Itzhak Stern Quotes in Schindler's List (1993)

+1
Share
Pin
Like
Send
Share

Itzhak Stern Quotes:

  • Itzhak Stern: It's Hebrew, it's from the Talmud. It says, "Whoever saves one life, saves the world entire."

  • Oskar Schindler: I could have got more out. I could have got more. I don't know. If I'd just... I could have got more.

    Itzhak Stern: Oskar, there are eleven hundred people who are alive because of you. Look at them.

    Oskar Schindler: If I'd made more money... I threw away so much money. You have no idea. If I'd just...

    Itzhak Stern: There will be generations because of what you did.

    Oskar Schindler: I didn't do enough!

    Itzhak Stern: You did so much.

    [Schindler looks at his car]

    Oskar Schindler: This car. Goeth would have bought this car. Why did I keep the car? Ten people right there. Ten people. Ten more people.

    [removing Nazi pin from lapel]

    Oskar Schindler: This pin. Two people. This is gold. Two more people. He would have given me two for it, at least one. One more person. A person, Stern. For this.

    [sobbing]

    Oskar Schindler: I could have gotten one more person... and I didn't! And I... I didn't!

  • Itzhak Stern: This list... is an absolute good. The list is life. All around its margins lies the gulf.

  • Itzhak Stern: How many cigarettes have you smoked tonight?

    Oskar Schindler: Too many.

    Itzhak Stern: For every one you smoke, I smoke half.

  • Itzhak Stern: By law I have to tell you, sir, I'm a Jew.

    Oskar Schindler: Well, I'm a German, so there we are.

  • [Stern brings a report to Schindler at lunchtime]

    Oskar Schindler: I could try to read this, or I could eat my lunch while it's still hot. We're doing well?

    Itzhak Stern: Yes.

    Oskar Schindler: Better this month than last?

    Itzhak Stern: Yes.

    Oskar Schindler: Any reason to think next month will be worse?

    Itzhak Stern: The war could end.

  • Oskar Schindler: I've been speaking to Goeth.

    Itzhak Stern: I know the destination. These are the evacuation orders, I'm to help arrange the shipments, put myself on the last train.

    Oskar Schindler: That's not what I was going to say. I made Goeth promise to put in a good word for you. Nothing bad is going to happen to you there, you'll receive special treatment.

    Itzhak Stern: The directives coming in from Berlin talk about "special treatment" more and more often. I'd like to think that's not what you mean.

    Oskar Schindler: Preferential treatment. All right? Do we have to create a new language?

    Itzhak Stern: I think so.

  • [after Schindler pulls him off a train bound for the work camps]

    Itzhak Stern: Somehow I left my work card at home. I tried to explain to them that it was a mistake, but... I'm sorry. It was stupid!

    Oskar Schindler: What if I got here five minutes later? Then where would I be?

  • Oskar Schindler: [Schindler and Stern are writing the list] How many?

    Itzhak Stern: 400, 450.

    Oskar Schindler: More. More.

  • Itzhak Stern: Let me understand. They put up all the money. I do all the work. What, if you don't mind my asking, would you do?

    Oskar Schindler: I'd make sure it's known the company's in business. I'd see that it had a certain panache. That's what I'm good at. Not the work, not the work... the presentation.

  • [the morning after Schindler leaves Brinnlitz, a Russian officer finds the workers]

    Russian officer: You have been liberated by the Soviet army!

    Itzhak Stern: Have you been in Poland?

    Russian officer: I just came from Poland.

    Itzhak Stern: Are there any Jews left?

    Michael Lemper: Where should we go?

    Russian officer: Don't go east, that's for sure. They hate you there. I wouldn't go west either, if I were you.

    Chaim Nowak: We could use some food.

    Russian officer: Isn't that a town over there?

  • Itzhak Stern: I'm sorry, Herr Direktor, you're running very late. Here, this is for the Obersturmbahnführer and this is for his niece, it's her birthday, Greta. Greta as in Garbo.

    Oskar Schindler: By the way, don't *ever* do that to me again. Didn't you notice that man only had one arm?

    Itzhak Stern: Did he.

    Oskar Schindler: What's his use?

    [gets into his car]

    Itzhak Stern: Very useful.

    Oskar Schindler: [shouts from car window] How?

    Itzhak Stern: [shouts back] Very useful! Success!

  • Itzhak Stern: The standard SS rate for skilled Jewish workers is seven marks a day, five for unskilled and women. This is what you pay to the Reich Economic Office. The Jews themselves receive nothing. Poles you pay wages. Generally, they get a little more. Are you listening?

    Oskar Schindler: What was that about the SS? The rate? The what?

    Itzhak Stern: The Jewish worker's salary - you pay it directly to the SS, not to the worker. He gets nothing.

    Oskar Schindler: But it's less. It's less than what I would pay to a Pole.

    Itzhak Stern: It's less.

    Oskar Schindler: That's the point I'm trying to make. Poles cost more. Why should I hire Poles?

  • Itzhak Stern: What did Goeth say about this? You just told him how many people you needed, and...

    [suddenly realizing what Schindler is planning]

    Itzhak Stern: You're *not* buying them?

    [Schindler says nothing; Stern is stunned]

    Itzhak Stern: You're *buying* them? You're paying him for each of these names?

    Oskar Schindler: If you were still were still working for me, I'd expect you to talk me out of it. It's costing me a fortune.

  • S.S. Guard: Occupation?

    Moses: I am a writer, I play the flute.

    Itzhak Stern: But Moses is also a skilled metal worker, he can make pots, he can make tanks, he can make whatever Mr Schindler asks.

  • Itzhak Stern: That's it, there's no more.

    Oskar Schindler: I will not accept that.

  • Itzhak Stern: [Oskar has apparently handed him cyanide capsules] Don't let things fall apart, Oskar, I work too hard.

Browse more character quotes from Schindler's List (1993)

+1
Share
Pin
Like
Send
Share