| “ | Yet such a small pile of hinges. | „ |
| ~ Goeth overseeing the Rabbi's work. |
| “ | This is very cruel Oskar. You're giving them hope. You shouldn't do that. | „ |
| ~ Amon Goeth |
Amon Goeth is the main antagonist of the movie Schindler's List. He is a Junior Lieutenant, later Commander of the SS, responsible for ordering the liquidation of the Plazow ghetto and murdering Jews in the Krakow ghetto.
He was portrayed by Ralph Fiennes.
Role in the Film
He appears in the Krakow Ghetto (after ordering the liquidation of the Plazow Ghetto), intentively checking the Jews assigned in the ghetto. He hires Helen Hirsch as his maid for his household in the hills above the ghetto. He then kills a Jewish civil engineer who attempts to make a barracks but break it down due to issues regarding the space not capable to fit the barracks. However, he killed her, refusing to tear down the barracks on construction. Later on, he befriends ethnic businessman Oskar Schindler.
He shows an abusive side and sadism, as stated by Itzhak Stern, he killed 25 Jews and shot out 2 of them by sniping them from the balcony since one was tying her boots while carrying a wheelbarrow and one who sat in the stairs, scaring and causing nearby Jews to dig faster, although there wasn't enough progress, but Goeth did not kill them. He killed a Jew that stole the chicken then interrogates a boy on who stole it, but the boy pointed the one that Goeth killed. He tried having Rabbi Lewartow executed (who was supposed to shove coal, but was making hinges instead, but made a small pile of it, lacking real progress) but angrily spares the Rabbi (as both of his guns failed to work).
Goeth later had a conversation with Schindler about what power is. He later killed a Jewish boy (though Goeth dismissed him from housework, but later reconsidered and shot him in the head with a sniper rifle) then ordered thousands of Jewish corpses burned down after Schindler found ashes in not only his car, but everywhere. He told Schindler that he will make shipments in 30 or 40 days since there were too many dead Jews in the Krakow Ghetto and that there wasn't enough progress to satisfy the Nazi war efforts.
Later, on a few years ago, he beats up Helen after a failed attempt to flirt with her (though he expressed that he feels for Helen but reconsiders when Helen doesn't reciprocate) then however after agreeing releasing 1100 Jews for Schindler, charges a heavy bribe from him. He finds that the last of Schindler's list has a blank space. Realizing that Schindler wants him to give up Helen, Goeth refuses but later reconsiders and allows Helen to go with Schindler. He says goodbye to his friend later and is not seen in the rest of the flim.
However, while being a patient in Bad Tolz, Goeth was found by the Red Army and they executed him by hanging for crimes against humanity.
Personality
Goeth is a pure Nazi; sadistic, brutal; abusive, emotionless and homicidal; he does not cry or shows happiness. The real life Amon Goeth was diagonsed with an mental illness. He enjoys killing Jews as far as he can, but can be merciful, as he, according to Nazi law, shouldn't kill all Jews as those alive are regularly used as workers. He possesses a highly tactical mind, when he ordered the Plazow Ghetto liquidated, and anger, as he yelled angrily while beating up Helen Hirsch. He hates sparing Jews, as he stops execution of the Rabbi. He always has second thoughts about sparing Jews, as he changes his mind about letting a Jewish boy go back to the Ghetto and expressing love to Helen. He harbors deep hate for the Jews, as he killed a lot of them unnecessarily.
Though despite this, Goeth does get along having friends, as he befriends Schindler but does not kill him when he is not a Jew. He, like any Nazi, shows allegiance to Adolf Hitler, as he says "Heil Hitler", though he has no contact with him. Goeth is secretive, since he, according to Schindler, does not allow anyone to know it is a Jew he enjoys.