Schindler’s List is a historical drama directed by Steven Spielberg that was released in 1993. The film is based on the novel “Schindler’s Ark” by Thomas Keneally and tells the true story of Oskar Schindler, a German businessman and Nazi party member who saved the lives of over a thousand Polish Jews during the Holocaust. In this climatic scene from the film, Schindler is surrounded by those he has saved, while expressing guilt and regret that he didn’t save more Jewish lives. As he leaves, the faces of the Jews he’s saved appear in his own reflection in the car window. Despite saving many lives, his feelings reflect the moral complexity of individual choices and actions during a time of genocide. Schindler’s List earned more than $300 million at the box office, won several Academy Awards and continues to have great impact in raising consciousness about the Holocaust. 

discussion

How and why does Schindler express regret?

Why does Schindler equate material objects to people’s lives?

Why does this scene (and film) focus on a single figure’s power and fight for humanity in the face of atrocity, injustice and genocide? What do you think the line “whoever saves one life, saves the world entire” means? 

Can you think of other historical or contemporary figures in media who have become symbols of justice?