The War Is Over

from Schindler's List

by Steven Zaillian

Schindler: The unconditional surrender of Germany has just been announced. At midnight tonight, the war is over. Tomorrow, you'll begin the process of looking for survivors of your families. In most cases, you won't find them. After six long years of murder, victims are being mourned throughout the world. We've survived.

Many of you have come up to thank me. Thank yourselves. Thank Itzhak Stern and others among you who worried about you and faced death every moment. I'm a member of the Nazi party. I'm an ammunitions manufacturer. I'm a proprietor of slave labour. I am a criminal. At midnight, you'll be free and I'll be hunted. I shall remain with you until five minutes after midnight after which time, and I hope you'll forgive me, I must flee.

[To the guards]

I know you have recieved orders from our commandant, which he has received from his superiors, to dispose of the population of this camp. Now would be the time to do it. Here they are, they are all here. This is your opportunity. Or, you could leave and return to your families as men, instead of murderers.