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History and Propaganda in the Films of Nazi Era It is obviously difficult to forget those scary times of the Nazi era. Nazis did lots of destructions and other unhealthy things back in 20 th century, although it echoes on nowadays life as well, back then that was an irresistible influence from the side of the Nazis on the society that lived during the time era, on which our discussion will emphasize. Today we are going to talk about the issues of history and propaganda in films that were around during that unquestionably vivid era. We shall discuss how those film affected people and what impact did those affects have on society as a whole. Considering the major aspects of the issue of Nazi films, we may sometimes examine the form and function of Nazi self-representation on celluloid, and then turn to a study of the cultural legacy of National Socialism, both in postwar German society and abroad. In the process, we are challenged to rethink the relationship between entertainment and ideology, propaganda and documentary, and even-perhaps most surprisingly the conventions of Nazi Cinema and Hollywood.
The actual study of National Socialism and film began as early as the 1920 s. This was a time of critical discourse in Germany about cultural distinctiveness and the importance of constructing a national identity distinct from America. After World War 1, and particularly with Hollywood's push into European markets, cinema came to play an important role in defining German-ness. Cinema and its public control became linked to the exercise of national sovereignty. All these aspect began to influence the existing opinion of many people on various issues, including their political preferences as well. In addition to screening documentaries we need to pay some close attention to historical and entertainment films.
You will be surprised to learn that only 14 percent of German films during the Nazi period were definitely political. On the other hand, the balance to those explicitly politicized pictures were feature films in the forms of comedies, musicals, histories and melodramas. A commercial film industry continued to function-and thrive-in the Third Reich, and during the war, in German-dominated Europe. The particular example of such action Munchhausen was a great fantasy feature film produced in color during 1943. Now we may try to begin to focus on how films engage audiences and whether that ability can be employed to serve ideological purposes. First of all we need to investigate the approach of self-representation by the Nazi regime, retrospective reappraisals of National Socialism and the theoretical issues involving the intersection of history and film.
We may look on the issue from a prospective standpoint of one of the prominent scientists in this field named Fehrenbach. His ideas were to emphasize the fact that reappraisals of National Socialism and its meanings for postwar Germany must consider how the past downloads into the present and the importance of film as an undivided part of public history. Documentaries and propaganda films feature and historical films all have their input to the issue. We may highlight some vital issues concerning the relationship of film and history.
Quite a few questions, which are difficult to explore arise. How should historians approach films as documents? To what extent can they give us access to the real truth about the past? What is the role of film in historical understanding? Ultimately, of course, posing such questions forces us to rethink the ways we study the past and tell its stories; it forces us to rethink what we figure when we learn history. In order for us to understand the film of any country, we need to take a close look at the context in which films were produced.
Different people or groups with a message that they want to deliver to others can use the motion picture in many ways. Films can be government propaganda, entertainment, art, but no matter which category a film is placed, one thing is certain about them all. And that thing is that films, because they cost money to produce, are all made within a structure of politics and economics and, therefore, carry a definite message. Now let us briefly describe some of the most influential distinct periods of the German cinema with some representative films from each period. Here we will strike for putting the issues discussed in these films into our thinking. I will present the movies as texts, which can be read only by considering the contexts to which they belong.
From the conceptual framework let us start our research on film periods from the period of WWI. This time frame brought a new agenda for the German film industry. With the entry of the U. S. into the war in 1917, Erich von Ludendorff, who was the Quartermaster General of the Army, concluded that some resistance should be taken to meet the general wave of anti-Germany propaganda coming from the highly-innovative studio of its new enemy. On December 18, 1917, the German High Command formed UFA (Universal Film A.
G. ), which brought together the prominent representatives of financial and industrial leaders with the largest film companies in Germany. The Ufa's purpose was clearly propagandists. One of the prominent film historians stated: The official mission of UFA was to advertise Germany according to German directives. These asked not only for direct screen propaganda, but also for films characteristic of German culture and films serving the purpose of national education. Ernst Lubitsch, with his production of Madame Dubarry, released in 1918 realized the intent of UFA pretty rapidly. The film achieved a near revolution in the art of film.
Lubitsch did with the camera what no previous German director had done before. When it was released in the U. S. in 1920, Madame Dubarry, retired Passion, was acclaimed the most important European picture since the Italian production of Cabiria. With this film, Lubitsch emerged as a director of an industry, and the German film achieved its first breakthrough in the international market since very long period of time. In 1921, the Reich government freed itself of its UFA holdings, with the Deutsche Bank acquiring its shares.
