In a two-part series, Rituparna Chatterjee attempts to explore the greatest films ever made on one of the most infamous episodes in history - the Jewish Holocaust
By the grace of Google I know approximately 284 films have been made on one of the most malicious events in history - the Holocaust. The US Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM) defines the Holocaust as “the systematic, bureaucratic, state-sponsored persecution and murder of approximately six million Jews by the Nazi regime and its collaborators.” But the concept of Holocaust cinema envelops films dealing not just with the Holocaust itself but World War II as well. This is simply because the two historic episodes are as inseparable as two sides of one coin. However, I have tried to stick to USHMM’s definition as much as possible, in selecting the greatest Holocaust films ever made. But before we get to the list I’d like to mention a quick disclaimer. This article is not a celebration of sadism. Some of the greatest films ever made happen to be Holocaust films and the probable reason for that is the fact that most of these were based on real-life accounts. Holocaust cinema thus mirrors life at its extremes by juxtaposing the most appalling atrocities humans are capable of along with the unimaginable love, perseverance and power of the human spirit.
Schindler’s List (1993)
Schindler’s List (1993)Not surprisingly, Steven Spielberg’s colossal Holocaust epic is my first pick. This is because it is the most mainstream Holocaust film. Almost everybody has seen this over three-hour-long cinematic adaptation of Thomas Keneally’s book. Like the book, the film is a compilation of one true horrific Holocaust tale after another. Of course, the central character is Oskar Schindler, the shrewd businessman - and the first real MBA/ marketing genius in my opinion - who saved almost 1,000 Jews from concentration camps. In short, it is the story of Schindler Jews, without whom Jewish people could easily have gone extinct. Shot in black and white, the film is acutely stark, simplistic and devoid of Spielberg’s trademark wizardry (as seen in
Jurassic Park, ET, etc). This is what also makes this Spielberg’s best work to date. The film is a treasure-trove of unforgettable characters including the hedonistic Schindler (Liam Neeson) of course! But also more powerful characters like the quiet good angel Itzhak Stern (Ben Kingsley) and the shockingly satanic Amon Goeth (Ralph Fiennes). Although
Schindler’s List is one of those rare gems to come out of Hollywood, it is still quite simplistic and repeats what European film makers had already done in a much more powerful way earlier.
Night and Fog (1955)
Night and Fog (1955)That brings me to French New Wave film maker Alain Resnais’ groundbreaking documentary
Night and Fog. Not only was it one of the first documentaries on the Holocaust, but it was also revolutionary in terms of treatment. Like New Wave directors, Resnais shot the film on location. Unlike most other film makers of Holocaust films, Resnais consciously avoided excess ghastly images. Instead, he depicted the horror subtly and indirectly thus, amplifying its poignancy. He focused on Holocaust ruins - empty concentration camps (in 1955 and in 1944), hills of human hair, mountain of shoes, and so on. Such haunting depictions submerged in Resnais’ signature lyrical style - as seen in his other films like
Hiroshima Mon Amor - stunned audiences worldwide. No wonder,
Night and Fog remains one of the greatest films ever made.
Shoah (1985)
Shoah (1985)Yet another Holocaust gem happens to be yet another documentary. Director Claude Lanzmann’s nine and a half hour epic documentary
Shoah has been hailed time and again as the greatest Holocaust film ever made. Despite its epic running time,
Shoah - literally meaning Holocaust in Hebrew - is a most engaging film. This is because Lanzmann smartly avoided using archived Holocaust footage - a repetitive trait of most Holocaust cinema - thus, giving
Shoah a cinematic freshness. Lanzmann’s approach to revealing the horrors of Holocaust is original as well. His detailed interviews with Holocaust witnesses, survivors and former Nazis create an appalling portrait of the genocide. Another equally shocking revelation of these interviews was how many people in Germany, Poland and elsewhere in the world continue to hold strong anti-Jewish sentiments even today.
Pasazerka (1963)
Pasazerka (Passenger) is one of the first few films wherein the focus shifted from depicting Holocaust at large with multiple witness/survivor accounts, to concentrating on individual stories. Perhaps this is why
Pasazerka (1963)critics have continuously called it the greatest and the most sensitive Holocaust film ever. Liza (Aleksandra Slaska) is a former Nazi SS guard in Auschwitz. Years after the Holocaust, when Liza is aboard a ship with her new husband, she spots Marta (Anna Ciepielewska), a political prisoner whom Liza had believed to be dead. At first, Liza gives her husband a compassionate account of her work in the camp. The more realistic and harsher account of her intricate relationship with Marta follows. Director Andrzej Munk then brilliantly delves into psychological layers of guilt and retribution. Munk died in a car crash leaving the film incomplete. It was then completed by his friends. Yet the film’s inconsistency only makes it more complex.
