SCHINDLER'S LIST (1993) - Essay Example

During the time of this movie Jews were being relocated to ghettos and concentration camps during this period. Ghettos were fenced in areas, normally in the rundown section of the Jewish part of town. These ghettos were crowded, dirty due to no running water, and had no food except what was smuggled or rationed. All Jewish property, except for a bag or two was confiscated in the name of the German Third Reich. Businesses, houses, properties, bicycles, radios, money, jewelry, and all other assets had to be turned over, or face the penalty of death.

Corruption was normal when dealing with confiscated Jewish property. This was the setting for Schindler and his Jews. The movie begins with a family celebrating Shabbat by lighting candles in color. Then fades to black and white showing Schindler (Liam Neeson) setting in a room with other SS and their dates. Schindler, being a German civilian, came to Crackow, Poland in order to become a war profiteer. As a card carrying NAZI, Schindler was allowed to open a business sponsored by the German Army.

The only problem was Schindler did not know how to run a business. Itzhak Stern (Ben Kingsly) comes to his rescue by taking over business tasks after helping finance Schindler’s business through connections in the ghetto. The Jews did not want to turn their gold and possessions over to the SS and never receive anything back. By giving Schindler gold, the Jews gained a place to work and a promise of better rations. Schindler opened a mess kit factory for the Wehrmacht. Itzhak Stern tried to forge as many papers for fellow Jews to be essential to the German war machine.

Jews deemed essential were spared from deportation to Auschwitz. Schindler and his employees felt that maybe the factory would help survive until the Russians made it to Krakow. This might have been the case, but Amon goeth (Ralph Fiennes) arrived to build the Plaszow Concentration Camp.