In the Film 'Schindler's List' how does the Director Steven Spielberg attempt to portray the terror of the Holocaust in the scene depicting the liquidation of the ghetto, and how successful is he in this?

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Sunpal S. Bains 10Y

Oskar Schindler Coursework Essay

GCSE 2002-2003

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Steven Spielberg is American and Jewish and had long felt the need to portray the suffering of European Jews under the Nazis during World War Two.  In 1994, Steven Spielberg released the film, Schindler’s List.  The film was based upon the book ‘Schindler’s Ark’ which was originally written by Thomas Keneally. Spielberg wanted the world to know just how traumatic the experience was for the European Jews and how a member of the Nazi Party was able to help save many Jewish lives.  The film was set in Poland and at Auschwitz itself, where millions were brutally murdered.  Furthermore it is a true story, which tells us of the extraordinary efforts, made by a German businessman and member of the Nazi Party, Oskar Schindler.  Spielberg’s film is about Oskar Schindler who did his utmost to help the Jews, knowing if he were to be caught, it would result in his death.

Oskar Schindler, with the help of his Jewish accountant Ithzak Stern, secretly tried to save many Jews from vicious conduct at the labour camp at Plaszow, which was run by a heartless Nazi commandant named Amon Goethe.  Schindler made these attempts to save Jews, by offering them employment within his steel-making factory and paying them low wages.

From the beginning of the film we learn that Oskar Schindler is a philanderer and a womaniser, which makes it hard for us to believe that he would be the kind of person, who would bother to offer sanctuary to the Jews.  But we learn that this avaricious German businessman finds something within himself that compels him to become involved saving Jews.  

Initially, Oskar Schindler portrays himself to be exploitative towards the Jews by using them for such hard labour and giving them unbelievably low pay.  Although when the Jews show him their appreciation at the end of the holocaust by presenting him with gifts, we begin to distinguish the canny nature that Oskar Schindler seemed to hide throughout the film. However at the point where he begins to shed tears we learn how awful he feels for exploiting the Jews, because he believed that he still could have saved more lives.  This is where we learn, that at first he had wanted to exploit the Jews but when he witnessed the brutal liquidation scene, from this point he became less exploitative and more understanding towards his Jewish workers.

In the heartbreaking scene of the liquidation of the ghetto, Spielberg manages to portray the terror vividly using various visual and sound effects.  The techniques he s uses to symbolise the tragic events that took place on March 13, 1943 will be exemplified further in this essay.

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In the opening scenes of the liquidation of the ghetto, we are able to see two different scenes, both of them showing important characters (Oskar Schindler and Amon Goethe) shaving.  From this, we learn that although the characters are different there are also many similarities between them.  Most importantly they have very different views regarding the Jews.  Oskar Schindler wants to exploit the Jews by offering them employment at his factory and Amon Goethe is a Nazi commandant who is trying to liquidise the existence of Jews in the world.

‘For six centuries there has been a ...

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