The Pianist (2002)
The Pianist (2002)Since Pasazerka, most Holocaust films have focused on individual stories. Ace filmmaker and Holocaust survivor Roman Polanski’s take on the Holocaust - the Academy Award-winning The Pianist - has been watched by almost everybody. It tells the true story of Holocaust survivor Wladyslaw Szpilman (Adrien Brody). Poland’s and perhaps Europe’s most celebrated pianist Szpilman’s life changes drastically when his family and he become victims of Nazi Jewish policies. Szpilman moves from concentration camps to hiding in ruins and witnesses the historical Warsaw Ghetto Uprising and the Warsaw Uprising. Barring James Berardinelli’s The Grey Zone, this is one of the few films where Jewish revolts have been depicted. Most other Holocaust films have conveniently ignored the rebellions. Polanski works his magic to create some of the most treasured scenes on celluloid such as Szpilman playing an imaginary piano, inches above real piano keys.
The Grey Zone, Invincible and Amen are a few examples of Holocaust classics that are just as powerful. The next part of the series will discuss more contemporary Holocaust cinema. All of these films investigate psychological, moral and emotional dilemmas faced by victims, witnesses and even Nazi officials. While Holocaust is history, genocide continues to thrive healthily. The issues and hence the films therefore remain poignantly relevant even today.
Your Rating
Loading ...
Recommended...
Holocaust Cinema - II“The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas” to premiere at San SebastianAboutNuovo Cinema ParadisoFilm Club Screening: Natural Dumb Killer
(4 votes, average: 4.25 out of 5)
Loading ...
Our memory of Holocaust goes back 50m Himalaya.
The Earth is cooling - shrinking - cooling-shrinking Earth implode
– colliding plates push Warm Seabed 6 miles up make Qomolangma
End of Adam and Eve paradise on Earth
Now Qomolangma is giving birth to New Civilisations:-
chopsticks-Silks civilisation in Warm South
knife and fork-Skins civilisation up Cold North
In between the two civilisation another one emerged - Gold civilisation emerged– just as it is to this day
East civilisation - West civilisation and Gold civilisation — nothing changed
Holocaust? Its Gold stupid.
Today 50m Qomolangma is giving birth to New Civilisations
Holy Flame Qomolangama civilisation in the East
Beijing holy games in honour of Apollo in the East
Holy Flame of Olympos in the West
Olympic Games in Honour of Jew nailed the cross in the West
Link
http://www.muzeumsczytaja.info/page64.html
Holocaust is judaeofascist perfidity
Why 300 films Holocaust and not even One Film how Jew financiers financing Hitler Drang nach Osten?
1917 Eurasia abolish the monarchy
King of England enters in compact with Jews
(Balfour Declaration)
to exterminate Eurasia regicides - save the Monarchy
Save HM Empire
Jews to get Promissed Land in Arab Land of Palestine in payment for services rendered HM and his descendants
Jew financiers financing Hitler Drang nach Osten
BARBAROSSA kill 25million soviets 25 million chinese
Darng nach Osten fails to extrminate Goliath Eurasia
makes Goliath China Goliath Soviet Goliath India
Churchill at Fulton launch the Cold War to finish Drang nach Osten job
save the Monarchy save HM Empire
Jew financiers fix price of Oil at 3 dollars per barrel coca cola $500 per barrel
to finance Churchill New Drang nach Osten war
Now Jews don’t want the world to think
8 million poles perish in jew finaned drang nach osten
25million soviets killed in jew financed drang nach osten
25 million china millions of earopean killed while jew makes money from investment in Drang nach Osten
The Jew wants the world to think 6 million Holocaust instead
Thats what Holocaust is all about
Holocaust still exists today but in anotherform known as “Genocide” and the only difference is that it is taking place in countries like Sudan, Zimbabwe and until recently - Rwanda. It existed in former Yugoslavia as well in the 1990’s and that was the reason why there was a conflict regarding Kosovo.
A few years back, I had the opportunity to visit some of the sites where these camps were situated in Germany during the Second World War and what was haunting about them was that there were no birds singing any where near and all I could hear was the sound of wind and all I could see was the remains. And this was long before I read the book, “Schindler’s Ark,” which was made into a movie by Steven Spielberg as “Schindler’s List..”
Time and again, the world needs to be reminded that atrocities such as this exist today and that they need to be stopped.
Thank you Pratik
You are right in thinking that there is more to Holocaust
Holocaust is mind-control political catch - and not the greatest one.
