Schindler's List

One word seemed to constantly penetrate my thoughts as I watched Schindler's List, haunting. The images, the violence, the constant degredation of human life all amounted to the haunting of my consciousness. I had always thought I knew what happened in the removal of the Jews from the Karkow, but I truly had no idea. I couldn't fathom the images I saw as I watched this movie. The coloring of the film as black and white did not lessen the affect of anything I watched. The film being done in black and white actually caused the true reality of what I was witnessing set in more. The film had no bright side or happy moments, even the end of the movie, which was suppose to be uplifiting, was a bleak depression to me. It was uplifting in the sense that these people survived, but also saddening when you think of all those who did not survive. The bright spot I did find in the movie though was the character of Oskar Schindler himself. Maybe it was the fact that Schindler was portrayed by Liam Nessen, or just the pure humanity the film portrayed Schindler as having, is why I was truly mesmerized by Schindler. Schindler, according to both the movie and his biographer, did not set out to save a group of people, but to save himself. He wanted to turn a profit on the war. He saw the war as a way to make money and the Jews were the cheapest labor. Normally if I had heard that someone was turning a profit for war, I would be appalled. War is not something you profit from because no one wins. Schindler searching for a profit, however, did not disgust me I was actually applauding him. I found as I watched the movie, that I did not care if his intentions for saving his Jews were merely profit, but that he did save these innocent people. One scene that stands out most in my mind is the images of Schindler watching the raid on the ghetto from the hilltop. That scene stuck out the most in my mind because not only was it the most brutal, but the most prolific. As I watched this scene I could see the absolute fear and distress in Schindler's eyes. I was horrified by the murdering and mesmerized by the pain present in Schindler's eyes. The novel seemed to often stress the importance Schindler placed on profit and his abilities as a munipulator, but as I watched the movie those thoughts seemed farthest from my mind. Schindler was an extrordinary munipulator. He seemed to bribe SS officers with ease and he did so without thoughts of his fancial security, but thoughts for those he wanted to keep safe. Another scene of the movie that stood out in my mind was one of the ending scenes in which the Jews are thanking him for his bravery and give him the ring. Schindler remarks to the Jews that he is not this prominent man that they see him as but a swindler, thief, and munipulator. I was struck by this scene because of the way Schindler viewed himself. Watching the movie I did not see Schindler in any of these ways. I may have a thought this a little while reading, but as I watched the movie I did not. The violence and danger Schindler faced was brought to life by the movie. While watching the movie I forgot all about the book and its emphasis on Schindler and his money. I thought that how could a man watch somethign as vile as the Karkow raid and still put their lives on the line willingly. Money doesn't mean a thing when you're dead and each time that Oskar pressed for another Jew for his factory that is what he was doing.
This movie was by far one of the best and the worse I have ever viewed. I cried from the beginning of the movie until the end. This movie is a great testmeant to 'bearing witness" as Elie Wiesel would say.