Transformed by the white light

Rating: 10/10 (15 March 2004)

What makes this film truly remarkable is the personal transformation which Oskar Schindler under goes just past the mid-point of the movie in a series of incredibly subtle scenes. Early on, Schindler is driven only by selfish desire for money, women and influence. Others may benefit from his actions, but it is purely a by-product. Never does he help someone to his own detriment. He narrowly rescues Itzhak Stern from a train to a death camp and then scolds him, saying "If I had been five minutes later, then where would I be?". But by the end of the movie, Schindler willingly loses all his personal wealth and repeatedly risks his life in order to save others. The inflection point takes place at a meeting between Schindler and Stern at the Plaszow work camp. It's night and Oskar leaves a Nazi party to see his accountant. At the end of a brief conversation Stern says " Don't let things fall apart. I worked too hard for this". He is pleading with Schindler to take personal responsibility. As Stern walks away a search beacon shines over his shoulder and fills the screen with a blinding white light. The camera cuts to Oskar. He is engulfed by the light. He smiles of deep satisfaction. This sets off an amazing sequence of scenes: - Schindler comes to the aid of a metal presser. - He gives protection in his factory to a traumatised boy, despite the fact that he has no skills. He gives up his own silver lighter and cigarette case to make these two events happen. - He comforts Amon Goeth's abused maid. They sit beneath a cone of white light. At a point where he could easily take advantage of her, instead he helps her renew her will to survive. - In a discussion with Goeth after a party, he explains that true power comes not from control or the ability to kill, but the ability to forgive. This could be further interpreted as "Success in life comes not from pursuing personal gain, but from rising above it". Goeth is amused and intrigued by this but in the subsequent tragic "bath tub stain" scene, we see that he is pathetically incapable of internalizing anything that was said. - In perhaps the most powerful scene of the film, a women comes to Schindler and begs that he take her skilless, aged parents into his factory to save their lives. He appears from on high at the top of a long stair case. She tells him " No one ever dies here. It is a haven. They say that you are good". One can easily substitute the word "heaven" for "haven" and "God" for "good". In rage, Schindler throws her out. But then he goes to see Stern. He tells Stern that there is good in all people but that war brings out the worst in them. He uses this to rationalize and forgive the behavior of Goeth. We fully expect that he will now use this to rationalize his own selfish behavior. Instead he takes the watch from his own wrist and gives it to Stern to use to buy the lives of the two elderly parents. The irony is that war has borough out good in Schindler that might never have emerged otherwise. From here on out Schindler performs a continuous series of selfless acts. Moreover,despite the huge personal risks he takes, we feel good about the choices he makes and therefor we are transformed a little bit, along with him.