Think of Holy Games in Honour of Apollo
Apollo is Tay Ye in chinese - the Sun to us - Apollo is personification of the Sun
millennias ancestor have been worshipping Apollo - worship of the Sun in Japan - China - India - all over the world every living thing worship Apollo. Worship of Apollo evolved into Holy Games - Temples to Apollo - ballads to Apollo - civilisations evolved worshipping Apollo the Sun
Then evil men attempted to usurp power of Apollo - calling themselves God on Earth
exterminating non-believers - 2000 years suppression of Holy Games in Honour of Apollo
I believe the greatest Holocaust - bury alive people burn alive people was at Ordos
But our history books silent about it - just 6million Jew holocaust is needed by our politicials thats why all the Laws against Holocaust Denials
Thank you Pratik for your comment
Paul, a few years back, I was involved in a research for a media project that I was involved in regarding the Second World War and its History and the roots and amongst the many topics that I was researching on was the Holocaust. I read “Schindler’s Ark” again and also saw the movie as well as going through various other books and visiting the Holocaust museum near where I live. I, also, remembered my trip to Germany and to the camps there after a long time and made notes from what I could remember. The only problem I was having was that not many people were willing to talk about it once they knew that it was for a documentary. And even though, I was producing the radio documentary, I faced a lot of obstacles and that included from inside my own team of people who thought that this should not be mentioned and all this, even after I informed them that this was a part of the war and that it was taking place at the same time. After this, when I showed them the evidence that I had, some agreed with me but not all.
My aim in this particular documentary was to inform on how the Second World War had changed the world we live in today and that the atrocities that were happening then, still exist today and that it will keep on going on and that we need to try and stop it by informing everyone. I mean, look at what has been happening in Darfur, Sudan? “Genocide” is holocaust.
Pratik, you said about birds not singing - you say how WW changed the way we feel/think/live
I share your feelings - I feel the same
Birds not singing - Why? Is it because of MONSANTO? Monsanto produced Agent Orange to defoil Vietnam
USA lost Vietnam war just the same - but MONSANTO went for modifying seed for agriculture
MONSANTO developed pesticide to Grow More/Better/Cheaper Food
Pesticide kills insects - birds feed on insects - no insects no birds no singing birds.
I loved observing swallow feeding on the wing - but this year no swallow over Sussex - so far this year i have counted maybe six swallow on the wing - is it because of MONSANTO? Monsanto kill insects
swallow feed on the wing - no insects no swallow HOLOCAUST
Genetically modified food we grow - disappearance of bees - no bees no pollination - no pollination no seed - no seed starvation/death HOLOCAUST
There is 300 films about 6m HOLOCAUST
is there One Film about MONSANTO HOLOCAUST?
Why silence about “Genocide” of insects?
Hi Paul!
Birds not singing. The only reason that I can think of is because birds are said to be sensitive anilmalas and that a lot of them always try and bring peace and harmony by singing, whistling, etc. They can also sense danger and ar always the first to try and get out of the area. I don’t think that there could be any other reason for them not singing in those areas.
One of the camps, or, rather the remains of it, was Dacchau. The moment I went there I was able to sense that something had happened there and it felt like it was haunted with evilness around it. It was later that I was informed that this had been a concentration camp during WW2. And years later, during my research for the media project, which I was producing myself, I managed to interview some veterans of WW2, who were involved in the liberation of some of these camps. When they told me how they felt at the time - in some cases, they only got to know when they reached those areas, that this had been taking place. In some places, because of the health related risks, these soldiers were only allowed to leave food there. But some, who went in did not believe what they were seeing. One particular veteran that I interviewed (I am not able to mention his name at his request), actually cried when he was talking to me as he remembered what he had seen. He then went on to describe somethings that he had seen. He even told me about how bad the air was in some places and that it seemed like ashes were falling from sky.
During the editing of these interviews, some of which I, myself, edited, those members of my team who were involved in the editing process, had tears in their eyes and at times we would take a break from editing for a good couple of hours before continuing with it. During this time, we wouldn’t even talk about it as we all tried to take it in.
Pratik,
I think it is because of MONSANTO that birds do not sing
because of MONSANTO Genocide HOLOCAUST of bees - no honey - no pollination - no seeds
because of MONSANTO Genocide HOLOCAUST of insects - swallow no eat on the wing - HOLOCAUST
but you think different holocaust
we do not think the same holocaust
Good Luck Pratik
Could we discuss Holocaust beginning with definition
HOLOCAUST whole burnt offering wholesale sacrifice OED
The earliest of holocaust I have is of Themistocles
480 BC Themistocles whole burnt alive Persians in Offering to Heaven
for Victory over Xerxes in sea battle Salamis
There is Altar of Holocaust at Temple of Heaven Beijing
My chinese guide was telling me Emperor of China would perform Holocaust offering
with Prayer to Heaven for good harvest
Is there Altar of Holocaust in India?
