Summary
There are several differences betweenSchindler’s Listand the book it is adapted from.Steven Spielberg’s movieis based on a 1982 novel by Thomas Keneally, which won the Booker Prize.Schindler’s Listfollows Oskar Schindler, a shrewd businessman who initially exploits the Nazis' treatment of Jews for cheap labor, but ends up having a change of heart and saving 1,200 Jews from Nazi death camps. Regarded as one of the greatest cinematic portrayals of the Holocaust,Schindler’s Listis based on a true story. However,the film takes several cinematic liberties while adapting the novel and real events.
TheSchindler’s Listcast of charactersplays various real-life people portrayed in Keneally’s novel. Liam Neeson stars as Oskar Schindler, Ralph Fiennes portrays Amon Göth, the sadistic Nazi commandant of the Płaszów labor camp, and Ben Kingsley plays Itzhak Stern, Schindler’s Jewish accountant and close friend. These actors deliver consistently excellent performances and breathe life into these characters, makingSchindler’s Lista brilliant book-to-movie adaptation. While it remains a realistic, nuanced, and sensitive depiction of tragedy,the movie adds several layers and uses bold cinematic choices to dramatize Keneally’s bookand bring the story to life.
Schindler’s Listwon seven Academy Awards, including Best Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published for its adaptation of Keneally’s book.
Schindler’s Listis available to stream on Prime Video and Netflix.
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1Schindler’s List Changes The Title Of The Novel
The Novel Is Titled Schindler’s Ark
Spielberg and his producers changed the title of Keneally’s novelSchindler’s ArktoSchindler’s List.The word “Ark” in the book’s title has strong biblical connotations,alluding to Noah’s Ark and the idea of saving a remnant from destruction. While this metaphor is powerful, it might not have resonated as clearly with international audiences. Meanwhile,Schindler’s Listis a more direct and clear title that immediately communicates the central plot element of the film: the list of Jews that Oskar Schindler saved from the Holocaust.
Schindler’s Listthus shifts the focus from a broader metaphor of the ark to the the more tangible, concrete list, a symbol of salvation and humanity.
The film’s title succinctly encapsulates its focus on Schindler’s efforts to save lives, making it more immediately understandable and impactful. It emphasizes the personal and human element of the story. The list represents individual lives saved, making the story more relatable and highlighting the personal impact of Schindler’s actions.Schindler’s Listthus shifts the focus from a broader metaphor of the ark to the more tangible, concrete list, a symbol of salvation and humanity.
2The Movie Dramaticizes The Liquidation of the Kraków Ghetto
Through The Iconic Girl In The Red Coat
Schindler’s Arkdescribes the liquidation of the Kraków Ghetto, providing broader context and multiple perspectives on the event. It captures the chaos and brutality but also includes more about the planning and execution by the Nazis. In the movie,on the other hand,Spielberg condenses the event into a highly impactful, visually stunning sequence. One of the most memorable additions toSchindler’s Listis the girl in the red coatwandering through the chaos and eventually being part of a pile of dead bodies.
This moment also serves as a key narrative device inSchindler’s Listby drawing the titular protagonist’s attention to the horror and marking a turning point in his transformation.
The film uses this visual metaphor as a microcosm for the immense loss of life, a poignant symbol to represent the innocence lost and brutal carnage during the Holocaust. This moment also serves as a key narrative device inSchindler’s Listby drawing the titular protagonist’s attention to the horror and marking a turning point in his transformation.It’s the first time Schindler reckons with the injusticeof what’s being done to the Jews and it starts affecting his conscience.
3Oskar Schindler Is Less Of A Savior In The Novel
The Movie Highlights His Heroism And Transformation More Clearly
Keneally’s novel represents Schindler as less of a savior, instead delving deeply into his flaws and vices. His early motivations are more clearly depicted as self-serving, including his womanizing and his initial interest in making a profit from the war and the Nazis' dehumanization of Jews.Schindler’s arc is complex in the book, with multiple instances illustrating his gradually growing empathyand commitment to saving Jews.
Schindler’s List,conversely, presents a more streamlined character arc to focus on his growing moral conviction and efforts to save his Jewish workers. While still complex, the film condenses Schindler’s transformation into key moments like the liquidation of the Kraków Ghetto.It highlights his heroism and transformation more clearly, sometimes simplifying his moral ambiguities. Schindler’s transformation into a savior figure is thus more pronounced and occurs more clearly throughout the film than in the novel.
