Schindler's List/Billie Holiday

[pe...@jaguar.uofs.edu]

I don't know ifd there is any significance other than the title of the song.
But Billie Holiday's "God Bless the Child" is in Schindler's List
Would this have been accurate to hear then?
I have no idea, but was pleased to hear the song, nonetheless.

Paul D. i

[Thomas Ford Brown]

The copyright date is 1941.

[Oren H. Levine]

In article <1994Jan30...@jaguar.uofs.edu> pe...@jaguar.uofs.edu writes:

Paul D. i

I think that was one of the clever subtleties of the film. Under the Nazi
regime, jazz music was banned as decadent, and people found listening to
or possessing jazz music were thrown in jail (not the greatest evil of the
regime, but interesting nonetheless - I was once a documentary on this very
subject). Having Schindler listen to jazz was a clever way of showing how he
had access to the black market, and was another example of him thumbing his
nose at the Nazis, while using them to his own ends.

Don't know if Speilberg meant it this way, though.
-Oren

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Oren Levine (ole...@meceng.coe.neu.edu)

Northeastern University
Boston, MA USA
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Oren Levine (ole...@meceng.coe.neu.edu)

Northeastern University
Boston, MA USA
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[Joe Hellerstein]

The use of "God Bless The Child" was particularly significant in that
scene for a number of reasons. First, was the irony of the lyrics
with the plot -- the Jews who had previously owned Schindler's new
house *had* their own, monetarily, and it didn't help them at all.
Second, was the more direct significance that Schindler was finally
making some serious money and this would help him with his future
humanitarian endeavours.

Third (and most relevant here), was the idea that a Nazi party member
would be listening to a Black jazz musician at that time. The Nazis
considered jazz decadent, naturally, so it's unlikely that "God Bless
The Child" would have been commonly heard in Germany then. The idea
that Schindler would be listening to Billie Holiday at that time is an
insight into his confusing character -- a man who seemed to seek out
profit, comfort, and the best in everything (including music)
regardless of the prevailing mores, and how that ecumenical sense of
luxury eventually led him to an ecumenical sense of human worth.

It's a tremendous film. If you haven't caught it, do so.

Joe Hellerstein