When I think of
the films and television shows I have seen which depict the Holocaust, more
often it was the feature films which left the greatest impression on me. I
cannot remember when I first learned about the Holocaust, whether it was in
school or if I heard about from a relative, I do remember though that the ninth
episode of my favorite miniseries, Band
of Brothers, was based around the liberation of a concentration camp. (I
first saw Band of Brothers I was
around ten, and can recall times when it was playing in stores and rather than
shop I would sit there and want to watch every episode.) In my AP European
History class my sophomore year of high school we watched Schindler’s List and the memory of that girl and her red coat is
something I will never forget. The Boy in
the Striped Pajamas is also a memorable film because it shows a young boy
being punished due to the actions of the adults in the story.
It is likely that the majority of the current
generation was introduced to the topic of the Holocaust through feature films (we
are after all a generation heavily influenced by actors and celebrities). However this can be a bad thing as filmmakers
may sometimes twist the facts in order to provide the audience with a more compelling
story. Using children as the focal point of The
Boy in the Striped Pajamas immediately instilled empathy in the viewer,
empathy not just for Bruno but also for Shmuel; children are supposed to be
innocent but in the film both appear more aware than do the adults. Given that
many falsely assume that movies on this topic may offer absolute truth, feature
films can prove detrimental to our study of the Holocaust; they can present myths
as facts and prevent viewers from seeking the truth. However, perhaps it is the
history lover in me, but I always like to do research on movies based on actual
events (even those loosely) because sometimes I find the claims so ludicrous or
astounding that I would like to confirm them. This being said it is possible
that feature films which depict the Holocaust also cause curiosity in other
viewers leading them to seek their own outside proof. Again however such
understandings and research are hindered by the fact that feature films are
meant to entertain the viewer, they are not by their very definition, meant to
spur hours of research on a topic (although it is possible for them to).
Feature films are also more appealing to audiences, again because they are
mediums of entertainment. The average audience is going to be more enthusiastic
about viewing a feature film, than they would be if it was suddenly announced
that a documentary was going to be shown instead; documentaries have a
reputation as being dry, long winded, and not very entertaining. Documentaries
are meant to present history as it was, thereby presenting facts and all sides,
feature films however are not held by such constraints.
One aspect which
may favor the understanding of the Holocaust presented in feature films is that
the stories depicted in said films often represent the most compelling of those
to emerge from the Holocaust; they also represent what a heavily influential
industry (the film industry) recognizes as important. Feature films can depict
characters and situations which tug at the heartstrings, (as The Boy in the Striped Pajamas does).
Feature films are to documentaries what non-fiction is to poetry; feature films
about the Holocaust are emotional and un-constrained, depictions of the human condition
which are sometimes inflated in order to make them sell. It is unfortunate
though that due to the de-sensitization which has occurred on account of the
generations which now stand between society and the Holocaust, that feature
films are often the only mediums through which younger generations gain an
understanding of the Holocaust.
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