Schindler's List - BOW Analysis

Title: Schindler’s List
Year: 1993
Writer: Steven Zaillian
Producer: Steven Spielberg, Branko Lustig, Gerald R. Molen
Country: Kraków and Olkusz, Poland, Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp
Language: English, German
Genre: War, Historical Drama
Global Issue: The effects of religious intolerance on ethnic groups. (FOI: Beliefs, values and education)
Theme: Triumph of the Human Spirit, Difference made by one individual, Denial

Scene: Commandant Amon Göth chooses his maid and shoots the Jewish engineer. This scene introduces Commandant Amon Göth in his first day of duty. He selects his Jewish housemaid, Helen Hirsch among a line of prisoners brought to him. Despite being a Nazi, he is oddly soft in his conversation with Helen. However, his sadism and ego are shown whenhe shoots Diana Reiter, a Jew prisoner and engineer, for pointing out the flaws in theconstruction of the barracks. Right after this, he orders his inferiors to do just as Diana said– to demolish the construction and rebuild it again. Diana was not killed for being right – she was killed for voicing herself out and arguing with a German.

In this screenshot, we see Göth conversing with Hirsch. Helen is shivering, both because of the cold and her fear of the Commandant. When asked if she has domestic experience, she keeps silent. Even then, she is called out by Göth to be his maid as he does not want someone else’s maid to work for him. There is a certain gentleness in his conversation with Helen, which seems almost caring, when he says, “I don’t want to give you my cold” – however, there is an atmosphere of immense pressure as the audience looks on in uncertainty – there is no predicting what would change the next second in this interaction between prisoner and captor.

The camera shot used is a medium shot, where the characters are seen from the waist up. This is good for engaging the audience in the characters’ interaction and conversation. The audience is more emotionally involved, even though in this context, slightly unsettled due to the heavy atmosphere and constant feeling of uncertainty as stated above.

In this screenshot, Diana is about to be shot as ordered by Commandant Goth. She is shot for arguing with a German, although Goth knew she was correct. In order to protect his ego and avoid the “humiliation” of listening to a Jew woman, he decided to get her killed and then have her requests granted, that is, to rebuild the barracks. In this screenshot, long shot is used. The audience can see the whole body of the person as well as some surroundings. This is used to give room for characters to move. It can also show the isolation of a character. Here Diana is about to be shot. Using this shot, the audience can see her vulnerability and helplessness at the situation, being killed for doing her job. It seems as if the coldness surrounding her symbolize the coldness in the officers’ hearts for the brutalities they committed against so many of Diana’s religion. Though alone, she holds on to her pride and announces that it would take a lot more than a gun to break her spirit. She dies, but comes out more powerful and dignified than all her captors.

This screenshot is taken right after Diana Reiter is shot by the Nazis. Goth and his colleagues walk away while Helen watches in horror at the event that she just witnessed. There is a sharp contrast in ideals which are highlighted when Hirsch and the officers are seen together – for Helen (and the rest of the audience in general), Reiter’s death is inhuman. However, for Goth and his colleagues, it is just another day at the concentration camps. For them, the Jews are no more than toys, who can be played with and disposed at will. Long shot is used which shows Helen’s isolation and fear in all what is happening around her.

All are separated by religious intolerance. In his Nazi schooling, Amon does not even regard Helen (and consequently Diana and every other Jew) as a person, as is revealed later in the movie. Helen, on the other hand, fears for her life being in the concentration camp where she is looked down upon and abused daily, along with the Jew prisoners alongside her. Meanwhile, Diana is shown to be of tougher spirit, where she fiercely sticks to her duty as an engineer, even in the camp.

The time of these events is in winter. The tone is depressive, which is emphasized with the winter in the background. However, there are rare moments of hope. Since the movie records some of the darkest times in human history, it made in black and white as stated by the director, Steven Spielberg, for whom life meant color. Concentration camps and World War Two were only times of death and despair. The movie takes on colour at the ending when we can see the Jews reviving themselves after the persecution they faced – a symbol of returning life and the end of misery.

Consequences of religious intolerance: The movie captures the consequences of religious intolerance. An entire ethnic group was almost wiped put in some of the most inhuman ways. The Jews suffered unspeakable horrors during the Holocaust, but were resilient and emerged triumphant in one of the darkest phases of human history. This very suffering of the Jews changed Oskar Schindler’s perspective and caused him to save 1,100 Jews from the concentration camps. Religious intolerance is prevalent throughout the world. Right from ancient times to the modern-day, individuals and groups are singled out since they are not accepted in the larger majority.

Connecting to Carol Ann Duffy's poem, "Shooting Stars": 

Both “Schindler’s List” and “Shooting Stars” talk about the suffering faced by the Jews. Some of the most significant devices used in Duffy’s poem are juxtaposition and symbolism. She contrasts highs and lows, such as ‘laughter’ to ‘torture’, and ‘death’ to ‘perfect April evening’. Like the poem, the film juxtaposes two Nazis: Oskar Schindler and Amon Goth. Both are rich Germans who face no difficulties in the war. Rather, they profit from it. What contrasts them are their ideals. On one hand, Goth looks down upon the Jews and enjoys tormenting them, while Schindler has a change of heart when he sees the little girl in red die. This causes him to turn from a war profiteer to the saviour of 1,100 Jews. This contrast is brought to light when Goth and Schindler converse about power. Goth prefers power by fear while Schindler finds the power obtained through respect and pardon to be more everlasting. Though he tries to talk Goth into changing his ways, he fails, as Goth, despite trying, falls slave to his own sadism. 

The lack of punctuation used while naming “Jewish” names symbolises the loss of the Jews’ identities which is also shown in the film – the little girl in the red coat loses her identity when her coat turns grey as she hides under a bed amidst the chaos surrounding her. Another example of symbolism in the film is the golden ring gifted to Oskar Schindler after he saved 1,100 Jews from persecution in the concentration camps. It is a symbol of the efforts Schindler put in to save the Jews, and which has immortalized him as a legend.

Review/recommendation:

“Schindler’s List” is one of the most powerful films to be ever made. Spielberg uses simple but impactful imagery to convey his message on the difference that one man can make. The movie is thought through till the very last detail – each and every location, prop, or dress serves a purpose. The soundtrack is hauntingly beautiful. The movie highlights suffering, hope, and change all at once, which might make it a little overwhelming for few. The casting too, is fantastic, with many actors and actresses giving Oscar-worthy performances. In my opinion, such movies should be shown to every growing child to instil in them, the importance of peace and religious tolerance. Such qualities are required more than ever in today’s world.