Schindler's List wouldn't have been possible without the support of Leopold "Poldek" Pfefferberg, a Holocaust survivor who had a lot of involvement in the research for the movie and urged Spielberg to continue making Schindler's List, promising "an Oscar for Oskar."
Schindler's List is a masterpiece that did earn director Steven Spielberg his first two Oscars for Best Picture and Best Director, sealing Schindler's List as both a classic and one of Spielberg's most successful movies. Schindler's List captures the true story of Oskar Schindler, a hero who saved 1,200 Jews by employing them in his factories in order to save them from being killed in the Nazi Death Camps.
Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes star, with Neeson playing the role of Schindler, and Ralph Fiennes gives a frightening and chilling performance as Płaszów camp commandant Amon Goeth. But one of the most iconic scenes of the black and white movie that Spielberg refused the paycheck for is the only color that draws your attention - "The Girl In The Red Coat".
Who Is "The Girl In The Red Coat"?
The child's striking red coat creates a stark contrast against the black and white backdrop as she walks around alone, witnessing the surrounding devastation. Schindler, who is watching her from the top of a hill, sees her as a symbol of the innocence of the Jews being slaughtered.
She is surrounded by violent scenes as she walks through, ignoring everything around her as people are evacuated and the reality of the war hits Schindler. The most chilling scene involving the powerful symbol that "The Girl In The Red Coat" has become in Schindler's List is when Schindler spots her in a pile of exhumed bodies, which symbolizes the death of innocence.
Steven Spielberg Made "The Girl In The Red Coat" Promise Him She Wouldn't Watch "Schindler's List"
The actress who played "The Girl In The Red Coat", Oliwia Dabrowska, was just three years old at the time of filming Schindler's List and was made to promise that she wouldn't watch Schindler's List until she was eighteen. But Oliwia broke her promise and watched Schindler's List for the first time when she was just eleven years old, and the movie both traumatized her and filled her with regrets.
"I was ashamed of being in the movie," Dabrowska later admitted years after watching the movie. "And really angry with my mother and father when they told anyone about my part. I kept it a secret for a long, long time, though at high school people got to know on the internet."
Oliwia re-watched the movie when she was eighteen and realized that she should have kept her promise. "Spielberg was right," said Oliwia. "I had to grow up into the film."
Dabrowska also revealed on Instagram in 2020 that her mother didn't know "The Girl In The Red Coat" was supposed to die in the movie. "It was a great shock for my mom," Dabrowska wrote.
Does Oliwia Dabrowska Still Act Now?
"The Girl In The Red Coat" is now 31 years old and no longer an actress. She had two other roles after her symbolic 1993 role in Schindler's List; List Of Lovers (1994) and The Seventh Room (1995). But now, Oliwa's life is very different from the childhood she had as an actress.
Oliwia Dabrowska lives in Crakow, Poland and has her own business as a copywriter. She is also married and describes herself as an animal lover. Dabrowska took the plunge into being her own boss in 2021 and quit her job as a librarian in order to do so.
2021 Was A "Really Hard Year" For Oliwia
Dabrowska's last Instagram post of 2021 was an incredibly honest one that would have helped lots of people feel less alone.
"So, I choose the last picture I'll publish in 2021," Dabrowska wrote. "It's me. Hair done, full make-up, smile on my face. I'm going to do something and I'll do it perfect, like always. Strong, confident woman, you think. But this is just a cover. Inside of me I want just scream. There is so much fear and doubts and everything is dark..."
"I want to tell it now: I have a mental illness, anxiety and depression," Dabrowska wrote honestly to her followers. "I used to cover it, because usually I was ashamed. But this year I realized, I have nothing to be ashamed of! And I want to normalize talking about mental illness!"
It was incredibly brave of Oliwia to write about her struggles, something that a lot of people will identify with. Oliwia has said that 2021 was an incredibly difficult year for her, but that she has the support of her loving husband. It's also clear that Dabrowska has grown to be a kind, successful and intelligent woman, as she enters 2022 with her own business and hoping for a better 2022 for everyone.
"Everything you want! Stay strong and remember - you don't have to be always in the same place, if you don't want it," said Dabrowska. "You deserve so much more! Take it in 2022!"
