Re: Schindler's List and the concern for the victim -- Mimetic Theory and Literary Study

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Date Posted: 08:34:19 04/08/08 Tue
Author: CS Holden
Subject: Re: Schindler's List and the concern for the victim
In reply to: Betsy Peters 's message, "Schindler's List and the concern for the victim" on 21:11:08 04/07/08 Mon

This is a great movie, one that exposes the horror of violence and the blindness of the victimage mechanism. The Nazi�s persecution of the Jews is probably a perfect case study for a modern audience. One of the things, though, about Girard�s theory that has given me a hang-up recently is the great tendency to unravel a persecution text and to scapegoat the persecutors�in the case of Schindler�s List, the victim is, ironically, the Nazis.

Let me make this clear: I am not excusing Nazism, nor am I saying Girard or anyone would do so. I certainly don�t think the film is trying to create sympathy for the Nazis. The Jews are the victims, through and through, and because of that, the tendency is to turn our anger on the group who victimized and massacred another group.

I think Spielberg approaches this with some delicacy, though. The big mob scenes are horrifying and moving, yes, but there is some character development of the Nazi soldiers. Storm troopers march as one large mindless entity, but there are many moments where the helmets come off and we see faces. I�m thinking specifically of the scene when one soldier starts playing piano while other soldiers are being slaughtered, and two passing soldiers stop and comically argue about whether the piece is a Bach or a Beethoven.

This contrasts with Amon Goeth, the inhuman Nazi who runs the camp (who also has a whole slue of rivalries and desires that drive him to violence, but that�s another post). Still, though, it�s as if Spielberg is careful to always say, �Look, these Jews were treated as if they were animals. But they are people. And look, these Nazis are acting as if they were animals. But they are people, too.� If we turn around and treat the persecutors the way they treated others, we have become the persecutors themselves. We have become violent. I think that�s the struggle that Schindler can�t escape: He befriends people he despises and helps people he doesn�t know, even though he gets ridiculed from one side and sees nothing but despair from the other. The only solution, as he says, is to keep helping �One more.�

It�s problematic and maddening. That�s one of the great things about this film, the thing that makes it so realistic. It�s not the mere exposing of violence that makes it real. It�s the haunting reminder that �civilized� people did this.

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Replies:

Re: Schindler's List and the concern for the victim -- Hwaet!, 20:24:53 04/13/08 Sun
- Re: Schindler's List and the concern for the victim -- CS Holden, 13:00:30 04/14/08 Mon