Hi Paul!
Many years back, while at college, I did some research on Mahatma Gandhi and came across on some information on his thoughts about the Holocaust. Now! If I remember correctly, this was regarding of what was happening in Germany at the time. I will inform you about it as soon as I am able to dig it out from my archives. But with reference to whether a Holocaust alter existing in India, I am not sure whether there is one or not.
I live in the UK and there are museums regarding Holocaust and also there are some days on which the Holocaust victims are remembered and its also the same in the USA as well.
Ok boys, holocaust simply means great destruction, usually planned. In that sense, the world has been witnessing holocausts after the other ever since the birth of civilization itself. The word encompasses a great deal of man-made devastation. You have the Nuclear Holocaust for instance. In the Indian context, the Gujarat riots were also some sort of a holocaust with political killings, as revealing documentary films like The Final Solution will tell you. Of course, in India we have so many such things happening - disguised as riots mostly - that we tend to lose track. Once we do, I’m sure we’ll need a dozen museums at least. However, the word Holocaust has come to mean the Nazi-sponsored Jewish Holocaust. This story deals with films made on the Jewish Holocaust, as mentioned in the story’s introduction. Hope I’ve helped shed light on the definition of Holocaust.
Hi Rituparna.
I agree with you.
Two years ago, I got a book entitled “Auschwitz: The Final Solution” from which the docu/drama (the term given by scriptwriters fro such a movie) regarding the Nazi Holocaust. There was also another drama based on the works of the Nazi hunter, Simon Wisenthal, the founder of the Wiesenthal Centre, which was involved in hunting down the Nazi officers who were involved in the operations regading the Holocaust. Unfortunately, I am unable the remember the title but I think it was “The Simon Wisenthal Story,” which starred Ben Kingsley as “Simon Wisenthal.” One of the men that was caught by the Simon Wisenthat centre was the notorious Adolf Eichman, who was taken to Israel for the crimes comitted and was sentenced to death. If you can, then try and watch it but I am not sure if this is available on DVD.
Hi Rituparna.
With reference to the Simon Wiesenthal story, this was actually a TV movie, which is as I have mentioned before, based on the life of Simon Wiesenthal, the founder of the Wiesenthal Centre, which was involved in hunting down those Nazi officers who were involved in the Holocaust in Germany. The TV movie was known as “Murderers Among us: The Simon Wiesenthal Story.” In the first half, it depicts the life of Simon Wiesenthal and how he spent his time in a Nazi concentration camp and also what happened to his family during this time. The second half depicts on how he set up the centre towards the end of World War 2 and how it started to hunt down the Nazis responsible for this. The movie stars Ben Kingsley.
Pratik
Correcting fabricated history Holocaust - Genocide
Themistocles made whole burnt offiring with prayer to Heaven for Victory over Xerxes in sea battle Salamis
- that was holocaust of Persian - that was not Genocide of Persia
Emperors of China served Holocaust Altar at Temple of Heaven with prayer for good harvest
Whole burnt alive offering was HOLOCAUST not Genocide
GENOCIDE evolved at Ordos - but when? how?
The Jew was trader/financier at Ordos doing barter Silks-Skins
Jew financier financing GENOCIDE of China to take over Warm South?
Ch’in defending Warm South make Great Wall?
Ch’in answer Jew genocide with Ch’in genocide?
Ch’in Great Wall rich man folly?
Ch’in Great Wall GENOCIDE of the Living World
- stopping Living World migrating extinct 50m years evolution of the Living World
Ch’in is in hell - Ch’in is in his grave
The Great Wall did not HOLOCAUST - genocide of the Jew do
- the Jew - together with ethnic groups that survived - migrated to take over the rest of the world.
Jew financier migrated - the Sea Open and Jew migrated with his Bible to take over the World
Nay! The Bible with Olympic logo Rule over Beijing Holy Games now
Today the Jew rule the world with his Genocidal Bible
Just look at the evidence
Jew Bible GENOCIDE polytheist Hellas - Jew financier Rule over Hellas
Jew Bible GENOCIDE Polytheist Rome - Jew Bible Rule over Rome
Jew Bible GENOCIDE polytheist England - Jew Bible Rule over England
Jew Bible GENOCIDE polytheist Inca - Jew Bible Rule over America
Jew Bible GENOCIDE polytheist Red Indian - Jew Bible Rule over America
Jew Bible financing GENOCIDE Drang nach Osten - Stalin Saviour of Eurasia
Jew Bible was taken to China - Mao Saviour of China
Jew Bible was taken to India - mahatma Saviour of India
Holocaust IS NOT Genocide
Jew Bible IS genocide
bible
sin
shit
bin
Holocaust and Genocide is not the same thing