Schindler's List - why is the little girl in red?

Perhaps the most moving image in Steven Spielberg's epic Schindler's List is the little girl in the red coat, one of only four color images in the three-hour black and white film. Our attention is drawn to the little blonde tot, overlooked by the Nazi troops, who wanders alone amid the horror and panic. She is wearing a red coat which draws the viewer to her even when she is but one of a hundred people in a wide shot.

The little girl's jacket is red so that she stands out from the masses. When color is used, it makes a point and an impression. And Schindler´s soul is touched by the child, he feels her pain, cries for her. The plight of the one little girl in red touches him in a way the shear numbers make unreal, it is easy to get lost in numbers. He transforms the faceless mass around him into one real palpable human being. This one child is a symbol of all the 6,000 000 victims, exposed to ruthless slaughter. The little girl in the red coat footage gives a feeling of hope. You think that she may be able to get away, that she has a chance. But then you see her later, and she is dead. She has already been killed, and you feel the despair and a lot of anger towards these Nazis. How could they kill something so innocent? 0 Comments