Is this a fair nitpick?

So if you’re familiar with the movie Schindler’s List then you’ll know about a pretty famous scene featuring a girl in a red coat. If you’ve actually seen this movie then you’ll know that she’s not even in it for very long, but I learned a behind the scenes detail that bugged me. I read that Spielberg told her not to watch it until she was 18, she eventually watched it at 11 and was horrified by it. I couldn’t help but be a little annoyed at this, as I’ve always been against sheltering kids from difficult topics.

I did express my thoughts on this on Facebook once, and one person told me how they had read WW2 magazines as young as 6 years old that showed actual pictures from the holocaust, and how he wasn’t traumatized but it actually helped him not to be racist in the Deep South. As unsettling as this movie is, it’s still a re-enactment, and it’s not the same as actually seeing it for real.

I’ve read a bit more from Spielberg about this, and he’s mentioned how younger people have seen it. I myself have seen it a few times, and I actually really like it, but I still think it was unfair for Spielberg to make that suggested. Like I said, I’m against sheltering kids from harsh topics, even (and maybe even especially) if they somehow partook in a depiction of those topics.