FORBIDDEN FILMS: THE HIDDEN LEGACY OF NAZI FILM – The DVD Review

Review by Roger Carpenter

During the Nazi Regime’s reign over Germany and much of Europe, over 1,200 feature films were made.  At least 100 of these films were blatant Nazi propaganda and, of those films, at least 40 of them are still kept from public viewing in Germany and Austria except under extraordinary circumstances.

These films include The Eternal Jew, an anti-Semitic documentary, The Rothschilds, which featured the Jewish Rothschilds family in a negative light, as well as Jew Sus, widely believed to be the most anti-Semitic film of all time, with director Veit Harlan actually standing trial for crimes against humanity after the war.

But 70 years on, do these films really retain the same impact as they did upon their initial release?  Would people really take these films seriously?  What impact might they have on children?  These, and many other questions, are explored in this fascinating documentary about the Hitler-Goebbels propaganda film-making machine.

Alongside film historians and archivists, we see clips from some of the most inflammatory of these films and examine exactly what caused these scenes to contribute to the films being banned.  We also hear from family members of some of the actors and filmmakers of these films as they attempt to make sense of what they have seen relative to the person they knew.  And finally, we hear from the general public—Jews and non-Jews, the physically handicapped (who were targeted for euthanasia by Hitler and who produced a propaganda film about euthanasia), and even school-aged children allowed in for a special screening and debriefing.  As one can imagine, opinions are widely varied.

Some people argue the films should be kept under lock and key as they can only do more harm if they are widely released. Others argue that, if released appropriately, with educational material which would allow a proper perspective, the films could actually be used for constructive purposes.  Still others dismiss the films entirely, questioning how any 21^st-century viewer could see these films for anything other than what they were intended—vitriolic propaganda.

Part of the controversy stems from the fact many of these films are clearly very well-made.  Don’t forget that German cinema was pioneering and influential as early as pre-1920, and many of these filmmakers and actors were still in the business during the 1930’s and 1940’s.  Many viewers have admitted to becoming absorbed by the comedy or drama within the film to the point that they forget they are watching propaganda.  Production values are high quality, scripting is excellent, and many of the great German stars of the time participated in these films.

While films such as Jew Sus and The Eternal Jew were clearly made as pure propaganda, part of the controversy surrounding these films is also due to the sometimes insidious nature of the propaganda contained within them.  Often it takes a very sophisticated viewer—and, even then, sometimes only upon repeat viewings—to tease out the propaganda.  This makes it much more difficult for historians to educate the general populace about these pieces of film which are false but ring true.  It’s easy for us to understand scenes of Jews crowded in the streets with hundreds of rats superimposed upon the scene for the crass propaganda it is.  It’s entirely different when much more subtle forms of falsehoods are foisted upon an unsuspecting populace.

Still another controversy rages due to the fact that many of these films are legally available in other countries, like the United States, or online via a streaming platform such as YouTube.  With the films so readily available does it really make sense to ban them in Germany and Austria, or is this just Germanic “Nazi guilt?”  And, with some of these films easily available to the masses in other countries, is there any proof of harm to the viewers?  Has this increased racial injustice, hate crimes, or enrollment into right-wing groups such as the Neo-Nazis?  These questions aren’t easily answered.

Regardless on which side of the fence one is on with regard to the release and availability of these movies, director Felix Moeller has crafted a well-balanced and interesting look into these controversial films.  Zeitgeist Films, in conjunction with Kino Lorber, will be releasing Forbidden Films on DVD on May 15.  You can purchase the film directly from Kino Lorber at kinolorber.com or through Amazon.