My Personal Reflection of Schindler's List After Watching

After watching Steven Spielberg’s, Schindler’s List, I gained a better understanding of all the horrible things that happened during World War Two. The film shows the life of a wealthy businessman, Oskar Schindler and how he went from partying with the Nazis, to saving 1100 Jewish people from death. Personally, the scene in this movie that I thought Oskar had truly become a changed man was the burning bodies scene. The scene begins with an overview of the site and then cuts to Jewish people being ordered to dig up the bodies of other Jewish people. 

Throughout the scene, the Nazis can be seen laughing, screaming and complaining, as Oskar is frightened at what he is witnessing. At one point Nazi trooper Amon, refers to the happening as a party and the Jewish people as shipments. As soon as Oskar arrives, he seems to be confused and horrified the entire time, saying very little and almost silenced by the sickening sight. By the end of the scene, there is a close up on Oskar with his jaw dropped and a look of no words on his face, as he is almost moved to tears. 

For this scene, the set design directors have managed to create a very dark, and depressing mood which fits the situation very well. Specifically at the start, what stood out to me was an overview of the burning site with a very thick, and dark cloud of smoke passing through the view. Because of this smoke, it helps create an immediate dark tone and foreshadows what is going to be an upsetting point in the film. As the scene goes on, there is no shortage of great set design that creates an extremely realistic setting. The mountain of fire, burnt ground, and dark skies mixed with the chaos of running and screaming people did not disappoint in showing the viewers how real the situation really was. 

One other technical component that especially enhanced the scene for me, was the music. The directors decided to choose a very minor track, included with a choir to intensify the environment. Personally, I think the choir adds a very dramatic and emotional effect, that helps compliment the set design significantly well. To conclude, although Oskar was once in favor of the Nazis, this point in the film really stuck out to me and convinced me that Oskar Schindler had really become a changed man.