Oskar Schindler's a smart guy: a real con artist in every way that counts. In Schindler's List, we see that he wines and dines the local Nazi elite so they'll be cooperative to his business proposals. He exploits the Jews for slave labor and gets Goeth to help him with it. Then he turns around and fools the entire Nazi apparatus when he decides that killing Jews as a national policy is something he can't get behind.
The Jews, for their part, demonstrate their own means of out-thinking an opponent who has them at an epic disadvantage, finding ways to survive against a regime that holds all the cards.
Questions about Intelligence
- In what ways is Oskar's ingenuity used for selfish ends? In what ways is it used for selfless ones?
- How do we see the Jews use their brains to out-think an opponent who controls them in so many ways?
- How is intelligence shown to help people rise against these circumstances? How is it shown to be utterly useless?
Chew on This
Take a peek at these thesis statements. Agree or disagree?
Schindler's intelligence resulted in him saving 1,100 lives.
Stern was really the brains of the operation.