Sort of a giant punch to the gut, isn’t it?
In all seriousness, this is the first time I’ve seen the film. But I’ve read many of the takedowns of the film’s philosophy, and was prepared to mildly agree with them. I don’t.
I don’t buy the argument that Schindler’s List is a film about the “good capitalist” or exploiting the horrors of the Holocaust. If Schindler’s List says anything about capitalism, it condemns it: it says capitalism’s greatest failure is an inability to accurately value a human life. To say otherwise is to miss the point of the film.
I will admit that it’s strange to see the Holocaust through the perspective of a Nazi. Philosophically, this is the muddiest part of the film. But Schindler’s story is ours: he is but a few decisions away from becoming morally bankrupt, like Amon, as are we all. That story drives the film. Without making a documentary, how could this story be told any other way?
It’s not a perfect film, but it is a staggering achievement.