tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6332525178317601464.post2245863143001833567..comments2023-11-05T01:59:43.451-08:00Comments on Windmills of My Mind: The Reluctant SaviorDamian Arlynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07937513879456460221noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6332525178317601464.post-36944205114931377042015-12-22T07:30:23.598-08:002015-12-22T07:30:23.598-08:00This is a thoughtful and insightful critique of th...This is a thoughtful and insightful critique of this magnificent movie and of the persona that was Oskar Schindler. A scene in the movie that has always stood out for me was the night before Schindler meets with Amon Goeth to buy the (at least temporary) safety of “his Jews.” He’s in his apartment while the latest of his myriad mistresses sleeps in their bed and an Ella Fitzgerald record is playing. Schindler opens his attaché case filled with the money that he will bribe Goeth with in the hope of saving so many lives. He looks pensively, almost wistfully at the money, and the viewer can just imagine him thinking: “Why am I doing this?” This is the subtext of the entire movie.<br /><br />Why indeed, Herr Schindler. Because when push came to shove for this enigmatic individual, he discovered that he was not quite the rogue that he would have others believe…and perhaps himself. You did it, Herr Schindler, because essentially, you couldn’t not do it. Bravo!Donald Schneiderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01404936245520867331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6332525178317601464.post-67654562278355558602007-07-09T16:11:00.000-07:002007-07-09T16:11:00.000-07:00J.J.:I think you're right, J.J. That moment when S...J.J.:<BR/><BR/>I think you're right, J.J. That moment when Schindler drops the rings and frantically searches through the dirt for it as if it were the most precious thing in the world is brilliant. I also don't know whether it was a deliberate or not (and if so who conceived it: Zaillian, Spielberg, Neeson) but if it was accidental then it was providential and Spielberg had the good sense to leave it in.<BR/><BR/>You might be interested to know that in real life Schindler later sold that ring for alchohol,. This demonstrates, once again, that the actual, historical figure was an even more complicated man than the one seen in the movie.<BR/><BR/>Squish:<BR/><BR/>Actually I think you're the fourth or fifth person to tag me with this meme. I guess you're right. I can't get away from it. Might as well face into it.Damian Arlynhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07937513879456460221noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6332525178317601464.post-858118066931528352007-07-09T11:56:00.000-07:002007-07-09T11:56:00.000-07:00"...choose eight people to get tagged and list the..."...choose eight people to get tagged and list their names. Don't forget to leave them a comment telling them they're tagged, and to read your blog."<BR/><BR/>Damian, you can't get away from this, I'm the second person to tag you.Squishhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02532798907516597796noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6332525178317601464.post-18755544631682741792007-07-09T04:43:00.000-07:002007-07-09T04:43:00.000-07:00The "I could've done more" scene is also my favori...The "I could've done more" scene is also my favorite of the movie, and my favorite *moment* of that scene is when he drops the ring. That small mistake in the course of his departure (and in the course of an otherwise stoic, calculated lifestyle) is what opens up his emotional floodgate. I assume that was scripted; but if it was an error that Spielberg decided to keep, then thank God.J.J.https://www.blogger.com/profile/07815005929352267468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6332525178317601464.post-7288224192705639232007-07-09T01:55:00.000-07:002007-07-09T01:55:00.000-07:00Well, I'll give it a try, Peet. I'll change the se...Well, I'll give it a try, Peet. I'll change the settings for a while so that anyone can leave a comment on here and just see how that turns out. If I end up getting some nasty anonymous comments or annoying spam (which I have gotten before), then I'm changing it back.Damian Arlynhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07937513879456460221noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6332525178317601464.post-73899529495541737222007-07-09T01:32:00.001-07:002007-07-09T01:32:00.001-07:00Oh, and being a Wordpress man myself (except for a...Oh, and being a Wordpress man myself (except for articles on The House), is there any chance you could allow non-Blogger users to comment here?Peet Gelderblomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02670984058059813380noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6332525178317601464.post-15267820579678871072007-07-09T01:32:00.000-07:002007-07-09T01:32:00.000-07:00My e-mail link isn't working, huh? That's too bad....My e-mail link isn't working, huh? That's too bad. I'll see what I can do about that.<BR/><BR/>Thanks for bringing that interview to my attention, Peet. I love just listening to Spielberg talk. I am especially looking forward to the Richard Schickel documentary that premieres on TCM tonight.Damian Arlynhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07937513879456460221noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6332525178317601464.post-26128808815320531962007-07-09T01:25:00.000-07:002007-07-09T01:25:00.000-07:00Damian, your email address on your blogger page do...Damian, your email address on your blogger page doesn't seem to be working. I thought you'd be interested in seeing this 1-hour interview with Spielberg before August (if you haven't already):<BR/><BR/>http://tinyurl.com/3dshl8Peet Gelderblomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02670984058059813380noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6332525178317601464.post-68449856512633487712007-07-08T19:39:00.000-07:002007-07-08T19:39:00.000-07:00That is such a memorable scene because Schindler i...That is such a memorable scene because Schindler is really putting himself out there with that gesture (and Goeth noticices it at the end). It comes I'd say about halfway through Schindler's "transformation" and yet it seems totally and completely consistent with his character.<BR/><BR/>I agree that if Gibson been cast it wouldn't have been nearly as great. Gibson is really more of an "over-actor" than an actor. he does a fine job in extreme, crazy characters (Martin Riggs in <I>Lethal Weapon</I>, the title roles in <I>Hamlet</I> and <I>Braveheart</I>, etc) but as soon as he has to be ordinary, low-key or subtle, he's not very good. This shows, I think, Spielberg's knack for casting just the right actors for the roles in his movies (even if they're not big-name stars) and keeps me hopeful about Shia Lebeouf's presence in the upcoming Indiana Jones movie.Damian Arlynhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07937513879456460221noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6332525178317601464.post-11556282284599100872007-07-08T12:48:00.000-07:002007-07-08T12:48:00.000-07:00The scene where Schindler convinces Goethe and the...The scene where Schindler convinces Goethe and the other Nazis to let him bring water to the prisoners suffocating in the boxcars stands out for me. Instead of demanding Goethe let him do it, or trying to be charming, Neeson is just persistent in a low key way. Great performance. <BR/><BR/>I can't believe that Mel Gibson actually pursued this part. If Spielberg had cast him, <EM>Schindler's List</EM> wouldn't have been nearly as good at the time, and today, would be completely insignificant.Joehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15510688209370778591noreply@blogger.com