Liam Neeson was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance as Oskar Schindler inSchindler’s List.
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4Amon Göth Is A Less Straightforward Villain In The Novel
The Movie Highlights His Brutality And Madness
The book provides a detailed psychological profile of the Nazi commander, Amon Göth, exploring his complex relationship with his Jewish maid, Helen Hirsch. For instance, it describes Göth’s random killings from his balcony in a more factual manner, providing insight into his sadistic behavior but with a broader historical context. Keneally’s novel also offers a detailed and historically accurate depiction of the Płaszów labor camp and its operations, to contextualize Göth’s role within it.
Spielberg’s treatment of the antagonist reflects a larger difference between novels and films as narrative forms, where the former are often more nuanced and grey, while the latter tend to be more explicit.
Contrarily,Schindler’s Listportrays Göth as a simpler antagonist, focusing on his brutality and madness. It vividly portrays Göth shooting prisoners from his balcony at the Płaszów labor camp, emphasizing the deranged and arbitrary nature of the violence. These visually striking scenes serve to underscore the terror faced by the camp inmates and give the viewer a clear villain as the face of all the injustice. Spielberg’s treatment of the antagonist reflects a larger difference between novels and films as narrative forms, where the former are often more nuanced and grey, while the latter tend to be more explicit.
Ralph Fiennes was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance as Amon Göth inSchindler’s List.
5Itzhak Stern Is A Composite Of Different Characters In The Movie
In The Book, His Role Is Shared Among Other Jewish Characters
In both the novel and film, Itzhak Stern (played by Ben Kingsley) is Schindler’s accountant and a key advisor who plays a crucial role in helping Schindler understand the potential to save Jewish lives through his factory operations. Stern’s pragmatic and moral guidance is essential in shaping Schindler’s actions, particularly the creation of the titular list. In the book, however,his role is shared among other Jewish characters who influenced Schindler, including Mietek Pemper, Marcel Goldberg, Poldek Pfefferberg, and Rabbi Menasha Lewartow, all of whom were pivotal contributors to the process.
InSchindler’s List,meanwhile,Stern’s character is somewhat of a composite, combining traits and actions of several real-life figuresto serve as a moral compass for Schindler. For instance, the film adds scenes where Stern directly confronts Schindler about the importance of saving lives, enhancing his role in Schindler’s transformation. The movie also simplifies the process of making the list as a more streamlined and dramatic event, focusing on the collaboration between Schindler and Stern and emphasizing its importance in saving lives.
6Helen Hirsch Is Another Composite Character In The Movie
It Represents The Wider Suffering Of Jews In The Holocaust
Helen Hirsch was a Jewish woman who served as a housemaid for Göth and endured significant abuse and terror under his employment but managed to survive the Holocaust.Her inclusion in both the novel and the film provides a poignant and humanizing perspective on the atrocities committed during the Holocaust. Hirsch’s interactions with Göth and later with Schindler highlight the brutal realities of life in the labor camp and Schindler’s efforts to protect and save as many Jews as possible.
Keneally’s novel portrays Hirsch as one of the many Jews who suffered under Göth’s cruelty, whileSchindler’s Listcenters her as a key figure who exemplifies the suffering of Jews under Göth’s sadistic rule.
Keneally’s novel portrays Hirsch as one of the many Jews who suffered under Göth’s cruelty, whileSchindler’s Listcenters her as a key figure who exemplifies the suffering of Jews under Göth’s sadistic rule. The film uses her character to underscore the brutality of the Nazi regime and the arbitrary cruelty inflicted on Jewish prisoners. One notable scene, for instance, involves Schindler promising Helen that he will ensure her safety, demonstrating his growing commitment to saving Jewish lives.Her character serves to illustrate the personal impact of Schindler’s actionsand the wider horrors of the Holocaust.
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7Schindler Gets Arrested Twice In The Novel
But Only Once In The Movie
The treatment of Schindler’s arrest is notably different inSchindler’s Listthan in Keneally’s book. Instead of depicting Schindler’s two separate arrests — first for kissing a Jewish girl and second for black-market activities — the movie combines elements of both into a single arrest for kissing a Jewish girl.This condensation streamlines the narrative, making it easier for the audience to follow and emphasizing the danger Schindler faces in defying Nazi racial laws. This arrest scene is presented with high dramatic tension, underscoring the risks inherent in Schindler’s actions and his growing opposition to the Nazi regime.
