“Schindlers list” is about the lives of all Jews at the time of the holocaust however it uses the story of Oscar Schindler to do it. Oscar Schindler was a man from Poland who was extremely wealthy and was friends with the Nazi’s. The film by Spielberg aims to show the real situation its audience are not protected from anything we see; children hiding in toilets to escape death, ill people in hospital being given poison to die quickly before the Nazis come and the slaughter of the Jews. It shows how ruthless the Nazis really were and how desperate people became. Spielberg aims to educate the audience of the events of the holocaust through realism.
Both of these films have powerful opening sequences, which use a range of techniques effectively. “Life Is Beautiful” begins with a dark, misty and cloudy scene in which the audience is presented with a figure carrying a child. It seems as if the child in the figure’s arms is dead. After this, there is diagetic sound of the wind blowing this enhances the effect of ghostliness. After this the film is suddenly transformed in the next scene into bright technicolour, which almost seems unreal because the mood is drastically changed from mystery and suspense to happiness and comedy. It is then used to make the audience laugh. The camera is at a far view when we see Guido and his companion in the car. In its opening sequence when Guido is in the car he is singing: “the brakes are gone” but then the brakes actually don’t work this shows the irony of what Guido is singing. While this is going on diagetic music is played it sets the mood of the scene as being jolly. They are then in a panic in the style of slapstick comedy. It is then changed into a close-up when the car turns down a hill. The view is then changed to Guido’s point of view we see the people waiting for the fascists through Guido’s eyes. Symbolism is used in the humour of Life Is Beautiful when Guido uses the fascist’s salute. He doesn’t do this on purpose, he does this to try and tell the people to move out of the way. Because there are people waiting for fascists, Guido saluted them using the fascist’s salute. This is ironic because Adolph Hitler was a fascist who persecuted the Jews. The humour is because Guido is a Jewish man.
“ Schindlers List” in comparison opens with a close-up shot of a candle brightly lit. The colour being drained out of the scene suggests the past was filled with sadness. The rest of the film is colourless apart from a candle being lit later on a second time. There is also diagetic sound when the rabbi is praying this shows us the religion of the man. (Jewish). The effect of this on the audience is suspense because we know the film is about the persecution of the Jews.
Again there is symbolism when the candle is snuffed out the colour is drained out of it. This suggests there was no light or happiness; there was just evil and darkness. The scene then becomes black and white because this colour change represents the evil and darkness.
There is juxtaposition when the Jews are at the train station and Schindler is in the club drinking champagne. The scenes show the opposite lifestyle of each other. Schindler leads a life of extravagance and luxury, whilst the Jews are treated like outsiders and strangers they are not welcomed like Schindler because of their religion.
In “Life Is Beautiful” throughout the whole film there is light. Whereas in “Schindlers List” the opening of the film is in colour and there is light, after the candles flame goes out the film is differentiated into black and white. Throughout the rest of the film, Benigni uses humour.
There is humour in “Life Is Beautiful” through different parts of the film because of Guido’s antics. For example when Guido throws eggs on the fascists head which Dora was engaged to. There is a scene later on in the film when he is on a painted green horse, he makes it seem as a fairytale and whisks Dora off of her feet and rides away with her. There is humour when Guido’s neighbour shouts at his children who are both named after fascists: Adolph and Benito. After this Guido try's to steal his neighbours hat and again in different scenes of the film. The effect of Guido’s character towards the audience is that we see him as being magical. Guido is the good guy and is a likeable character, which has a happy, go lucky attitude towards life.
However In “Schindlers List” there is very rarely humour in a scene of the film. Although in one scene a series of pretty women are being interviewed for the job of secretary by Schindler. Schindler stares at all the pretty women who type slowly. There is then an ugly old-aged woman with a cigarette in her mouth who types exceptionally fast, expert-like yet Schindler looks the other way, whilst this scene takes place there is non-diagetic comedy music being played. The effect of this on the audience is that it causes us to see the humour. After this scene we know Schindler cannot decide who was the prettiest candidate for the job because we see him being followed by many different secretaries in the next shot.
In both films children are used in different ways, which affects the amount of violence used. In “Life Is Beautiful” we see the situation from Joshua’s eyes we like a child are made to believe it is just a game and that somehow it will be all right. Although there is violence in “Life Is Beautiful” when Guido is killed, we are not shown his death but we hear the gunshot and we know what has happened. Guido’s death shocks the audience because we are made to believe like Joshua that in the end everything will be all right.
In “Schindlers list” there is no attempt what so ever by Spielberg to protect us from the violence even when he uses children. This creates realism because it shows us the situation of the Jews and desensitises the audience because there are so many unlawful killings and attacks. Such as when a worker in the factory is going to be shot in the back of his head but the guards bullets run out he keeps firing the gun. Yet no bullets come out so in his fury he pistol-whips the old man. The German children in “Schindlers list” are corrupt. This is shown when a German child is shouting goodbye Jews! As Jewish people are being taken to the ghetto. Suspense is also shown when a boy is walking back from the commander’s home where he had been cleaning the bathroom. We sense his death because of the atmosphere of the scene. We then see juxtaposition of Schindlers accountant walking and the boy, we then hear a gun shot, this confirms that the boy is dead and see the boy face down on the floor as Schindlers accountant walks past. This doesn’t shock the audience because it is expected because of the mood of the scene but it confirms the audience’s interpretation.
Both of these films are very powerful, but in different ways. Benigni intends to make a film that informs the audience of the time of the holocaust yet entertains them by using the popular genre of comedy in this film Benigni uses slap-stick comedy. This creates a false sense of security because the audience are unsuspecting that the film will change dramatically the way it does from Guido attempting to win Dora's heart to the family being sent to a concentration camp where Dora and Guido are separated.
I think Benigni has impressively produced a film which moves its audience and still manages to make them laugh and cry, yet educate them of the events of the holocaust.
In contrast Spielberg aims to show to the absolute full extent how the Nazis wrath affected the Jews. However by watching Schindlers List the audience is desensitised after seeing so many killings.
I think that Spielberg successfully made a film, which can make its audience gasp in sympathy for those being unfairly treated on screen and make them feel sorrow for how the treatment of the Jews is represented in this film.
Both films are very moving. But I personally think that “Life Is Beautiful” is sadder because we are only shown 3 main characters. Therefore we become attached to them more as we learn about their lives and situation.
