The making and context of Schindler's List (Spielberg,1993)

Schindler's list follows the true story (based on the book Schindler's Ark, by Thomas Keneally) of Oskar Schindler, a Nazi party businessman who saved over 1,000 Jews during the holocaust in WW2. The film won seven academy awards (including best picture and best director) and starred Liam Neeson , Ralph Fiennes , and Ben Kingsley. 

Spielberg's film is known as one of the most emotive films of all time which is due to some contextual factors as well as micro features such as close-up shots, performance and movement of the characters and the score used. The context behind Spielberg making Schindler's list is that the holocaust was not very well know about and so he wanted to make the subject more well known to those who were oblivious, those who deny the holocaust, and those who had no idea what happened to Jews in Poland during the war. As a Jew, Spielberg felt that the film was a Jewish film for Jews to use against non-Jews as a historical record of what happened. He also felt that any money he made from the film would be 'blood money' and so did not receive a salary for the film. In Germany post 1993, Schindler's List was shown to every schoolchild over 14 years to show them what the Germans did and to also highlight the racial guilt of the country.

Another contextual point is that Spielberg chose to use B-List actors (Liam Neeson who played Oskar Schindler, Ben Kingsley who played Itzhak Stern, and Ralph Fiennes) rather than A-List actors so that the cast would not dominate the film to allow for the story and content to be the main focus of the film. As the the film is based on a true story, it makes it more engaging as the audience want to know what really happened. However, the way audiences react to the film completely depends on their own experiences of the film and the subject matter. For example the German school children would react differently to the film as they have been forced to watch a something that completely disgraces their country and forefathers; whereas a Jewish descendant may react to the horrific events that took place as it was a family member it happened to. When the survivor Mila Pfefferberg saw Ralpf Feinnes, she started shaking as he reminded her so much of the real Amon Goeth. This just shows how much your nationality/ experiences effect how you react to film as well as the context of the film. 

Key scenes that emphasise emotion in Schindler's List

Scene 1- The Liquidation of the Ghetto

This is one of the most memorable scenes in the film as it graphically plays on the audiences emotions due to the violence and brutality shown towards the Jews by the Nazi's. 

In this scene, micro features are the main element that highlight the emotion of the characters and actions. A lot of close up shots are used of Oskar Schindler and Itzhak Stern which shows their reactions of the ordeal. These close ups of Schindler are important as it is a turning point in the film when he finally decides to help the Jews. His reaction enhances how shocking the liquidation is by it being horrifying for a Nazi follower, it's hard to imagine just how horrible it is from a Jewish perspective. 

A very important element in this scene is the use of colour. A little girl is shown in a red coat which engages the audience by her standing out against the mass of black and white. The little girl is oblivious to what is going on around her which allows her to freely move around the ghetto making her performance and movement more interesting. She is followed by Schindler's gaze wih close ups of him following her movements. This is important for a later point in the film when we see the little girl and Schindler again. 

Macro features also emphasise emotion as this point of the film as there is an increase of violence to a point of no return. This violence foreshadows the violence that is yet to come which makes the scene more horrific. 

There are several contextual factors that determine how an audience may react to the scene. Your nationality may affect your emotional response as if you were a German national, then your reaction may be more focused on racial guilt and you may have a stronger connection with the Germans rather than the Jews. 

A Jewish decendant would have a completely different response as it would be a much more saddening experience. 

Where this scene is positioned in the film is important as we, as the audience have become well acquainted with the characters making the scene more influential in our response. This links  to Stuart Hall's theory as it encourages us to react a certain way. 

Scene 2- Interviewing the Secretaries

This scene is where Schindler is portrayed as somewhat of a womaniser as he seems very interested in the young women being interviewed. This scene breaks up the serious mood of the pervious scenes by being more lighthearted making the film easier to watch. This also links to Stuart Halls theory via the positioning of the scene and its relationship within the film. 

The macro features in this scene highlight Schindler as a flawed character by him being interested in other women when he has a wife at home. This flaw makes him a more relatable character as he is not idealistic. 

Micro features in this scene focus on Schindler's performance and movement within the frame as well as a comic up beat score. 

In the scene when Schindler is sat opposite the interviewees, after evey woman he moves closer in to the shot. The last woman is the least attractive but is the best typer and ironically, Schindler shows no interest in her and is shown sat slumped I. His chair far away from her in the shot. 

There is a jump cut after every woman which shows the progress in time as well as the painters in the background moving around in the frame after each cut.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Adren Oplev, 2009) is based on the novel by Stieg Larsson. The plot revolves around a female hacker, Lisbeth Salander and a wrongly accused journalist, Mikael Blomkvist who find themselves solving a case centred around a young girl's disappearance 40 years ago. 

In the film, there is a strong Swedish attitude towards woman and the way they are perceived. The character Lisbeth Salander, played by Noomi Rapace, highlights female empowerment and throughout the film there are reminders of how empowering she is.

The Revenge Scene:

After the horrific previous encounter Lisbeth has with her 'guardian' Nils Bjurman, she goes back to his house to seek revenge and show him that he will not get away with what he has done. 

