Introduction
Schindler’s List is a 1993 historical drama film produced and directed by Hollywood heavyweight Steven Spielberg. Considered as one of the best films of the 20th Century, the film revolves around German business named Oskar Schindler who saved many Jewish refugees during the infamous Holocaust by giving them jobs in his many factories. The character of Schindler is played by Liam Neeson. One of the most prominent themes of this film is the theme of denial. The theme of denial is exhibited in the fact that the Jews are in denial of the severity and the absolute the horror of their situation and seem oblivious to how tragic it really is.
Throughout the entire film, the Jews are in complete denial of the torture that they face from the atrocious rule of Adolf Hitler. This denial is exhibited in various scenes throughout the film where the Jews emerge as oblivious condition. This element of denial is first exhibited during a scene in a ghetto. In this scene, a couple of Jews are seen standing and talking about their situation. Before Hitler came into power, the Jews were living peaceful in German countryside. Later, when Hitler comes into power, they move to Krakow from the countryside and the Nazi authority forces them to leave in the ghetto.
Naturally, one would expect the Jews to be fully aware of the implication of their condition. However, they are observed to be in absolute denial. These Jews are of the opinion that the ghetto can act as a safe harbor to them and can protect them. In addition, the Jews thinking that residing in the ghetto will essentially allow them to continue practicing their religion and their culture. They have no idea that the ruthless Hitler has other plans for them. The Jews thinking is later proven wrong when Hitler’s forces liquidate the ghetto. Many of them are killed while the remaining ones are taken to labor camps. The sheer stupidity of their denial is made evident by this liquidation of the ghetto. The Jews, however, continue with their denial even in the labor camp and still believe that the bad times will eventually pass.
As mentioned, the denial of the tragedy of their situation continues even in the Jewish labor maps where the Nazis have forced them to live. There is a lot of killings that goes on these camps and most of the Jews appear to be in denial of the situation. This, for example, is depicted in the scene where when one of the major female characters, Mila Pfefferberg is talking to her fellow women about the deadly rumors that she has heard concerning some death camps such as Auschwitz. She describes to these women what she heard about how people are murdered in the death camps. The Jews are put in gas chambers where they die in large numbers and their remains are then cremated to hide the atrocity and potential evidence of these inhuman acts. The women do not believe their compatriot and, in fact, angrily dismiss her saying that is impossible for such a thing to happen.
However, all the outer signs reveal that the women know better than they are letting out. They suspect the truth that lies in the rumors told to them by Mila Pfefferberg. The women have undergone enough sufferings and horrors and know that dreadful extermination techniques being utilized by the Nazis are most likely to be true. However, the women will not exhibit this, and they therefore, profusely deny it.
In addition, Oskar Schindler is also in denial in the film. For example, he denies the evil that has been committed by Goeth to stern. He is also in denial concerning the true repercussions and consequences of his employment of the Jews in his many companies.
It is hard to understand why so many Jews as shown in Schindler’s list are in denial of the true intensity of their situation. The Nazis have been humiliating and killing the Jews in droves and but the Jews remain defiant denying the full scale of the atrocities committed against them. Even as Schindler attempts to help them, the Jews are oblivious to the magnanimous favor that he has done them because they fail to realize just how their situation could have been different had Schindler not assisted them by giving them employment in his factories.
In conclusion, Schindler’s list is a depiction of the enormous denial that the Jews had during the Holocaust. The Nazi regime subjected the Jews to enormous physical and emotional torture as shown in the film. However, one would expect the Jews to appreciate the dangers that they face and possibly take precautionary measure. However, many exhibit obliviousness to the situation, they continue to exhibit absolute denial to the shocking horror of the situation. This fact is visible in the various scenes of the film described above. This theme of denial is conspicuous throughout the film and it is, in fact, one of the founding themes of the film.
Works Cited
Schindler's List. Dir. S Spielberg. Amblin Entertainment, 1993. Film.
