Holocaust Related Films

[Pier Marton]

The Reader:
Without wanting to reveal the important elements of its narrative, this (overall) tightly woven story revolves around the gigantic sacrifices we make in guarding ourselves against a most complex reality. This unique film explores a rarely seen aspect of the post-Holocaust era with Kate Winslett in a memorable performance.
Because of its sexual content, I suspect this film will not be appropriate for high school students which is a pity as the content is richly presented, ripe for many discussions. The writer of the book is a lawyer who knows well that law defends only what is legal, not what is moral.
In a strange way to me, the NYTimes film critic panned the film:
http://movies.nytimes.com/2008/12/10/movies/10read.html

[Pier Marton]

A film series, here in St. Louis (I introduce Imaginary Witness, and hope to have us "look at the looking", critical viewing!):
http://www.jewishinstlouis.org/page.aspx?id=190688
A pdf formatted program is available here: http://www.jewishinstlouis.org/getfile.asp?id=30039

[Pier Marton]

Another list of Holocaust films:
http://www.un.org/holocaustremembrance/filmseries.shtml

[Pier Marton]

Tonight, Thursday January 8 2009. and tomorrow, a more accurate view of the Bielski brothers than the Hollywood film, Defiance:
http://www.history.com/shows.do?action=detail&episodeId=396954

[Pier Marton]

In trying to find the difference between what I believe and what Edward Zwick seems to believe through his portrayal of the Jewish resistance in "Defiance", I think I have found the major difference between his view (and probably that the Hollywood culture) and mine.
It lies in my belief that "life" and everything related to that large topic CANNOT be reduced. If you understand that deeply, then no straight/direct rendition will suffice, one has to be resourceful and find oblique ways like music or poetry (and skilled filmmaking) to try to approach "the beast" (I did not say "render"!).
That way, no topic could ever be shown as "understood" or "dealt with".
One would always be humbled by the task, and thus there would never be any closure on any subject matter, be it the Holocaust or relationships,

[Pier Marton]

Another difference:
Not to bridge the unsurmountable gap between Edward Zwick's work ("Defiance", "Blood Diamond") and Eli Wiesel's (his life experience and his writing skills are vastly different), something still brings them together when one thinks of another Holocaust writer, Primo Levi: both Wiesel and Zwick assume that one can accompany the reader/audience into making sure that certain feelings are generated. Hence we know at all times what we are supposed to feel (what I, inelegantly, would call "pre-chewed food"), whereas a writer like Primo Levi (maybe because of his background as a former chemist/scientist - someone who knows the power of clinical observation) allows the reader to experience - almost like first hand - whatever trauma is happening (without letting him/her know what to feel).

There is a trust that the reader, by being confronted with the experience in this rawer fashion, will come to their own conclusion. What happens is that many more emotions are actually generated when the audience is not directed as to what to feel, but is allowed to be lost. This might be the kind of financial risk that Hollywood, as a whole, might not allow itself to take.

I am sorry this discussion is ending up like a monologue. Maybe I should start a "national Ning" on Holocaust and Film and see what happens there?

[GLincoln]

I hope that members of this network are reading and reflecting on the posts shared by Pier Marton, yet I feel frustrated by the lack of response from others. On behalf of us all, I thank Pier for taking the time to bring to our attention commentary and insights on an important list of recent Holocaust related films. As time permits, please join in the discussion so that this becomes a true conversation rather than a monologue!