The lighting that has been used is low key to highlight the dark happenings that take place and have done previously. The main focus of the lighting pinpoints a very vulnerable Bjurman and the basically furnished room. By pronouncing the furniture with the subtle lighting, it emphasizes the decor is more about function not 'fashion'.
The costume that has been used accentuates the characters and their situation within the scene. For example, the lack of clothing used for Bjurman shows how defenseless and vulnerable he is and by him being tied up for the duration of the scene also shows how feeble his character is at that moment in time. Salander's costume is dark and masculine with her trousers and boots giving her a sense of authority and power.
The camera angles used emphasize the control that Salander has. The low angle shots used to show Bjurman's point of view looking up at Salander show how defenceless he is, especially after he has been tied up and taped at the mouth. The high angle shots show Salander's power and allow the vulnerability of Bjurman to really be shown as it really enables the audience to see him curled up on the floor trying to get away form her.
The narrative during this scene overturns the underlying attitudes towards women in Sweden by empowering women over men and giving them all of the power.

The Car Crash Scene:

Once Lisbeth Salander saves Mikael Blomkvist from the deceptive and cruel hands of Martin Vanger and his cellar, Vanger runs off in his car followed by Salander who trys to stop him. Vanger veers off the road and crashes his car. As Salander watches Vanger trapped inside his overturned car, she has the chance to save him but instead, watches the car burst into flames and walks away.
The low key lighting makes the scene very dramatic and is highlighted by the shadow cast on their faces which adds to the darkness of the scene.
The clothing worn by Salander is all black which corresponds with her character and persona and hence shows her masculinity and contradicting societal norms that is shown throughout the film.
The set of the secluded forest emphasizes how alone the two characters are and the fact that there is no-one around to save Vanger from the wreckage of his car.
Some of the camera angles in this scene are interesting as Vanger's point of view is used when he is calling for help from Salander showing just her feet from the window of the overturned car. This angle is highly effective and enables Salander's power over whether or not Vanger is rescued from the wreckage.
Editing adds suspense and tension during this scene to cut from a stuck Vanger in his car, to his leaking fuel tank, and then back to Vanger. This allows the audience to pre-asses what is about to happen and build themselves up for the dramatic catching alight of Vanger's car with him trapped inside. Editing is also used in this scene to cut back to a flashback of Salander's of when she was a child and her throwing a flaming match onto a fuel covered man inside his car. This adds depth and interest to the scene and makes the audience think about Salander's past and what happened to her as a child.
In this scene, the fact that Salander does nothing to help Vanger signifies the theme of female empowerment by her having all the control of whether Vanger survives or is left to his own devices trapped inside the wreckage of his car. His fate essentially rests in her hands.

Women in Action

There are only a few female action heroes that are not dependent on men. Action films are very dependent on a leading male role supported by a good looking leading lady. Women are almost always seen as sexual objects or as damsels for the male lead to save. This is not always the case... 

1. Lara Croft- Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (West, 2001)

Lara Croft is one of those action heroes that has both feminine and masculine traits that allow her to be both empowering over men and kiss ass. Her attire of combat boots and a black vest and shorts is masculine and practical implying that she does not take much care in her appearance and is more focused on the challenging task that lies ahead. By her having her hair tied back into a plait indicates that it has been  put up as so so that it is out of the way while she is working. The belt that Lara wears around her hips carrying an array of dangerous weapons shows that she is prepared for anything and that she is not going to let anyone, including a man get in her way. 

Her feminine features contrast against her masculine appearance by her having a very curvaceous figure and soft facial features such as her pillowy lips. 

All of these features allow her to defeat those in her way or any obstacles that she might face and be dependent from men showing that she does not need their help to 'save her'. She is definitely more than capable of doing that on her own and to her own terms.

2. Beatrix Kiddo- Kill Bill: Vol.1 (Tarantino, 2003)

Beatrix Kiddo is not your normal action hero as she does not fight for a greater good. She fights for revenge. This means that she will not let anyone get in her way, no matter the cost in order to complete her vengeance. Her appearance is striking by her bright yellow and black tracksuit allowing her to stand out when she is surrounded by a sea of black. Her hair hangs around her face implicating that she has bigger things to worry about than doing something with her hair. Her weapon a samurai sword has connotations with samurai warriors which implies that she has certain qualities of a samurai warrior which allows her to fight as well as she does.

3. Natasha Romanoff- Iron Man 2 (Favreau, 2010)

Natasha Romanoff is an action hero that empowers women by saving men and being kick ass. Her tight, all black attire is very sultry and practical, and highlights her very feminine curvy figure. Her hair is down and frames her face in soft curls which adds to her alluring look. 

4. Hanna Heller- Hanna (Wright, 2011)

Hanna Heller is definitely not your average action hero as she is only 16. Her size and frame allow her to easily slip through the grasp of those after her. It also gives her the upper hand when fighting against those she fights as they will not give it their all as not to hurt her. The orange outfit she wears implies that she has been locked up and that she is dangerous while the gun shows that she means business and is certainly not afraid to fight. 

5. Neytiri- Avatar(Cameron, 2009)

Neytiri is kick ass by her defending her home from essentially an army and teaching an outsider the ways of her kind. This shows that she is loyal and trysting, and very willing to fight in what she believes in and cares about. What she wears is very tribal implying that she can tend for herself and be resourceful from what is around her. By the fact that she has a dagger attached to a belt around her waist shows that she constantly prepared for anything that may happen, whether it may be protecting herself or gathering resources. Neytiri is also not dependent on men as she rescues herself and those around her, both men and women, showing us that she is definitely not a damsel is distress.