The film thus simplifies these events for cinematic clarity, prioritizing emotional impact and character development over the intricate historical details provided in the book.
By merging these incidents, the film focuses on the emotional and moral journey of Schindler.Spielberg’s portrayal uses the arrest to signify a pivotal moment in Schindler’s evolution, showcasing his bravery and the personal risks he takes to protect his Jewish workers. This approach contrasts with the novel’s more detailed exploration of the bureaucratic processes and the continuous danger Schindler navigated. The film thus simplifies these events for cinematic clarity, prioritizing emotional impact and character development over the intricate historical details provided in the book.
8The Movie Dramaticizes The Train Scene In Auschwitz
The Book Focuses On Logistics And Bureaucratic Challenge
Schindler’s Listdramatically enhances Keneally’s more restrained account of the train scene.The book describes in a more dispassionate manner the logistical and procedural efforts Schindler undertakesto redirect trains carrying Jews to Auschwitz. It focuses on Schindler’s strategic planning and negotiations to ensure his workers are transported to safety, emphasizing the bureaucratic challenges and Schindler’s resourcefulness in navigating them.
The film, however, heightens the emotional and dramatic tension of this event.Spielberg vividly depicts the mistaken transport of women to Auschwitz, showing their harrowing experience upon arrival, including scenes inside the gas chambers, which turns out to be a shower. The film renders Schindler’s frantic efforts to rescue them, his negotiations, and the eventual return of the women to safety with intense urgency and emotional weight. This cinematic treatment inSchindler’s Listunderscores the perilous nature of Schindler’s mission and the immediate, life-and-death stakes involved.
9Schindler’s Final Speech Is More Pragmatic In The Novel
The Movie Makes It Deeply Emotional And Poignant
In the movie, Schindler’s final speech is dramatically different from its portrayal in the book.Keneally’s novel portrays Schindler’s farewell to his workers as relatively understated and practical. He acknowledges the end of the war and the uncertainty of the future, providing practical advice and assurances. The book emphasizes Schindler’s role as a protector and leader, but his emotions are more reserved, reflecting the gravity and exhaustion of the situation.
In contrast,the film’s version of Schindler’s final speech is deeply emotional and poignant, serving as a climactic moment. Schindler breaks down in tears, expressing profound regret for not saving more lives. He looks at his car and gold pin, lamenting that he could have saved even more people if he had sold them. This scene highlights his deep sense of guilt and the immense moral burden he carries, making it a powerful and heart-wrenching moment.Schindler’s Listuses this speech to underscore the human cost of the Holocaust and Schindler’s transformation from a businessman to a deeply compassionate savior.
10The Novel Provides A More Detailed Ending
The Movie Symbolically Ties The Story To The Present
The book’s ending provides a comprehensive account ofwhat happened to Oskar Schindlerand many of the people he saved after the war.It details Schindler’s struggles, his eventual financial decline, and the lives of the Schindlerjuden (the Jews he saved) as they move forward. The narrative gives a factual summary, focusing on the historical aftermath and the enduring impact of Schindler’s actions. The film, conversely, concludes with a powerful and emotionally resonant sequence.
Spielberg’s choice to end the film this way highlights the human impact of Schindler’s heroism and the profound gratitude of those he saved.
After depicting Schindler’s departure and the liberation of the factory workers,Schindler’s Listtransitions to the present day. It shows the real Schindlerjuden and their descendants visiting Schindler’s grave in Israel, placing stones on his tombstone as a sign of respect and gratitude.This scene creates a direct and poignant connection between the past and present, emphasizing the lasting legacy of Schindler’s actions. Spielberg’s choice to end the film this way highlights the human impact of Schindler’s heroism and the profound gratitude of those he saved.
Schindler’s List
Cast
Schindler’s List is a historical drama directed by Steven Spielberg, chronicling the efforts of Oskar Schindler, a German businessman who saved over a thousand Polish Jews during the Holocaust. Starring Liam Neeson, Ben Kingsley, and Ralph Fiennes, the film vividly portrays the atrocities committed during World War II while highlighting Schindler’s transformation from a profit-driven industrialist to a humanitarian savior.