The UFA was reorganized into a private company; the primary objective of the company became to be the production of commercial films of high artistic value that would be capable of competing on the world market, especially the American. By the end of WWI the Germany was in a pretty poor shape. Many citizens were dying of starvation while the country was faced with high inflation and the undesired condition of widespread unemployment. The hard takings of the period were reflected in Fritz Langs two-part film, Dr. Mabuse der Spieler (Dr. Mabuse the Gambler), released in 1922.
The film tells a story of a desperate criminal who gambles with lives and fortunes. The Aufklarungsfilme films about the facts of life had a peak of its rise during this period. Most of these films were actually sex films; they were only slightly veiled as education. Popular demonstrations and legal action against the Aufklarungsfilme occurred throughout Germany. The National Assembly proposed the nationalization of the film industry, which was rejected in favor of a National Censorship Law, adopted in May 1920. Under this law children under twelve were prohibited from seeing such films, while children between twelve and eighteen could only be admitted to films that had been designated with a special certificate.
No film could be prohibited due to its content. The most exciting amongst those films of the 1920 s were those that came out of the expressionist movement. As an artistic movement, German expressionism evolved in the WWI. Film, as the newest part of the arts, was also the last to reflect expressionism.
Two definitive expressionist films are Das Kabinett des Dr. Caligari (The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari), directed by Dr. Robert Were in 1919 - 20, and Metropolis, directed by Fritz Lang in 1926 - 27. Das Kabinett des Dr. Caligari was based on a story by Carl Mayer and Hans Janowitz.
It suggests the darker aspect of expressionism with its probing of ignorance. The author originally was trying to dedicate the film to be the servant of an allegory in its battle against insane authority as represented by the tyranny of Dr. Caligari, but the film comes to its logical end with the harmless doctor telling his piers that he is able to cure his patient, because he understands the root of his own psychosis. The pure expressionism of Das Kabinett des Dr. Caligari and Metropolis, despite of the fact that they were among the most famous of German films from the 20 s, was not a clear case of the several thousand motion pictures that were produced between 1919 and the end of the silent era. Although these two films were both the examples of artistic, they still remain the significant and point-making examples of cinematic expressionism.
From the historical data we can obviously state that neither Das Kabinett des Dr. Caligari nor Metropolis were commercial successes. And while the German film achieved an international award for the artistry of selected motion pictures, the industry never rested on a firm financial basis. This struggle between artistic expression and financial success was the core dependency on what is planned of the film to achieve for the German cinema for years to come. There was no such period of the German history, in terms of its successes and failures as in this case, as that of the Third Reich. Hitlers rise to power on January 30, 1933, would have a profound effect on the course of the establishment of the German Film.
Dr. Joseph Goebbels was named Reichminister fur Volksaufklarung und Propaganda (Minister for Public Enlightenment and Propaganda) by Hitler in March of 1933. This was the beginning of the most famous propaganda machine ever. When trying to centralize the activities of the branch, Goebbels sought to assure the film industry that its uncertainty was not bundled with a warranty. After all he started encouraging producers to make films that were within the moral and political parameters set by the regime. Arnold Rather, of the Ministry of Fine Arts, who preferred a more direct approach, told the producers that their purpose was to educate the people and to propagandize what they were told.
There was a string of nationalistic films called the Hans Westmar. It was directed by Dr. Franz Wenzler, the very famous director of those times. It called the prospective filmmakers to the action. These films were too political and it was really difficult for an amateur viewer to watch them. During those extraordinary times films played an integral role in the dissemination of Nazi ideology.
Anti-Jewish characters and themes constantly appear throughout the cinema of the Third Reich, although only a small amount of these films focus on anti-Semitic themes. In the fall of 1938, the Propaganda Ministry sent a request to German film companies to start up the production of clearly identified, explicitly anti-Semitic films. The major aspects that were developed in that kind of films were the world Jewish conspiracy, Volkisch ideology, and pseudo-anthropological theories that were based on blood and physiognomy. The undoubted feeling of certainty was present in the ideology. It concluded that if the ideas were portrayed effectively in film and other media, they could very useful in preparing the German people for a certain solution to the Jewish problem. The industry was provided with some unidentified resources.
