National Socialism

Paper Summary:

The paper states that one of the problems of depicting complex historical phenomena like the Holocaust in cinema is that film is the art of the particular, rather than the general. The paper discusses that, films can only show a part of life, and cast light onto a small sliver of history. The paper discusses that at best, films can only show a part of life, and cast light onto a small sliver of history. The paper then relates that the German films "Germany, Pale Mother" (1979) and "The Murderers are Among Us" (1946) do this successfully, raising questions about how Germany's horrific past haunts the souls of Germans in the present, while the film "Jakob the Liar" (1999) merely generalizes the historical tragedy, and takes it out of a meaningful historical context.

From the Paper:

"Susanne agues and eventually convinces Mertens that Bruckner should not be subject to private justice, but be punished publicly. The film deals with the real existence of former Nazi Captains like Bruckner, who were prospering after the war by keeping their former crimes a secret. Although the film is concerned specifically with World War II, it is still just as important for contemporary audiences to see as it deals with the ongoing debate of how war crimes should be handled after a nation has committed genocide."

Sample of Sources Used:

• "Germany, Pale Mother." Directed by Helma Sanders-Brahms. 1979.
• "Jakob the Liar." Directed by Peter Kassovitz. 1999.
• "The Murderers are Among Us." Directed by Wolfgang Staudte. 1946.

More papers on National Socialism:

• Essay # 83667 : "National Socialism Art"
• Essay # 31504 : "National Socialism and the Germany Lifestyle"
• Research Paper # 119176 : "Hitler and the Appeal of National Socialism"

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