Spielberg's Holocaust: Critical Perspectives on Schindler's List

Rating:
Summary: Stimulating Debate of the Merits of Spielberg's Film
Review: Perhaps unfortunately, many of the essays in this fine collection would have to fall under the category of univocal Spielberg-bashing. The director is berated by a chorus of academics for his documentary-style authoritarianism in his approach to representing the story of Oskar Schindler and the Schindler Jews. What merits the movie does have are, by and large, swept under the carpet in the interest of pointing out its glaring faults and moments of irresponsible over-reaching. This robs the debate of a good measure of balance, but the wealth of different critical perspectives brought to bear on the discussion more than makes up for any lack of diplomacy.

The book's greatest stengths are just this sort of breadth--there are essays here by film experts, historians, literary theorists and other academic luminaries, most notably Geoffrey Hartmann and Omer Bartov. Another virtue of Loshitzky's collection is that the reader comes away with a much better grasp of the larger debate over representing the Holocaust. Essays point repeatedly to Claude Lanzmann's interview-style documentary as an ideal form, but the more careful essays admit that this is not the version most viewers would sit through, as it's too long, too slow, etc.

There are some shocking revelations, too, like things Spielberg has said in interviews that should curdle the blood of even his most vociferous supporters. He compares his trials of being rich and famous and recognizable with the suffering of victims of the Holocaust, and one wonders what on earth he could possibly have been thinking.

Those tidbits aside, though, the most useful, convincing and durable essay here is, in my opinion, the balanced assessment by Bartov, a Holocaust historian, who candidly admits that Spielberg's triumphalism and hero-narrative are terribly misplaced in this corner of history. Unlike the other essayists here, though, Bartov challenges critics to focus more on the positive accomplishments of the film, and especially the fact that it has raised overall awareness of the tragedy in extraordinary fashion. This must not be forgotten in a judgment of the film, he argues, since it is likely (and he writes this, of course, before the breakout success of Benigni's "Life is Beautiful") the only Holocaust film most people--and certainly most Americans--will ever care to see.

While certain of the pieces cater more obviously to an academic crowd well versed in the ongoing debate and most current scholarship on the topic of the Holocaust, the book in general is quite accessible to more mainstream audiences who wish to see Spielberg's version of the Shoah challenged in an often very productive way. I highly recommend this book.

Rating:
Summary: Stimulating Debate of the Merits of Spielberg's Film
Review: Perhaps unfortunately, many of the essays in this fine collection would have to fall under the category of univocal Spielberg-bashing. The director is berated by a chorus of academics for his documentary-style authoritarianism in his approach to representing the story of Oskar Schindler and the Schindler Jews. What merits the movie does have are, by and large, swept under the carpet in the interest of pointing out its glaring faults and moments of irresponsible over-reaching. This robs the debate of a good measure of balance, but the wealth of different critical perspectives brought to bear on the discussion more than makes up for any lack of diplomacy.

The book's greatest stengths are just this sort of breadth--there are essays here by film experts, historians, literary theorists and other academic luminaries, most notably Geoffrey Hartmann and Omer Bartov. Another virtue of Loshitzky's collection is that the reader comes away with a much better grasp of the larger debate over representing the Holocaust. Essays point repeatedly to Claude Lanzmann's interview-style documentary as an ideal form, but the more careful essays admit that this is not the version most viewers would sit through, as it's too long, too slow, etc.

There are some shocking revelations, too, like things Spielberg has said in interviews that should curdle the blood of even his most vociferous supporters. He compares his trials of being rich and famous and recognizable with the suffering of victims of the Holocaust, and one wonders what on earth he could possibly have been thinking.

Those tidbits aside, though, the most useful, convincing and durable essay here is, in my opinion, the balanced assessment by Bartov, a Holocaust historian, who candidly admits that Spielberg's triumphalism and hero-narrative are terribly misplaced in this corner of history. Unlike the other essayists here, though, Bartov challenges critics to focus more on the positive accomplishments of the film, and especially the fact that it has raised overall awareness of the tragedy in extraordinary fashion. This must not be forgotten in a judgment of the film, he argues, since it is likely (and he writes this, of course, before the breakout success of Benigni's "Life is Beautiful") the only Holocaust film most people--and certainly most Americans--will ever care to see.

While certain of the pieces cater more obviously to an academic crowd well versed in the ongoing debate and most current scholarship on the topic of the Holocaust, the book in general is quite accessible to more mainstream audiences who wish to see Spielberg's version of the Shoah challenged in an often very productive way. I highly recommend this book.