I had the chance to see Defiance which opened in Battle Creek, Michigan this weekend. Assuming that the film will eventually be available on DVD, I expect that a preferred curriculum connection would be to show the History Channel documentary on the Bielski Brothers and to direct students and teachers to USHMM support materials:

 Background material on the book Defiance: The Bielski Partisans by Nechama Tec from USHMM Library.
 USHMM Resistance Web Links

[Bill Younglove]

Yes, there are many dimensions to THE READER. I have been advising my English teachers in training to see the film, if for no other reason than to see what lengths an illiterate person might go to avoid displaying that illiteracy in a culture that presumes/pretends that everyone is highly literate.
Bill Younglove :-)

[Pier Marton]

Of course, I had meant to write: "I suspect this film will be appropriate for high school students", not what I ended up posting.
Thanks to Bill with his comment.
I wonder what high-school teachers are going to do with the many recent films. Quite a variety, but very few I believe that can be used easily in that context, but nothing should be easy, if we respect the topic.
And yes, Bill, not knowing, whether it is "how to read", or how to read history, might be part of our human condition, if we approach a certain type of healthy humility.

[Dana Humphrey]

GiGi--thank you for the reminder to participate in the NING, and I too echo your thanks to Pier for starting this discussion!

GLincoln said:

I hope that members of this network are reading and reflecting on the posts shared by Pier Marton, yet I feel frustrated by the lack of response from others. On behalf of us all, I thank Pier for taking the time to bring to our attention commentary and insights on an important list of recent Holocaust related films. As time permits, please join in the discussion so that this becomes a true conversation rather than a monologue!

I had the chance to see Defiance which opened in Battle Creek, Michigan this weekend. Assuming that the film will eventually be available on DVD, I expect that a preferred curriculum connection would be to show the History Channel documentary on the Bielski Brothers and to direct students and teachers to USHMM support materials:

 Background material on the book Defiance: The Bielski Partisans by Nechama Tec from USHMM Library.
 USHMM Resistance Web Links

[Dana Humphrey]

Pier although there hasn't been much discussion on your posts, don't stop! I'm taking in your expertise!
I have not seen any of these films, yet. They are of course on my list, but I have been following the reviews. I have honed in on the "too much/many Holocaust related films" and the talk of "if you want to win an award, do or act in a Holocaust movie."

I would love to hear your take on these comments. Also, I am interested in The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. Did you see it? I missed it when it was here during the holidays and I guess I will have to wait until it comes out on DVD sometime in March, I believe.

I am interested in this particular movie (and the book) as it is middle school aged. I am thoroughly against using this highly fictionalized and unrealistic book to teach the Holocaust, but am afraid many young students will see the movie and take it as fact. I'd be interested in any thoughts on these works.

[Pier Marton]

Thanks Dana for your kind comments.
About The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, I thought I had posted something somewhere on this website but I might be mistaken.

Overall, this is what I have to say about it: it is worth seeing for us educators as it raises very important issues that challenge what we turn to in general for our needs in teaching. In my view, it is important not to ignore what threatens us.
The sooner we, who care deeply about the issues around the Holocaust, learn to interact with films like this one, the better educators we will be.
Yes, most likely it will be seen by some of the people we teach, and we should be prepared to say why and how this film is "dangerous".

On my end, I found the film compelling because it was well done, yet I was not absorbed in any deep way because I was too caught up in the unreality of the whole premise.

The issues of using the Holocaust as backdrop to deal with "tremendous evil or abuse" is an issue that has been raised before. Many writers from Elie Wiesel to Arnost Lustig (indirectly) in his animated conversation with Jan Weiner in the film "Fighter" raise the issue of the imagination of the writer/artist (I recommend "Fighter").

Most of time, the tendency is towards a certain conservatism in the realm of imagining events or situations.
Yet, I would like to propose that the highly choreographed scenes of the roll call in the movie Fateless ring true and are possibly more affecting than what a "documentary" approach might have produced. I recommend also that film, and as far as the book goes, the second translation "Fatelessness" is supposed to much better.

I don't have a final verdict on this, I say that as such films are produced, we cannot turn the other way to ignore them. They will be seen and we will need to know about them, at the very least to know how to alert our students about the ways that excesses of this type can be highly misleading.

[Dana Humphrey]

Pier I could not agree with you more when you say we must not ignore that which threatens us! I do think we, as Holocaust educators, need to read the book/see the film and be prepared to talk about it with others. You are so right about not ignoring these types of films (and books)! Thank you for helping put this in perspective!