Human Mind Through Film

What’s it all about?  It’s Steven Spielberg's award- winning masterpiece.  Based on the “docu-novel” by Thomas Keneally, an Australian novelist.  Shot in black and white  We tend to have far stronger and more detailed recall of black and white images than their equivalent in colour.  It’s documentary authenticity vividly re-creates a dark frightening period during World War II, when Jews in Nazi-occupied Krakow were first dispossessed of their businesses and homes, and then placed in ghettos and forced labour camps and finally resettled in concentration camps for execution.

Steven Spielberg

Key Issues  Survival  Emotional  Psychological  Cultural  Sociological  Culture  Anti-Semitism (hatred of the Jews) played an important role in discouraging sympathy and aid for the Jews.  Altruism  “An unselfish regard for or devotion to the welfare of others.” Webster’s Dictionary  Change of Attitudes  Why did he do it?

Aryanization In Poland, the Nazis quickly expropriated Jewish businesses. Through a process terms “Aryanization,” Jewish property was sold to “Aryans” for a considerably reduced price. Jews had no right to protest. In this manner, Schindler located a formerly Jewish- owned factory that would produce pots and pans and later munitions.

The Holocaust Comes from the Greek word meaning:  “complete destruction by burning.”

Why Did He Do It? “I don’t know what his motives were, even though I knew him very well. I asked him and I never got a clear answer and the film doesn’t make it clear, either. But I don’t give a damn. What’s important is that he saved our lives.”

Good and Evil Who is good and who is evil? We all are. We all have the capacity of good and evil. Every nation has the potential to commit genocide. Every human, despite his or her fragilities, is capable of summoning the courage to defend human dignity.

Oskar Schindler

He Who Saves One Life Saves the World Entire