My Response to Schindler's List

Rating: 10/10 (29 September 2017)

What I learned about the Holocaust in the film 'Schindler's List' is that it teachers us about the horrors of the Holocaust and the nature of genocide. It also gave me the insight of what happened by showing a horrific number of deaths. The movie was shown through the eyes on the outside(Nazi's) and then through the eyes on the inside(Jews). This gave me more of an understanding. The first stage of the Holocaust was 'definition'. Jews were forced to wear the Star of David and shown as a threat. The second stage was 'segregation'. Jews were now forced into ghettos. The fourth stage was 'concentration camps'. Jews were sent to these camps to work and do free slave labor. The fifth stage was 'extermination camps'. Gas chambers were disguised as showers. By 1945, six million Jews were executed. The final stage was the 'aftermath'. Camps were liberated.
Oskar Schindler changed drastically from bad to good throughout the film. At the beginning Oskar was a greedy, money loving, womaniser but as the film progressed we were shown key moments that changed Oskar. The first key moment was when cities were being evacuated of Jews, Oskar see a little girl in red being evacuated and this left him shocked. The second key moment was when the bodies were being burned, Oskar noticed the very same red clothing the little girl was wearing. These moments, I think were major factors that led to his change.
Based on the events in this film, I do believe that one person can make a difference. I feel that Oskar was influenced by how the treatment the Jews were receiving etc. but also how the Nazi's were carrying on like animals, thinking they can do whatever pleased them. Oskar noticed all these actions and in a way he did act alone because he gave away personal items to get what needed to be done.
My own personal response to this film is that it was 100% worth the watch. All the awards the film won were all well deserved because in my opinion, it made me realize just how horrendous and cruel it all was. From an educational view, I think this is a film that every student should see because it is a major moment in history that will never ever be forgotten. The film was depicted so superbly.