by Alexis Griffith

Created on: January 10, 2009

Please be aware this contains the whole plot for Schindler's List...

Schindler's List follows a group of Jews from the rounding up of Jews to be put in the Krakow ghetto, to when they are sent to Plaszow forced labour camp and finally to the factory in Zwittau-Brinnlitz, and the hardships and battles they have to fight, and the one man that is prepared to risk his own life to save them.

At the beginning of the film we are introduced to a man who is clearly out for himself, there is a war on and the way to make money is through contact with high ranking Nazi's, he himself is a willing member of the Nazi party. He succeeds in this and as a result, has all the military contracts he needs to become an extremely rich man. This man is called Oskar Schindler.

Oskar comes into contact with a man called Itzhak Stern by needing an accountant for his business, as well as having someone who knows the constantly changing legal system that the Nazi's have created in relation to Jewish slave labour. Itzhak Stern through his legal knowledge and Oskars selfish need to save money hires Jews "as they are cheaper than Poles" , Itzhak recruits Jews he knows in the Krakow ghetto so they can help themselves by trading on the street as they are allowed to work outside the walls. Itzhak also introduces the wealthy Jews of the ghetto to Oskar, and Oskar uses their money to buy what he needs for his business in return for some of his product.

Oskar is now living the high life having made more money than "any man can spend in a lifetime" he is quite happily womanising and drinking, until one event changes his life...he witnesses the liquidation of the Warsaw ghetto - he sees people being brutalised and slaughtered mercilessly and it affects him deeply.

As such he talks to the Kommandant of the camp Amon Goeth and makes a deal with him to pay him for the labour for his factory that have been moved to Plaszow forced labour camp, Goeth agrees. Over the coming months Jews that are under threat of death or who have saved others lives, little by little are put on the list to work in Oskars factory, via way of Itzhak and Oskar bribing the Jewish collaborator in charge of the work detail.

Just as everything seems to be going well and the Jews are no longer in danger, directives come in from Berlin that Plaszow forced labour camp is to be shut down and all workers are to be moved to Auschwitz concentration camp with immediate effect. Oskar knows that if this was to happen it would be a death sentence

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