Examples Of Archetypes In Schindler's List

Schindler’s List: The Archetypal Characters

The film, Schindler’s List, portrays the real life of Oskar Schindler and what he did in his time through World War Two. It covers how Schindler developed morally and went on to save 1200 Jewish people in the time of the Holocaust. The film has three main characters: Oskar Schindler, Itzhak Stern and Amon Göth. These three characters are used to represent three different characteristics of people in World War Two. Those types are The profiteer, the victim and the aggressor. Each of these characters are also portrayed through the film techniques which subtly implant the different types in the mind. Each of these archetypes are vastly different, however, being characters based on real-life people,

Schindler is a German businessman and quite the opportunist, he seeks to create a profit from the recent German invasion of Poland. After the deportation of Jewish people to their homes into ghettos, Schindler sees an opportunity for cheap labour and soon starts employing majority Jewish workers at his Factory. Schindler initially only concerned with himself and his well being, he employs the help of a Jewish accountant (Itzhak Stern), whom, along with the rest of his workers, he becomes emotionally invested in. After witnessing the massacre in the Krakow ghetto, Schindler changes in an altruistic direction. Schindler wants to keep his employees safe, he doesn’t want them to face the atrocities of the Holocaust. Schindler could not sit and watch people that he knew and respected be sent to their deaths. Whilst you could say Schindler started his altruistic behaviour after the Krakow massacre, his actions could still be reflecting his desire to protect him and his as he doesn’t display a strong desire, like he does at the end of the film, to protect the people under his employment. His actions, transition from a point of profit and production, to an altruistic saviour. This

Stern is portrayed as the victim in the film, as he, and others of Jewish descent, were persecuted during the Holocaust. Stern is an intelligent, determined and bright, Stern becomes the moral compass, which helps guide Schindler to becoming the their ‘saviour’. Stern starts off the film rejecting Schindler and his morality, often disapproving of his actions and decisions. However, Stern and Schindler’s relationship improves as the film develops, they start seeing things eye to eye, this is what ultimately leads Schindler to save the Jewish workers he had. Stern started this endeavour at the time of the ghettos by forging papers of those deemed ‘non-essential’ giving them a chance, not only to work, but to live. Sterns motivations are purely altruistic, he wants his people to survive the Holocaust and live on in peace. This is most evident in which he takes the papers of a geography teacher and changes them to a metal worker. At this point in the film, Stern and Schindler have opposing opinions, Stern is silently working on saving the Jewish people in the Krakow ghetto, whilst Schindler is almost entirely focused on making money and produce. Only at the end of the film is when Schindler and Stern’s morals agree with each other. Spielberg often portrays Stern in above angle shots, often making him look small and victimized. Spielberg employed various other camera angles and techniques throughout the film to