Making money was no longer the primary goal for the Nazis. Their primary ideas for the movies were to manipulate popular thought and influence peoples opinion on the issue. Technically the production of the movies continued at a high level, but the propaganda element discharged creativity. There were some powerful films, like Triumph of the Will. Another important production was Hitler Youth Quex.
The overall quality of the films declined during the Nazi period. But the films of high quality were still appearing during that scary period of the Nazi. The films during those ancient times provided some ideas for the people of how to settle their wardrobes. They were not only providing the information on boys clothing styles during the 1930 s and early 40 s, but also details about Hitler Youth uniforms. The peoples clothing should have corresponded to the time and space frame of the era. Another major aspect of the regime was the role of gender during the explored time frame.
The Nazis were most noted for their hateful racial theories. At the same time, they have had very strong beliefs about appropriate male and female roles. The Nazis saw womens roles as the ones created to have children and care for children, defend the church, and cook the meals. In the film Quex the Nazi males have the dominant roles; the boys and men provide the excitement, live dangerously, and perform the heroic deeds. Heinis girlfriend, Ulla, is a member of the German Girls League. In the situation the girl is considered to be the counterpart of the Hitlers Youth, and she symbolizes all that is good and pure about the Aryan race.
Ulla is a dedicated Nazi girl, she is subordinate and supportive. Heinis and Ulla are prototypical members of the Nazis new generation and order. It is interesting that the Nazis attitude toward women was to have a profound impact on the War. The Nazis hesitated to recruit women for war work, although this aspect changed towards the end of the War. The British mobilized women (perhaps they were desperate to do so) and by the time of the Battle of Britain (July-September 1940) they were out outperforming the Germans in aircraft production.
American War production of course swamped the Germans and Russians in their developing of the competing products in that vivid industrial miracle. The idea of the new order started to become more realized by the masses. Individuals that were the heroes of the Nazi films were the creatures of the state, not God; all totalitarian regimes want to destroy the old world (represented by Heinis alcoholic, abusive father, who is also a Communist, and his mother, who is a decent and good woman, but ineffectual). The Nazis, like the Communists, would replace the old order with state-controlled groups and organizations for everyone. Now let us explore some of the great creations in the film area during the explored times. Triumph of the Will, was the most famous film made in the Nazi era.
It was a brilliant piece of propaganda film making. This documentary of the Sixth Nazi Party Congress at Nuremberg is a frightening example of powerful film propaganda. It helped to fuel the power of the Nazi state. This powerful film had a tremendous impact on Germans, especially young Germans. Its sweeping style was later used by American director Frank Capra for his war documentaries. The director was Leni Riefenstahl.
It is actually may well be considered one of the classic propaganda film of all time. The power of the film probably was a factor in the Allied decision to hold the war crimes trials in Nuremburg. The Nazis made numerous propaganda films during World War 2. While any particular reader was able to submit this as a Nazi-era film. HBC has identified it as an East German movie for now on.
This film encouraged German children to report strangers in case they were spies. It showed these children saving the day by reporting a couple of strangers that turned out to be British parachutists. Some of these films were effective propaganda films. Especially among young people they helped strengthen support for the NAZI regime. The current German Government does not permit the broadcast of these films in Germany, in the situation that has evolved; this is because they are effective propaganda films. They are sometimes used for educational purposes.
Sometimes excerpts are shown in documentary films about the Nazi era. Consequently we may easily state that the films during the Nazi era were pretty much an example of the propagandists creation of the time period. Peoples opinion was affected by such instances. Now we have a kind of a similar thing going on around the world.
It is just not so severe. Those people supporting the Nazi regime were the ignorant representatives of the human race. Nowadays this rarely happens and has a tendency to disappear. This is because all the people getting better in their mental abilities, and they all strike for the peace in our time, and a peace in our mind. Bibliography: Kreimeier, Klaus. The Ufa Story, the East pack publishing Co. 1998.
Lowry, Stephen. New German Critique. Birmingham publisher. 1999. Rentschler, Eric. The Ministry of Illusion. New York, Feel publishing Co. 1995.
Schulte-Same. Entertaining the Third Reich. Blitz-print, Philadelphia. 1997. Witte, Karsten. New German Critique. The New Knowledge publishing Co. 1996.
Simon, Dave. The exploration of new ideas in films during Nazi era. History journal. Rex printing Co. Chicago, 2000.
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