World War 2 was a time of great sorrow and tragedy, thousands of lives lost, just because of the ego of one man. When we look back at that time, we can see how the events that folded changed the lives of countless people, even for the generations to come. Yes, it was a time of cruelty and death but it was also a time of salvation and hope, many stories of courage and compassion have been made immortal in the pages of history.
The story of Oskar Schindler is a story of great compassion, care, and courage. It is the story of a man who managed to save the lives of 1200 Jews from Annihilation. Depicted in the critically acclaimed movie: The Schindler’s List, the story faithfully captures the essence of the novel “Schindler’s Ark” by Thomas Keneally. Needless to say, the 1993 Historical Drama Film was a masterpiece, and it remains a masterpiece even now. Directed by Steven Spielberg, the movie had a stellar cast: Liam Neeson (Oskar Schindler), Ralph Fiennes (Amon Goeth), Ben Kingsley (Itzhak Stern), Caroline Goodall (Emilie Schindler), and others.
The Synopsis
The Historical Drama Film is set in Krakow, Poland during the events of World War 2. Oskar Schindler is played by none other than Liam Neeson, Schindler is a businessman who plans to profit from the business by employing Jews in his factory. Since they are cheap labor, Schindler believes that they will be the best addition to his factory.
As days pass and the War worsens, Schindler witnesses the horrific treatment of Jews at the hands of the Germans. Horrified and concerned for their safety, Schindler devises a plan to save the Jews that are working in his factory. Working together with his chief accountant Itzhak Stern (played by Ben Kingsley), Schindler starts employing Jews in his factory, which ultimately saves them from the horrors of concentration camps. Schindler also spends all of his money buying off any Jews that he can while also bribing high-ranking Nazi Officials to keep his employees safe.
In the movie, we can see the heartwarming transformation of Oskar Schindler from a very selfish businessman to a hero of the people who risked everything, even his life to keep his employees safe. When the war starts coming to a close, the Nazis start losing their grip and this allows Schindler to make one last great effort to save as many Jews as he can.
The story of Schindler’s list is all about the horrors of war and the bravery of people, it shows that there is light at the end of a dark tunnel. As expected, “Schindler’s List” won numerous academy awards as well as critical acclaim. Some of the awards that the movie won were:
- Best Picture
- Best Director
- Best Original Screenplay
The Schindler’s List: What Are The Lessons We Can Learn From It
Time has certainly changed since World War 2, but the stories live on and there is a lot we can learn from the heroic story of Oskar Schindler. Here are some lessons from Schindler’s List that we can apply to our lives.
Standing Up For A Righteous Cause Is Very Important
The world is full of atrocities, we see cruel people all around us, but what can we do to make it a little better? No matter what happens, it is very important to stand up for a righteous cause, and this must be done under any circumstance, whether you have the power or not. Let’s take the example of Oskar Schindler, although he was a powerful businessman, Schindler spared no expense to free every Jew he could find. He could have used his fortune for selfish reasons but instead, he chose to stand up for the endangered Jews and eventually provided them a safe harbor.
He put his own life on the line and saved the Jews during the Holocaust. Schindler’s List shows us extraordinary courage!
The Horrors Of Prejudice and Discrimination
We all know that prejudice and discrimination can be bad but the Schindler’s List actually showed how horrifying it can truly be. The Jews portrayed in the movie were horribly discriminated against, and Germans announced that only Aryans had the right to live as they wanted, and that led to serious repercussions.
Just because of their ethnicity and religion, Jews faced many horrors and were treated severely and killed. Millions of innocent people died during the Holocaust and it showed how horrifying Prejudice and Discrimination truly are. Another valuable lesson that we can get from The Schindler’s List is to treat everyone the same and give love and respect to everyone no matter what their ethnicity and religion are.
Always Show Love and Compassion
The story of The Schindler’s List is about compassion and love, it shows how powerful these feelings can be. Oskar Schindler was very compassionate towards the Jewish people, it was his care that led him to save 1200 innocent souls from destruction. Another lesson that we can get is to treat people with love and compassion regardless of their race and religion, all of us are human beings after all.
Even though some people might be different than us, it doesn’t justify them being treated differently than us.
Redemption and Forgiveness Are Very Powerful
Sometimes it is very hard to fully know a person, after all, people change. We can find many instances when selfish people became the most compassionate, it shows that people inherit the power to move beyond their own desires and needs. The story of Oskar Schindler is about redemption and it is very powerful indeed.
In the start, Schindler was a very selfish businessman who only wanted to profit off the Jews working in his factory. Once he saw the different horrors that they were facing at the hands of the Germans, he had a change of heart and pledged to save them. The lesson that we get from this is that it is never too late to change, everyone is worthy of redemption.
Powerful and Inspirational Quotes Of Oskar Schindler (From The Schindler’s List)
The Schindler’s List is a very powerful and moving tale, here are some inspirational quotes from the man himself, Oskar Schindler!
Power is when we have every justification to kill, and we don’t.
That’s what the Emperor said. A man steals something, he’s brought in before the Emperor, he throws himself down on the ground. He begs for his life, he knows he’s going to die. And the Emperor… pardons him. This worthless man, he lets him go.
In every business I tried, I can see now, it wasn’t me that failed. Something was missing. Even if I’d known what it was, there’s nothing I could have done about it because you can’t create this thing. And it makes all the difference in the world between success and failure.
The sun is going down.
What’s the matter with you? You should be preparing for the Sabbath, shouldn’t you. I’ve got some wine in my office. Come.
Stern, if this factory ever produces a shell that can actually be fired, I’ll be very unhappy.
My father was fond of saying you need three things in life – a good doctor, a forgiving priest, and a clever accountant. The first two, I’ve never had much use for.
He won’t shoot you because he enjoys you too much.
He enjoys you so much he won’t even let you wear the star. He doesn’t want anyone to know it’s a Jew he’s enjoying.
What are you doing? These are mine. These are my workers. They should be on my train. They’re skilled munitions workers. They’re essential. Essential girls!
Their fingers polish the inside of shell metal casings. How else am I to polish the inside of a 45-millimeter shell casing? You tell me. You tell me!
I could try to read this or I could eat my lunch while it’s still hot.
I’d say I’d get you one but the man who made it’s probably dead.
Why do you drink that motor oil? I send you good stuff all the time. Your liver’s going to explode like a grenade.
Watch: Schindler’s List 25th Anniversary – Official Trailer
Planning on revisiting the moving tale of Oskar Schindler or want to watch it for the first time? Here’s the trailer of the Schindler’s List (25th Anniversary Special!)
Recap
Schindler’s List is not just a Historical Drama Film, it is a reminder of the horrors and tragedies that occurred during World War 2. It shows how innocent people died just because of one cruel ideology. Apart from all of this, it is also the story of hope and redemption. Oskar Schindler had a change of heart when he saw so many Jews getting butchered at the hands of the Germans, witnessing all of that gave him the power to become a savior.
This movie shows us that we all have the power to be kind, it also encourages us to stand for a righteous cause no matter what!
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