A scene from Schindler's List 1993
Goeth

You know, I look at you. I watch you. You're not a drunk. That's, that's real control. Control is power. That's power.

Schindler

Is that why they fear us?

Goeth

We have the **** power to kill, that's why they fear us.

Schindler

They fear us because we have the power to kill arbitrarily. A man commits a crime, he should know better. We have him killed and we feel pretty good about it. Or we kill him ourselves and we feel even better. That's not power, though, that's justice. That's different than power. Power is when we have every justification to kill - and we don't.

Goeth

You think that's power.

Schindler

That's what the emperors had. A man stole something, he's brought in before the emperor, he throws himself down on the ground, he begs for mercy, he knows he's going to die. And the emperor pardons him. This worthless man, he lets him go.

Goeth

I think you are drunk.

Schindler

That's power, Amon. That is power. [gestures toward Goeth as a merciful emperor] Amon, the Good.

Goeth

[He smiles and laughs]

I pardon you.

In this scene

More from Schindler's List

Schindler's List (1993) poster
Schindler's List 1993 · 62 quotes · 4 characters All Schindler's List quotes →
All Schindler's List quotes →