The Holocaust was a horrifying event in world history that resulted in the genocide of millions of Jews under Adolf Hitler’s regime during World War 2. While many were unaware of the true extent of the atrocities inflicted, films like The Diary of Anne Frank, Judgement at Nuremberg, and others gave audiences a glimpse into these dark times.
Steven Spielberg’s Schindler’s List though, found humanity in terror through Liam Neeson’s titular character who despite being a German, took it upon himself to save a thousand Jews by employing them in his factories during the war. While this film is considered a masterpiece among the director’s repertoire, one aspect of the protagonist still left him with a lot of questions.
Why Did Oskar Schindler Do What He Did? Even Steven Spielberg Is In The Dark
In 1993, Steven Spielberg took home the Oscar for Best Director and Best Film for his World War 2 film Schindler’s List starring Liam Neeson in the titular role. Based on the book Schindler’s Ark by Australian novelist Thomas Keneally, the story follows German industrialist Oskar Schindler who bravely goes against the Hitler regime by offering protection to thousands of Polish-Jews by offering them jobs at his factory.
The film like many other World War epics, hit front and center with fans across the world for the impact it created through its depiction of the horrors of war and the Holocaust, and the way it affected millions of innocent people. More significantly, it portrayed a character who stood for humanity and chose to protect, when he could easily have chosen to destroy, given his cultural background.
Therein lay the biggest conundrum about Neeson’s Oskar Schindler which even Spielberg couldn’t put his finger on. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter exclusively about the film, the Jurassic Park director confessed that after pouring over Keneally’s novel multiple times, he was still unable to truly understand what motivated the protagonist to be a savior.
The great mystery, though, which I could never solve when I read it, was: Why did Schindler do this? Why did he risk his life and spend nine percent of the money he’d amassed to buy his workers back from [Kraków-Płaszów concentration camp commandant] Amon Göth and eventually bring them to freedom?
While fans may also share Spielberg’s thoughts, the fact remains that this inspiring story about a man whose actions spoke louder than his words, a man who valued life over death, love over hate, and peace over war, is one that requires no explanation.
Through the novel and the director’s masterful touches, the message that there is still hope for humanity even in the most unlikely circumstances, could be an inspiring takeaway. There is also a sense of poetic justice in Oskar Schindler’s actions, which could almost be seen as an atonement for the collective destruction caused by his countrymen.
Making Schindler’s List Was A Decade Long Process For Steven Spielberg
Many a time, creating an iconic piece of art requires time and patience. Steven Spielberg’s Oscar-winning 1993 film Schindler’s List, began its journey to the big screen as far back as 1982 when the director’s cult film E.T. had just released. Basking in the glory of a second successful week at the box office, the Jaws filmmaker got an all important call from Universal Pictures president Sid Sheinberg who was also his mentor.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, The Fablemans director elaborated on the details of his conversation with Sheinberg, who advised him to read Schindler’s Ark by Thomas Keneally after he had heard great reviews about it. Soon after, Spielberg was hit with a bigger piece of news from Universal Pictures.
Universal just bought the book for you. Sir, this must be your next picture. This is a mission you must assign yourself. This story has to be told.
Faced with the daunting task of adapting this intense and inspiring World War 2 story, the director revealed that he fell ill-equipped to achieve this feat at this point in his career when he was just finding his feet. In addition, he was also unsure about his ability to jump into a mature script after making the family friendly E.T.
I hadn’t made what I’d call my first ‘adult’ film, and I was terrified of Schindler’s List being my first, because what if I wasn’t mature enough? I was certain I wasn’t ready to deal with the gravitas of that subject matter, morally or cinematically, and I felt I lacked the wisdom to be able to discuss the story in the inevitable conversations that all of us have after our films are ready to be released.
But Spielberg saw amazing potential in this narrative despite his own personal doubts, and proceeded to find a competent scriptwriter who would do full justice to the novel’s ethos. As it turned out, many accomplished writers stepped down from adapting it before Martin Scorsese directed the filmmaker towards Steve Zaillian, who created magic with the script.
Schindler’s List can be streamed on Amazon Prime.
