Schindler's List?

Question

1. In this film almost none of the jewish characters that we get to know were killed why is that?

2. Why is this film shot in black and white? what are some of the advantages of doing this?

also why is certain scenes shot in colour?

Answer 1

Schindler's answers:

1. That is the whole point of the book and the movie: Because Schindler gave a damn those people didn't die, they SURVIVED!

2. Film makers often attribute "classical" virtues to films in b/w. Young Frankenstein is another example of the effect. But in this case the idea, I think, was to give it the feeling of a documentary rather than a drama. (Keep in mind that unlike most "movies" this is a true story.)

Answer 2

1. The whole point of the movie is that 1,000 Jews were saved by Schindler's actions. The movie is about survival in the face of outrageous odds, and is meant to be an uplifting movie, while still bringing to our attention the horrors of the war. The movie honors those Jews that survived the Holocaust, and that focus is the reason the Jewish characters you get to know survive. Besides, it is not like you don't see dozens of other Jews dying all around them, but that is not the point of the film.

2. Three reasons. One is that almost all the footage you ever see of World War II is black and white. By making the film the same way, it makes it feel more realistic and appropriate for the time period it occurred in. It mimics the real film that you would see at the time. The second reason is that black and white is traditionally a "documentary" form of filming. By doing the movie in black and white, it takes on the look of a documentary, making it feel even more real. The other reason is simply a matter of aesthetics. Spielberg did it that way in part because he thought it would look better.

Answer 3

Oskar Schindler protected 'his Jews' by converting more than one thousand of them into essential workers licenced by contract through the German government to make equipment for the military during the war.

As you see in this true story movie he was an expert manipulator to get his own way and make money from this efforts by way of bribery in high places of office.

Initially though, money was his object and through force of circumstances he later 'protected' his Jews right through to wars end.

Spielburg made this film in black and white for impact and to direct attention to the characters and not so much the effects (blood etc) that was one reason, however you will notice he highlights the little girl in individual colour as the ultimate tragedy which significantly alters Schindlers outlook on what he is doing and what is becoming around him. Schindler becomes 'reborn'!

Answer 4

1.... That's not exactly true... Although the film is shot in black and white there's a little girl that the director purposely left in-colour... She basically stands out... She's the only person in some scenes that is in color... There's one scene where you can see a long line of Jews being led out of a city and you see the little girl (the only person in colour) walking beside her family...

Anyway this little girl which you see throughout the movie is wearing a pinkish-red coat... Near the end of the movie look carefully--- you can see her body at the top of a huge mound of dead bodies... Its near the scene where you see Schindler and that lady covering their mouths with cloth because of all the ashes falling from the sky (from the crematorium). Additionally if my memory serves me correctly Oscar Schindler I think asks somebody about who is dead and I think some of the family members speak of who didn't make it...

Specifically the lady who is wearing the mink coat... You might remember her, she's the one which puts up a huge fuss about having to leave her house. I think she's one of the people that winds up dead...

2. They shot the film in black and white because TVs and photos from that era were in black and white... And there's actual scenes in the movie that is Nazi footage... One of them is when you see the Jews running around the compounds and they are having their mouths inspected and stuff... Some of that was actual footage from WWII I believe.... Also whenever someone gets shot you'll see the blood flow from their bodies in red as well.

Additionally I think there's a couple of scenes where it will show Hitler's house in colour. I think there's a colour scene of it showing how it would look from the compound below... It is the scene where Hitler wakes up and goes out on his balcony and stars shooting at anybody who isn't working in the concentration camp. In that scene you see persons below running from building-to-building trying to do their work. Then in a couple of images it pans upward and shows you how it would look if you were the person running behind that same row of buildings trying not to be shot by Hitler on his balcony and it races across the compound looking up in colour at that house I think.

P.S. If you get a chance you should take some time to visit the Holocaust memorial in Washington D.C. it is very deep... During the tour you're basically given a name card... And you follow the journey that person would have taken. Again a lot of the exhibits there are in black and white as well.. (Photos videos etc.)

Other films which might give you better understanding of the Holocaust...

* The Diary of Anne Frank.

* The Grey Zone (2001)
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