos to trigger the viewers emotions. By keeping their audiences in mind and using the effective rhetoric of pathos, the writer and photographer make the viewers much more sympathetic towards the subjects. In the movie, Frankel films excellent actors an effective usage of display, style, and design that help carry out the message in an impressive matter. The pictures design is formatted in a way that leads the eye from left to right- past to present. The past portrays a time of despair and hopelessness not only for Jews but also homosexuals, gypsies, the disabled, and any other lifestyles the Nazis deemed unfit. Now, on the right side of the picture, one can see the current glimpses of hope- the soldiers of the Israeli Defense Forces that protect and serve Israel in efforts to make sure that nothing similar to the Holocaust will ever happen

This is the first of many examples of Wiesler abusing his position of power to act cruelly. It cuts between the brutal interview and the classroom where students listen to a recording of the interview while Wiesler explains the techniques he used to break the interview subject. Wiesler is shot from low angles to appear more intimidating while the man he interviews is shot from above; almost as if the audience is watching from Wiesler’s point of view. These angles force the audience to quite literally look down on the man in question. For the first half of the movie Wiesler is portrayed in a similar manner to the Mise en Scene.

One scene compare the two extremes of human behavior. In it Hans Hubermann tries to help one of the Jews being marched through town on the way to Dachau. One particular Jewish man is weak and clearly suffering from hunger and exhaustion and Hans rushes to him and gives him a piece of bread. This shows the cruelty of mankind and against Jews. But Hans ultimately risked his life because he could of been executed for that. It was a small act but shows great kindness. It lets the Jewish man know that not only does Hans not hate him for being Jewish but he also sensitive towards him and wants to aid his suffering. Immediately one of the Nazi soldiers whips Hans and the Jewish man with no mercy.“The Jew was whipped six times.On his back,his head, and his legs.You filth! You swine!”. The act is cruel to begin with but it's cruelty is increased by the fact that it is in response to Hans’s kindness. Additionally,we see similar acts of cruelty like Viktor Chemmel and Franz Deutcher’s treatment to

Although, at the same time German SS guards still treat the workers poorly having physically and mentally worked to death. It is to show how the Germans atrociously plan their ideas to exterminate the Jews simply because they are viewed as animals. By using light and dark atmospheres, Wiesel could successfully let the reader understand his overall message.

The captions also imply that the set locations are real and not created in a Hollywood studio. The use of black and whites also adds to Spielberg's objective of realism, as black and white is more reminiscent of the time of the Holocaust. He makes effective use of handheld cameras in a few of his scenes; this creates a sense of urgency and fear. This also conveys that the film is not a Hollywood studio made film and mesmerises the viewer into believing that the events are nothing but the sober reality. The documentary styling contributes to the intensity of the film and creates stronger emotions within the viewers by adding to their disbelief and horror.

One technique that is used by Polanski is camera angles. The use of camera angles has enabled the audience to see how unimportant the Polish Jews to the Nazis and therefore why they are dehumanised. For instance, they use a panning shot to show the line of the Jewish while waiting next to each other just before the Nazis shoot them down. This panning shot clearly shows the number of polish people who were standing on the line and how unimportant when they are just shot down with no interest in their individualities which are individual human beings. So this very clearly shows how the Nazis dehumanised the polish Jews. Another example of the camera angles used is seen in the scene that closes up the Jewish people’s face who is waiting for the death with bullet loading sound. This close up shot clearly shows the fear, miseries, and dread that the Jewish people can feel just before the Nazis shoot and how they are deprived the happiness that they can feel as a human. Hence, this also effectively shows how the polish Jews are dehumanised emotionally by the nazis. The theme of dehumanization of Polish Jews is clearly conveyed, as the camera angles successfully show how unimportant the Jews were regarded and how they feel.

