Schindler's List

Schindler's List is a film that shows the savage brutality of how Jews were treated during the Second World War.  The style in which the film was produced makes a strong impact on the viewers, some viewers may not be comfortable with the level of violence that is portrayed.  Such films have a quality that sets them apart-a unique look, feel, rhythm, atmosphere, tone, or organization that echos in our minds and senses long after we leave the theatre. (The Art of Watching Films pg. 23)

This film is done primarily in black and white to depict the time era in which it takes place.  There are a few instances where color arises, four to be exact. These areas of color attract your attention to something significant in the film.  Twice the pair of candles that are lit for Sabbath for Spielberg, they represented "just a glint of color, and a glimmer of hope." The little girl in the red coat, and the holocaust survivors and cast members in the end of the film.  For producer Steven Spielberg the red color represents his interpretation of the novel, "America and Russia and England all knew about the Holocaust when it was happening, and yet we did nothing about it. We didn't assign any of our forces to stopping the march toward death, the inexorable march toward death. It was a large bloodstain, primary red color on every one's radar, but no one did anything about it. And that's why I wanted to bring the color red in." (Schindler's List From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

Schindler's List also tells the story of Oskar Schindler.  He was a man that had many flaws but at the same time was honorable.  He was married, yet kept a mistress; he was a Nazi, yet saved many Jews.  He was a clever man.  When speaking to Amon Goeth on the terrace he says,"They fear us because we have the power to kill arbitrarily, a man commits a crime he should know better.  We have them killed and we feel good about it, we kill them ourselves and feel even better.  Its not power though, that's justice.  Power is when we have every right to kill and don't."  This statement changed the way Amon acted towards many of the Jews in the camp.  In the end, Oskar thought he had not done enough. Spent his fortune of money to do what was right and looked at his belongings in terms of how many more lives could have been saved. 

The theme of this movie is a moral one.  What was done to the Jews was cruel, no human should be treated like that for any reason. The Jews were forced to move around from place to place like cattle, and slaughtered the same.  They became numbers in concentration camps, with no belongings.  Oskar Schindler and the making of Schindler's List  gave these people names and faces, brought their tragedy and human triumph to life.

 'Whoever saves one life, saves the world entire.'