What age did you let your kids see Schindler's List? (1 Viewer)

[lombardi]

My son turns 13 in a month. We're are going through WWII for history right now. I was thinking of showing him Schindler's List. I'm going to watch it again myself before I do, I know there is some pretty intense stuff in there. But I thought it really shows a kid how absolutely horrendous and horrible it was. We don't need to watch these movies, plenty of info in the curriculum and he is reading a few books. Just thought the visual really strikes home.

There is a ton of great WWII stuff out there (Private Ryan, Band of Brothers) but some of it is just a bit hard core.

He is going to read Diary of Anne Frank.

 

[eoMMan]

Never saw it. No kids here to see it either.

Is it really a must see?

 

[John Bender]

Never saw it. No kids here to see it either.

Is it really a must see?

I think it is.

 

[timschochet]

I think around 12-13 is about right.

The reason movies like Schindler and books like Anne Frank are important, IMO, is that they personalize the subject, which always makes it easy to understand. It's much easier to grasp a story about one little girl than to tell a student, "The Nazis murdered millions of people"- the latter is meaningless, a statistic.

It's important to note, however, that this material is about the Holocaust, which while intertwined with World War II, is it's own separate subject.

 

[Insein]

I never saw it. If my kids have to see it for school maybe but I would think high school age. Like 15-16 ish.

 

[FootballDummy]

32.

 

[butcher boy]

Went on a field trip to see it when it was released. I was a Sophomore in high school.

I see no reason why a 13 year old shouldn't see it.

 

[El Floppo]

I think around 12-13 is about right.

The reason movies like Schindler and books like Anne Frank are important, IMO, is that they personalize the subject, which always makes it easy to understand. It's much easier to grasp a story about one little girl than to tell a student, "The Nazis murdered millions of people"- the latter is meaningless, a statistic.

It's important to note, however, that this material is about the Holocaust, which while intertwined with World War II, is it's own separate subject.

And it definitely depends on the 13 year old.

Europa Europa is another good one (although probably better a couple years later... when he'd be the same age roughly as the protagonist).

 

[bushdocda]

File this under "random question".

 

[pollardsvision]

12-13 seems fine.

I'd say if they are old enough to have a serious discussion about The Holocaust and genocide, then I don't see any reason not to watch it.

It's quite traumatic for anyone at any age to watch, but it should be.

 

[lombardi]

I forgot about Europa Europa, that's a great movie. Don't remember content too well, just remember liking it a lot.

I don't know if seeing Schindler's List is "necessary" but I do think personalized stories like that movie and books like Diary of Anne Frank help a kid gain a little perspective about some of the aspects of what it was really like. Sometimes after reading chapter after chapter of history and staring at black and white pictures it's useful step into an engaging story outside of the dates and timelines to crystallize it all a little bit.

 

[lombardi]

It's quite traumatic for anyone at any age to watch, but it should be.

That's what I was thinking.

 

[butcher boy]

Have him watch the first 3 Indiana Jones movies first to really drum up his hatred of the Nazis.

By the time I was old enough to start learning about Nazi Germany, I already hated those ####ers.

 

[cstu]

Follow SL up with The White Ribbon to help understand how something like that could happen.

 

[El Floppo]

Follow SL up with The White Ribbon to help understand how something like that could happen.

That Max movie was decent as a more contemporary prologue as well- and an interesting/humanizing look at Hitler... but definitely a deeper cut than some of the other broader-scoped holocaust movies out there.

 

[flapgreen]

Never seen it myself

 

[whitem0nkey]

most kids15 but FBG kids mature faster so 13 seems fine.

the thing about this movie it does have a powerful message about the human spirit. you re-watching it is the best idea, you may find that 97% of the flick is fine and you will just skip a part or two. you have some nudity,1 or 2 was sexual while the rest is more humiliation, kids being killed, anti-Semitic language....

 

[cstu]

Never seen it myself

Don't worry, there's plenty of time to see it when you grow up.

 

[Leroy Hoard]

32.

Yes, any earlier than that they might just spend the whole movie making out with their date.

 

[eoMMan]

Never seen it myself

Don't worry, there's plenty of time to see it when you grow up.

Lame.

 

[Das Boot]

I let them see the list when they were pretty young. We waited a while for the movie though.