Schindler’s List: Movie Reflection

Introduction

The movie “Schindler’s List” directed by Stephen Spielberg is based on a book published by the renowned author, Sidney J. Sheinberg and tells on the genocide that befell the Jewish European population during the Nazi Germany sponsored Holocaust. Made as a documentary, the movie illustrates the enormity of the Jewish Holocaust (Weinraub, 1993). This paper seeks to reflect on Schindler’s list, a movie considered as having critically addressed the enormity and scope of the tribulations that befell millions of Jews before and during the entire duration of the Second World War

What caused the Holocaust?

Anti-Semitism was the root cause for the attempt by Hitler’s forces to bring about an end to the entire Jewish population on Earth. Six million Jews suffered the fate of the holocaust which instigated in every country that the Nazi army had invaded (Spielberg, 1993). Poland was among the first countries that the Nazi army tore through. Schindler’s List as mentioned before was based on true life events that happened to the Jewish populations living in Cracow (Spielberg, 1993). Schindler’s sympathy for the Jews was quite exemplary but what made the Nazi Germany leader to despise the Jews is even more astonishing.

According to Hall (2009), of the UK’s Daily Mail, Hitler served in the First World War as an artillery man. His patriotic love for his motherland led him to believe that the Jews who controlled many aspects of the German economy at the time were to blame for Germany’s loss in the First World War. The rise of the Soviet republic also led to the defeat of Germany in the First World War. Hall provides that the Russian Revolution was led by Jews as Leon Trotsky practiced Judaism and that Lenin was himself a quarter Jewish (Hall, 2009). These two reasons led to Hitler pegging his frustration on the Jewish population in Europe.

For eons, the Jewish have been a successful people in economic development as prior to the First World War; they controlled most of the privately owned financial institutions and industries. The loss of Germany in this war led many Germans to point a finger of blame against the Jews in Germany and the greater Europe for failing to endorse favorable funding for the German war machine (Hall, 2009). Germany suffered severe financial ruin after its defeat in World War 1 and many blamed the stock exchange capitalism favored by the Jews for the financial meltdown as it came with disease, suffering and poverty. Hitler thus blamed Jewish led capitalism for Germany’s loss in the First World War.

However, this movie shows a positive aspect of humanity as portrayed by Oskar Schindler, though a seemingly insignificant individual, he went out of his way to rescue as many Jews to safety as he could (Spielberg, 1993). Reflecting on such scenes in this film, one can concur that Jews indeed have had a history of miraculously surviving trying times. From slavery in Egypt to desolation at the hands of the ancient Babylonians, the ancient Jews have been accorded a helping hand at every time they were in dire need.

Conclusion

This movie details how the Holocaust almost wiped out the Jewish people based on propaganda instigated by a lunatic who led one of the greatest countries on Earth. The German people have had to live with the stigma of having been blamed for the death of many innocent Jews. Watching this movie has made me reconsider my stand on the moral, political and social issues that affect people from diverse backgrounds. Jewish ability to realize economic prosperity led to much hatred from the countries they offered their services to.

References

Hall, A. (2009). Has historian finally discovered real reason for Hitler’s obsessive hatred of Jews? Daily Mail, 19 June 2009. Retrieved from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1194194/Has-historian-finally-real-reason-Hitlers-obsessive-hatred-Jews.html

Spielberg S. (1993).Schindler’s List. Retrieved from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXz_pzh1m8g

Weinraub, B. (1993). Steven Spielberg Faces the Holocaust. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/movies/bestpictures/schindler-ar1.html