Thursday, December 12, 2013
"I pardon you"
We saw a different side to Goeth in Schindler's List, for but a second, Goeth wasn't crazed with killing as he was with trying to show a bit of compassion towards the prisoners. In today's portion of the movie, Goeth took a step back and showed love for Helen, until he beat her again and again. At the same time, we saw a different side to Schindler as well, kissing the Jewish woman and young girl. Even though Schindler is still using bribery to get what he wants from the higher up SS, I think he's showing more of a "connection" to the prisoners, from getting hoses to spray in the train cars to buying the 850 left over workers in Plaszow. Overall, I believe that both of these men have changed, even if in the slightest of ways, for the better. What are your guys' thoughts on Goeth as well as Schindler? Do you think that Goeth will be "Mr. Nice Guy" by the end of the movie?
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I think he won't be "Mr. Nice Guy" in the end. He might be a little better in the slightest ways, but I feel he only will as long as he doesn't realize it. He was changing with the whole "I pardon you" bit, but when he realized that he was being changed he rejected it. He found himself filled with some compassion where the Nazis preached anger. He is too bought in to the Nazi mindset to want to dissent from it. This is why I think he reacted so strongly after he realized he was taking it easy on the prisoners (if only for a moment). He has complex emotions inside of him that might make him capable of change, but like we also saw when he beat up his servant that when he realizes he is treating the "subhumans" as human, he has gone against his beliefs to a degree. That being said, I do believe he is showing some change, some emotion in a positive way. Like when he said he would never send his maid to Auschwitz, and wanted to give her a peaceful end if he couldn't save her. (In his mind this is a very kind thing, remember.) He might not be Mr. Nice Guy at the end of the movie, but I suspect he will at least show some humanity.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that Goeth will ever be considered as "Mr. Nice Guy." Everything he has done up to this point has been with his own best interests in mind. I agree with Dave in that he has complex thoughts going on inside of him, and has shown some small snip-its of good intentions. However, I don't believe he has changed at all while being associated with Schindler. As long as the war lasts, he will continue to be a brutal Nazi soldier who considers the prisoners as sub-humans who will forever be below him as a military officer.
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