Schindler's List

[(*]

I just watched the movie Schindler's List on monday. It was actually for a History class I'm taking. It was a good film. I have no idea how much was historical fact and how much was "Hollywood". I assume it was a fairly accurate portrayal.

The final scene, where the Schindler Jews visit Oskar Schindlers grave in Jerusalem, was a bit strange. Considering how the state of Israel came about and the subsequent years.

Any thoughts about the film?

[truthaddict11]

Oskar Schindler may have saved a number of Jews from extermination but remember that was never his begining intention. He was a member of the Nazi party and used Jews as slave labor in his factory.

[dannie]

the thing that i will remember most about this movie is that altough these facts exist, neo-nazi's exist also, i wanted to puke seeing how people can support these racist scumbags, on the other side, schindler learned that jews aren't bad, and that's positive, it shows a man can be wrong and can try to pay and learn from his bad actions

[FabFabian]

I'm not sure, but I think a majority of the business class were Nazi members. Let's remember who the Nazis blamed for the poor state of the German economy......those damn Leftists. They were anti Left, anti union and ultra Pro business. Being a member must have had its business privileges.

I don't know what it is exactly, but that movie does get on my nerves. Maybe it is just Speilberg's film style I don't like. Was it Truffaut who said it was an exploitation film?

[Reuben]

The film chronicles essentially what is esentially a huge historical exception. The bulk of the resistance to the Nazi extermination of the jews came not from 'benevolent businessmen' such as Schindler but from communists within the German occuppied territories and from the Jews themselves.

[Socialsmo o Muerte]

The film is incredible and Oskar Schindler was incredible.

Whoever had the audacity to say, "well Schindler didn't start with wanting to help Jews" is just pathetic. Yes, it's true, when Schindler opened DEF it was for money-making purposes and he exploited the fact that he could get Jews to work for little money. But it was one year into the business when his attitude began to change. I don't know if anyone else here has actually learnt anything about Oskar Schindler really, but he once said, "After about 8 months, I was visiting make-shift synagogues with many of my workers; joining in their every day traits. It struck me that I had a job to do for these people now, not the other way around." Can you not let the guy off? He saved 1,200 people for Christ's sake.

Even after the war, after his Jews had been liberated, Schindler went back to drink and trying, and failing, at businesses. But does it matter? For 5 or 6 years, this man did something that today allows around 2.5 million people to exist.

And whoever used the old, "well don't forget he was a member of the Nazi party", criticism, that is bollocks as well. Yes, he was a Nazi party memeber, but does that not make his actions more admirable? He used his power to slowly start saving Jews, and when it got further and further he risked his life to save them. In the last year of the war, party big shots were growing massively suspicious about him. He employed 1,000 Jews and produced not one piece of funtional ammunition for the army. He was putting his life on the line against the Nazi Party to save these people.

You can criticise the film, but nobody can ever criticise Oskar Schindler. "He who saves one life saves the world entire", as the film said. He is one of the greatest men of the 20th Century.

[Sabocat]

I totally agree with SoM.

If I'm not mistaken, wasn't membership in the Nazi Party required for someone owning a business and fabricating materials for the war effort?

Someone here may have better insight into that.

[El Commandante]

With the whole party membership idea - most people in Germany towards the end of the regime were party members; it was the only way to get a work visa so you had no choice but to join in so party membership is not the best way to distinguish people.

[Discontinuity]

Having watched this movie many times, I'd have to agree that it is a great movie. The story itself, even without the expected Hollywood exaggeration, is amazing in itself, and quite a legacy for Schindler (considering he had nothing else to survive him).

Schindler was a Nazi, a Capitalist, a womanizer, and god-knows-what-else...

But he saved over a thousand Jews from Auschwitz. I think that alone deserves a good deal of respect, and I can only wish that I will/can do something that significant in my life.

My favourite part of the movie, although it's hard to pick just -one-, would have to be the end where he breaks down and goes on about how he could have saved more Jews if he had sold his car, or his clothes, or whatever. For some reason, that's always stuck in my head as an example of why even one life is sacred.

That's just my thoughts, though.

[Invader Zim]

The film is excelent, and I believe that Shindler had the Jewish equivilant of the a knighthood for what he did. I'm not sure if its true, I just read i somewhere.

The Pianist was very good as well.

[Non-Sectarian Bastard!]

Yeah there is in Jeruzalem a sort of Street of Hero's and there has been a tree planted for him.

He probaly was a member of the Nazi party to do easier business.

He was a capitalist, a profiteur ,but in the end he saved 1200 people. So give the man some credit.

[Discontinuity]

Yeah, he was invited by some... Jewish council I can't directly remember the name of... to plant a tree in the 'Avenue of the Righteous'.

Nice sig, CCCP.

[FabFabian]

I still say that moving gets on my effin nerves.

[BuyOurEverything]

I think it was a good movie. Schindler was a good guy and definately deserving of praise. I do agree with Reuben though, if someone doesn't know alot about the situation to start off with the movie could be very misleading and really distort what actually happened.

CCCP: I knew I hadn't seen the last of that bullshit quote (in your sig.)

[Man in the White Shirt]

In my opinion it was too little too late. the man was a Nazi, supported Hilter and then decided it was not the thing for him. While it is great he help out 1200 Jews, you have to remember it was the support Hitler got from people like him that allowed Hilter to kill 6 million Jews.

I'm obvious not blaming one man for the rise of Hilter, but it was each, as an induhival, giving their tiny piece of support and aid, that allowed Hilter to create the huge war machine that killed ten of millions and destroyed much of Europe. Remember, a person is weak, but a group of people can be strong.

[(*]

Originally posted by Man in the White [email protected] 16 2003, 08:38 PM
that allowed Hilter to kill 12 million Jews.


I'm pretty sure the number is closer to 6 million.

[Man in the White Shirt]

I was thinking concentration and slave labor camps as a whole. I forgot about the Gypies and Poles and Slavs that also died in these camps. I would just like to say I'm sorry to any of the people here who were offened by that oversight.

[(*]

Whatever the number, is it still a whole lot. I don't understand how other countries didn't know this was going on. So they claim.

[Hampton]

They knew, they just didn't do anything about it. America was getting reports about it but told them to stop incase the public would find out. There was a show about on the History Channel a few days ago saying something about how they didn't want to turn it into a "Jewish war" also they did not want a large influx of Jews into the country.

[Discontinuity]

I've said it once, and I'll say it again...

If Hitler hadn't turned his sights on France, he would have been left to ethnically cleanse his entire Nazi German empire. No major power at the time really cared what he did to the Jews, anti-Semitism has been around since... Semitism, pretty much. Russia and others would have probably applauded him.

Communists? Russia would be pissed, but everyone else would be itching to slip their communists over the border and be rid of them.

Gays? Well, the elite would take care of their own, but nobody was about to go to war over them. Trust me.

Jehovah's Witness? Again, noone would care enough to go to war. Especially if they were still doing that door-to-door crap, they'd probably applaud him.

Gypsies? They've had the same problems as Jews... any ethnic group that keeps to itself and doesn't seem to suffer with the 'normal' folk wouldn't receive much sympathy when they start disappearing.

I could go on and on, but I think I made my point. I think the Poles and Slavs mostly fell into the above groups (especially the great many Polish Jews), or were resistance fighters.

[Severian]

I gotta wonder if he's been whitewashed a little. It is a fictional movie after all. Did he really save those Jews out of idealism, or did he just want to keep them in his factory, rather than being shipped to Auschwitz, because he was making money on them?

Also ironic: the TV showing was sponsored by the Ford Motor company. Henry Ford was quite pro-Nazi.