Schindler’s List is a movie taking place beginning in September 1939 during World War II in the Nazi infiltrated Krakow, Poland. Beginning with a character named Oskar Schindler who was a Nazi businessman interested in becoming a war profiteer. Schindler capitalizes on the changing economic times and war with a goal of economic gain. He begins this scheme by befriending the Nazi SS officers and later to befriend a well known successful Jewish accountant, Itzhak Stern. Schindler’s goal is to take over a confiscated pots and pans company and turn it into a manufacturing company to provide cookware kits for the troops. Manpower for such a plant is more profitable with Jewish employees that get paid less than the Polish. The Jewish employee’s compensation is being paid back in products that can be traded on the black market as well as safe keeping from becoming shipped off to concentration camps.

As time goes on and the Nazi’s force the Jews into small walled-in areas referred to as ghettos. The only was to leave the ghetto was to have worker paperwork. Without your paperwork you were subject to consequences to include execution.

With Schindler’s factory becoming known as a safe place, more people wanted to work for him in any capacity.

With the influence of Stern and the increasing gravity of the situation in Krakow, Schindler seemed to become more protective over the Jewish especially his employees. A keen example of this is when Stern was placed on a cattle car to possibly go to a concentration camp because he forgot his work papers and Schindler was adamant in finding and saving him. Another example would be when the Nazi’s no longer had control over the Jewish and Schindler, although saving the lives of 1,100 Jews, wished that he could have saved even more.

Schindler’s List is a movie based on a Nazi-Czech business man that profited and saved the lives of 1,100 Jewish people. The movie accomplishes this point by the evolution of Oskar Schindler throughout this movie. Beginning with him going to Krakow with little money and then with his “panache” as an entrepaneur and business man acquiring and, with Itzak Stern’s help as his accountant and plant manager, running a successful pan manufacturing company. Not only did this heavily profit Schindler it also saved the lives of the Jews working within it.

There were little religious specific acts in this movie. There was reference to the admonishment of a rabbi not beginning preparations for the Sabbath. There were also some visual references to Jewish items such as, candelabra’s and Passover platters. The main religious reference was that of the mistreatment of the Jews by the Nazi’s in that time period.

To say that this story was historically true and accurate can be construed as a fallacy. The story was based on truth but not every action in this movie was based on a true occurrence. There were many interviews and statements read by individuals that lived through this time period to compile the storyline this movie were based on.

During the movie there were some reoccurring theme’s and/or motif’s. The reoccurring typing and listing of Jewish names appearing on screen as well as the stamping of work cards. Another consistency is the theme of saving of the Jews by working for Oskar Schindler at his factory.

Main character’s involved in this movie are Oskar Schindler, the Nazi-Czech businessman. The plant manager – accountant and Jew, Itzak Stern. Amon Goeth portrayed the evil Nazi. Helen Hirsch was Amon Goeth’s Jewish maid turned into love interest. Emilie Schindler was Oskar Schindler’s estranged wife. Poldek Pfefferburg was an unskilled laborer as well as a Jewish Priest which Schindler created papers for to work within his factory.