Ethical Issues In Schindler's List
Steven Spielberg, born December 18, 1946, is an American director, producer, and screenwriter that is considered to be a significant figure for the new Hollywood era, and the most popular and influential director in film history. In his later years of filming, Spielberg portrayed humanistic issues like the Holocaust, slave trade, or terrorism. His film “Schindler’s List” (1993), focuses on the Holocaust and many of the atrocities. All the atrocities that had occurred were mainly caused by the Nazi’s inhumane behavior towards the Jews, or man’s inhumanity to man. The Jews had to suffer greatly from the cruel punishments the Nazi’s gave. During this time, the Jews did not feel like they were human due to the abandonment of their value, possessions,
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While the Nazi’s treat the Jews like animals they do nothing in defense because they can and will be shot if they disobey. If the Nazis command them to run, they run, if they command them to move they will move, no questions asked. The Jew’s self-worth decreased since they do anything and everything the Nazi’s commands them, without any self-respect. For example, Amon Goeth, a Nazi soldier that leads the building of Plaszow work camp, sexually harasses Helen Hirsch, Amon’s maid, and kills her in a basement. Helen couldn’t defend herself nor scream for help since Amon could kill her, instead she was paralyzed in fear, and took all the pain. In another scene, the Nazis celebrate Oskar Schindler’s birthday, the main protagonist of the film. During the celebration, a Jewish mother and daughter enter the party to present a cake to Oskar. In gratitude of the cake, Oskar kisses the little girl on the cheeks and the mother on the lips, without any respect for the husband. Since the mother were surrounded by all the Nazis they could not give any kind of reaction, they hurried along without a word. The verse from the Bible Matthew 24:13 “But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” was possibly in the Jew’s minds since they did not make any reactions to the inhumane acts. They are God’s people and should not worry about death because they will be in God’s
While the Nazi’s treat the Jews like animals they do nothing in defense because they can and will be shot if they disobey. If the Nazis command them to run, they run, if they command them to move they will move, no questions asked. The Jew’s self-worth decreased since they do anything and everything the Nazi’s commands them, without any self-respect. For example, Amon Goeth, a Nazi soldier that leads the building of Plaszow work camp, sexually harasses Helen Hirsch, Amon’s maid, and kills her in a basement. Helen couldn’t defend herself nor scream for help since Amon could kill her, instead she was paralyzed in fear, and took all the pain. In another scene, the Nazis celebrate Oskar Schindler’s birthday, the main protagonist of the film. During the celebration, a Jewish mother and daughter enter the party to present a cake to Oskar. In gratitude of the cake, Oskar kisses the little girl on the cheeks and the mother on the lips, without any respect for the husband. Since the mother were surrounded by all the Nazis they could not give any kind of reaction, they hurried along without a word. The verse from the Bible Matthew 24:13 “But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” was possibly in the Jew’s minds since they did not make any reactions to the inhumane acts. They are God’s people and should not worry about death because they will be in God’s