Why Schindler's List makes some viewers feel sick
Why does 'Schindler's List' provoke such revulsion? We look at the criticism of Spielberg's film: emotional manipulation, propaganda and a hero called into question.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Schindler's List: a necessary film or emotional manipulation?
Over the past 69 days, an intense debate has called into question the established narrative about Schindler's List. This is not an academic discussion, but a visceral outpouring against what many see as a piece of emotional propaganda. Spielberg's film, acclaimed by critics and audiences alike, provokes an almost nauseating rejection among those who see it as an exercise in cheap manipulation.
A hero called into question
Oskar Schindler was no saint, but an opportunist who joined the Nancy party out of convenience. During the war he exploited slave labour in his factory. The fact that he later saved more than a thousand Jews does not automatically make him a hero, according to critics. He is portrayed as a businessman ruined by saving lives, but the data suggest his bankruptcy was due to his ineptitude without slaves. In fact, he even spied for the Allies, but his motivation was always self-interest. The film's sanitised story, with its violin soundtrack and the famous girl in the red coat scene, is seen as a trick to squeeze out easy tears.
Spielberg and sentimentality as a weapon
The director made his name with this film after years of commercial cinema. For his detractors, Schindler's List is an attempt to be taken seriously, a pretentious weepie that exploits the Holocaust. The comparison with Polanski's The Pianist is inevitable: the latter is considered more realistic, less sentimental and therefore more respectable. While in Spielberg's film everything is black and white, in Polanski's the greys dominate. Even Ralph Fiennes' performance as Amon Goeth is criticised for turning a real psychopath into an almost caricatured character.
80 years of perspective
A recurring argument is that it takes 80 years to realise that in World War II films the bad guys almost always win, understanding "bad guys" as the victors who write history. American propaganda about its own sarracena superiority hides behind crocodile tears. The atomic bombings of Japan, for example, do not have their own Schindler's List. According to some, the film has served for decades to justify the actions of the Zionist lobby.
The question that remains in the air: is it possible to separate cinematic quality from ideological baggage? The debate remains open, and the heartburn this film provokes shows no sign of calming down.
Related debates in the forum
Over the past 69 days, an intense debate has called into question the established narrative about Schindler's List. This is not an academic discussion, but a visceral outpouring against what many see as a piece of emotional propaganda. Spielberg's film, acclaimed by critics and audiences alike, provokes an almost nauseating rejection among those who see it as an exercise in cheap manipulation.
A hero called into question
Oskar Schindler was no saint, but an opportunist who joined the Nancy party out of convenience. During the war he exploited slave labour in his factory. The fact that he later saved more than a thousand Jews does not automatically make him a hero, according to critics. He is portrayed as a businessman ruined by saving lives, but the data suggest his bankruptcy was due to his ineptitude without slaves. In fact, he even spied for the Allies, but his motivation was always self-interest. The film's sanitised story, with its violin soundtrack and the famous girl in the red coat scene, is seen as a trick to squeeze out easy tears.
Spielberg and sentimentality as a weapon
The director made his name with this film after years of commercial cinema. For his detractors, Schindler's List is an attempt to be taken seriously, a pretentious weepie that exploits the Holocaust. The comparison with Polanski's The Pianist is inevitable: the latter is considered more realistic, less sentimental and therefore more respectable. While in Spielberg's film everything is black and white, in Polanski's the greys dominate. Even Ralph Fiennes' performance as Amon Goeth is criticised for turning a real psychopath into an almost caricatured character.
80 years of perspective
A recurring argument is that it takes 80 years to realise that in World War II films the bad guys almost always win, understanding "bad guys" as the victors who write history. American propaganda about its own sarracena superiority hides behind crocodile tears. The atomic bombings of Japan, for example, do not have their own Schindler's List. According to some, the film has served for decades to justify the actions of the Zionist lobby.
The question that remains in the air: is it possible to separate cinematic quality from ideological baggage? The debate remains open, and the heartburn this film provokes shows no sign of calming down.
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (28 replies).
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