Opinion Piece: Steven Spielberg Thinks ‘Schindler’s List’ Is More Relevant Than Ever. It’s Not.
This December marks the 25th anniversary of “Schindler’s List,” the most famous, successful and influential American film about the Holocaust. Unsurprisingly, director Steven Spielberg believes that in the current climate, with Donald Trump whipping up xenophobia from the White House and a rise in far-right anti-Semitism in the U.S. and Europe, the movie is more relevant than ever. “Possibly now is even a more important time to re-release ‘Schindler’s List’ than … when it was initially released,” he told the “Today” show. “I think there’s more at stake today than even back then.”share
But rewatching “Schindler’s List” right now, what’s most striking isn’t its relevance, but its uselessness. The movie offers platitudes rather than analysis, and reassurance rather than much-needed warnings. It’s meant to fortify us against hatred, but instead, it inadvertently explains why, despite our veneration for Holocaust narratives, we remain so vulnerable to fascism.
“Schindler’s List” is designed as a tool of education and transformation. The movie is based on the true story of Nazi Party member and factory owner Oskar Schindler, who saved 1,200 Jews from death in Hitler’s camps. The movie follows Schindler (Liam Neeson) as he develops from a self-centered, greedy businessman and philanderer into a man driven by justice and righteousness. Witnessing the Holocaust makes Schindler a better man. It’s supposed to make viewers into better people, as well.
Schindler’s transformation begins in a scene in which he and a girlfriend take a horseback ride and accidentally witness the Nazi liquidation of the Krakow ghetto. Schindler watches the violence just as the viewer watches the violence. He furrows his brow and narrows his eyes in pain, just as you are supposed to furrow your brow and narrow your eyes. He models empathy and sorrow so that viewers will know to empathize, and whom to empathize with, when fascism comes again.
Teaching people to empathize with victims is a worthy goal. But when the empathy is too easy, it can lead to complacence. “Schindler’s List” makes us feel like we’re ready to recognize and deal with fascism, when we’re not. That’s the opposite of helpful.