Today's Film: Schindler's List
Project suggestion (answer one of these questions from the Teacher's Guide linked above)
1. WHY DID HE DO IT?
Schindler risked his life in order to save Jews. It was a time when terror reigned. The Jews had been dehumanized in non-Jewish eyes by Nazi propaganda and brutality. Tom Keneally, the author of the book Schindler's List, quotes Schindler as having said that "A life is not worth a pack of cigarettes." Yet Schindler risked his own life. Why?
2. WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE GIRL IN RED?
In the film, Schindler and his mistress witness a brutal Action in the Krakow ghetto. Amidst the mass of forsaken humanity, Schindler observes a wandering Jewish girl dressed in a red coat. This is one of the four occasions in the otherwise black and white film in which color is used. In the book, Keneally writes that the sight of the child in red "compelled Schindler's interest because it made a statement." What is the statement? Why does Spielberg, the film's director, employ the use of color? Discuss the occasions in which color appears in the film.
3. WHY DID THE JEWS NOT RESIST?
Although Schindler's List does not directly address this issue, the question is an important one. Many people assume that the Jews went to their death "like sheep to the slaughter." In fact, the Jews resisted in many ways. As Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel has said, "The question is not why all the Jews did not fight, but how so many of them did. Tormented, beaten, starved, where did they find the strength, spiritual and physical, to resist?"
1. WHY DID HE DO IT?
Schindler risked his life in order to save Jews. It was a time when terror reigned. The Jews had been dehumanized in non-Jewish eyes by Nazi propaganda and brutality. Tom Keneally, the author of the book Schindler's List, quotes Schindler as having said that "A life is not worth a pack of cigarettes." Yet Schindler risked his own life. Why?
2. WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE GIRL IN RED?
In the film, Schindler and his mistress witness a brutal Action in the Krakow ghetto. Amidst the mass of forsaken humanity, Schindler observes a wandering Jewish girl dressed in a red coat. This is one of the four occasions in the otherwise black and white film in which color is used. In the book, Keneally writes that the sight of the child in red "compelled Schindler's interest because it made a statement." What is the statement? Why does Spielberg, the film's director, employ the use of color? Discuss the occasions in which color appears in the film.
3. WHY DID THE JEWS NOT RESIST?
Although Schindler's List does not directly address this issue, the question is an important one. Many people assume that the Jews went to their death "like sheep to the slaughter." In fact, the Jews resisted in many ways. As Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel has said, "The question is not why all the Jews did not fight, but how so many of them did. Tormented, beaten, starved, where did they find the strength, spiritual and physical, to resist?"
Comments
Schindler risked his life in order to save Jews. It was a time when terror reigned. The Jews had been dehumanized in non-Jewish eyes by Nazi propaganda and brutality. Tom Keneally, the author of the book Schindler's List, quotes Schindler as having said that "A life is not worth a pack of cigarettes." Yet Schindler risked his own life. Why?
Well really the book and movie where very very good. I personally take this question more as a personal question rather than one in which a specific answer is correct. I followed the above links and did some further reading into this subject and a few others. Oscar Shindler started out just in it for the money. His goal was to make millions and millions of dollars so that when the war ended he would have great sums of money. Although as the story progressed and he relaly got to know some of his close assosiates those being Jews. Over the course of time he seen the injustice of the Nazi's and found that they where easily bribed. The turning point for him i would say is during the massacre that took plac ein the ghetto. Seeing all those innocent deffenseless people run for their lives and justt get mowed down by German MP-40's. Father and father into the story he seen more and mor ehorrific sights before his eyes such as Jews being brutally murdered and bodies being burned and thrown around like trash. It was really touching in the end where he has to leave and go on the run for he is now a convict and he breaks down and really wishes he had done more. Even though he may have been able to do more the Jews present understood and apreciated wha the did do and understood that he was limited.
he said a life isnt worth a pack of cigarettes but to him the jews were money not lives and after the war it was true that inflation had taken over germany and no ones lives were worth much for any of the p[roducts in the world market.
This satisfies a project.