Thus, it can be concluded that in the beginning of the movie Schindler does not fully grasp the tragedy at hand, and consequently does nothing attempt to aid the Jews. Schindler's realizations of the horrors of the holocaust begin in one scene near the middle of the film. During this infamous turning point of the movie, Schindler, on top of a barren hill, traces the path of a young and helpless Jewish girl who wanders haphazardly through the streets of a devastated camp. Her lone image personalizes the slaughter. Schindler tries to track her progress as she invisibly makes her way, aimless and alone, past the madness and chaos in the street - a woman is machine-gunned behind her. He loses sight of the small figure as she walks behind a building, but then he glimpses her again, walking by a file of Jews being herded down a sidewalk. During the roundup, a German soldier fires at a single-file lineup of men, killing five with one bullet. Distressed and stricken by the nightmare below and the plight of the little girl in red, Schindler sees her entering one of the empty apartment buildings. There, she climbs the stairs and crawls under a bed for cover in a ransacked room. Her safety is only temporary, for later she will be hunted down and cold-heartedly murdered, forgotten to the world, destroyed by her own people.

However, emotion is not only conveyed through the actions of the main characters. Colour also has a significant impact on how good and evil is portrayed within the film. Perhaps the most moving image in Steven Spielberg?s epic, Schindler?s List, condenses all of the sadism of the Nazi regime into one small pictorial area. One of only four colour images in a black and white film spanning over three hours, the little girl in a red coat, making her way, aimless and alone through the madness and chaos, compels Schindler?s attention during the liquidation of the Jewish ghetto. Schindler identifies with the child, the plight of the little girl touches him in a way the sheer numbers make unreal ? this image transforms the faceless mass around him into one palpable human being. This figure serves as a moral reawakening for Schindler, his conscience consequently kicks into gear. The poignant yet subtle musical score also adds to the haunting atmosphere created by the

As soon as the Nazis take over the lives of Wiesel and the people surrounding him, the Nazis bereave the Jews of their possessions, starting the process of dehumanization. The infiltration of Nazi rule in the spring of 1944 causes the Jewish population of Sighet, including Wiesel, to succumb to being pushed into small ghettos, where they are packed like sardines trapped behind barbed wire fences. The exploitation of Jews in Sighet, including being forced into these ghettos, reduces these virtuous Jews to lesser citizens, over their non-Jewish counterparts. As Wiesel and his family are amongst the last ones leaving Sighet, they witness other Jews only being able to carry what merely fits into small packs that they can fit over their backs,

False consciousness is a term used to describe the conditioning which takes place, as within the text, the Germans become accustomed to believe that in order to gain political and social superiority, the solution to isolate an undesired race is to murder. Jewish people were subject to demonstrate obedient behaviour and to do so as they were told, knowing their lives were coming to a near end. Within the film, individuals were placed in a cart and stood their without showing excessive emotions of outrage and anger, rather they were still and quiet. Once can analyze, that this emotion demonstrates a sense of weakness and vulnerability amongst the Jews. They are scared, and conditioned to believe that death is near approaching, and nothing can change. The Nazi regime hold the utmost power over how lives will operate in a social and economic manner. Being put into a concentration camp, would mean one is deprived of the basic necessities of food, safety and physical and mental wellbeing in comparison to the Germans, who were able to continue life among their stable homes. As the underlying political force guides the German’s actions, it creates a gap between the two races, as the German’s are preventing the Jewish to flourish in terms of education, standard of living, and their liberty by placing them in concentration

Power, such a valuable thing that can easily be abused, but what exactly is power? Power is control, an unbreakable force obtained through higher authority, or at least that is what the dictionary states. However, is it really power if one fears the corruption of power? Imagine being crammed in a dingy barrack housed with imprisoned groups of men and women living in wretched conditions, praying for liberation. Moreover, being treated like an animal, deprived of food, beaten, and even stripped of your dignity and identity based on your religious beliefs and culture. Unfortunately, those were the living circumstances of Jews during the years of 1933 to 1945 due to the event of the Holocaust which killed approximately 6 million Jews. In the film, “Schindler’s List”, it illuminates on how crucial culture is within a society and how disapproval of differing cultures can lead to social inequality.