Liberal Arts Seminar 110-01
February 2, 2017
Dr. Stallbaumer-Beishline
Schindler’s List
Indicate which film you chose to preview and why. I chose to watch Schindler’s List. I was originally interested in this movie because of its subject matter, actors, and infamy. This film is one of the most famous films about the Holocaust, telling the amazing story of Oskar Schindler, a Nazi factory owner that saved thousands of Jews from persecution during the Holocaust. Steven Spielberg’s 1993 film, Schindler’s List, depicts the actions of one man who risked everything. I believe that the Holocaust is something that is so very important to learn about, discuss, and contemplate, in order to ensure it never happens again. I chose to watch …show more content…
Schindler watched the scene in the Ghetto from a hillside, and the look on his face is that of horror. Here the viewer and Schindler are experiencing the same thing. The dawning realization of the intensity of this situation, the seriousness and bleakness of war. These were our very own human beings being tortured. Our brothers and sisters mercilessly attacked by one another. Another moment shows Jewish families walking with their communities towards the Ghetto they were being forced to live in. During the walk, the camera pans to show town residents lining the streets to watch the macabre parade. One young girl in particular screams at the Jews as they are walking by. She yells out, “Goodbye Jews, Goodbye Jews!” while she waves. This one moment felt like a punch to the gut. To use the innocence of a child to depict this absolute horror was sickening. Spielberg shows the truth, that most German civilians had no idea the fate of their fellow man. The lack of initial public awareness is …show more content…
Spielberg is a phenomenal director, finding exactly how to manipulate the viewer’s emotions by his incredible knack for detail. Before watching this film I feared I wouldn’t get the entire emotional brevity. I feared that because I am interested in this time period, the documentaries, movies, and books I’ve consumed on the topic would leave me emotionally unavailable for this film, having been exposed to other shocking depictions of the Holocaust. However, I was totally unprepared for the sheer weight this film carries. I believe this is one of the lessons the film tries to get across. That no matter how much you think you know of a topic, there will always be a story that can make you understand in a way you didn’t before. This film is so tremendously powerful and moving that it is nearly impossible to not experience part of that same devastation millions of Jews felt during and after the Holocaust. I believe the other message is that no matter how small your role is, you have the ability to help, to change, and to heal. This message is clearly defined in the scene when Stern brought the one armed man to Schindler's office. Schindler originally is angry at Stern for hiring a man who is clearly not an efficient worker and therefore harder to explain, deep inside this crippled man’s gratitude touches Schindler in a way he hadn’t been touched before. This small act of gratitude from the one armed man changes
February 2, 2017
Dr. Stallbaumer-Beishline
Schindler’s List
Indicate which film you chose to preview and why. I chose to watch Schindler’s List. I was originally interested in this movie because of its subject matter, actors, and infamy. This film is one of the most famous films about the Holocaust, telling the amazing story of Oskar Schindler, a Nazi factory owner that saved thousands of Jews from persecution during the Holocaust. Steven Spielberg’s 1993 film, Schindler’s List, depicts the actions of one man who risked everything. I believe that the Holocaust is something that is so very important to learn about, discuss, and contemplate, in order to ensure it never happens again. I chose to watch …show more content…
Schindler watched the scene in the Ghetto from a hillside, and the look on his face is that of horror. Here the viewer and Schindler are experiencing the same thing. The dawning realization of the intensity of this situation, the seriousness and bleakness of war. These were our very own human beings being tortured. Our brothers and sisters mercilessly attacked by one another. Another moment shows Jewish families walking with their communities towards the Ghetto they were being forced to live in. During the walk, the camera pans to show town residents lining the streets to watch the macabre parade. One young girl in particular screams at the Jews as they are walking by. She yells out, “Goodbye Jews, Goodbye Jews!” while she waves. This one moment felt like a punch to the gut. To use the innocence of a child to depict this absolute horror was sickening. Spielberg shows the truth, that most German civilians had no idea the fate of their fellow man. The lack of initial public awareness is …show more content…
Spielberg is a phenomenal director, finding exactly how to manipulate the viewer’s emotions by his incredible knack for detail. Before watching this film I feared I wouldn’t get the entire emotional brevity. I feared that because I am interested in this time period, the documentaries, movies, and books I’ve consumed on the topic would leave me emotionally unavailable for this film, having been exposed to other shocking depictions of the Holocaust. However, I was totally unprepared for the sheer weight this film carries. I believe this is one of the lessons the film tries to get across. That no matter how much you think you know of a topic, there will always be a story that can make you understand in a way you didn’t before. This film is so tremendously powerful and moving that it is nearly impossible to not experience part of that same devastation millions of Jews felt during and after the Holocaust. I believe the other message is that no matter how small your role is, you have the ability to help, to change, and to heal. This message is clearly defined in the scene when Stern brought the one armed man to Schindler's office. Schindler originally is angry at Stern for hiring a man who is clearly not an efficient worker and therefore harder to explain, deep inside this crippled man’s gratitude touches Schindler in a way he hadn’t been touched before. This small act of gratitude from the one armed man changes