The Documentary Blog presents Five Films. An ongoing feature in which we recommend five documentaries based on similar themes or topics.
With Quentin Tarantino’s Nazi-scalping WWII film Inglourious Basterds hitting theatres this week, I thought it might be fun to throw up a list of documentary films focusing on everybody’s favourite movie villains: the Nazi’s. Upon further reflection, I realized that ‘fun’ might not be the appropriate term. I recently did a similar list over at Film Junk (“Nazis. I hate these guys.”: 15 WWII Movies Worth Watching Before You See Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds.) and focused on a lot of fun, espionage filled, action packed war films and had a blast doing so. However, in the non-fiction world, real life Nazi’s couldn’t be further from the wacky Lost Ark hunting, face melting, broadway singing variety. They’re much more…depressing. Either way, it still makes for quite the mind blowing history lesson. A big thanks goes out to First Run Features for supplying me with a great selection of relevant films to help me out with this list. For anyone interested, head over to their website and check out their vast library of docs dealing with this very subject.
“When you have to do the time, don’t regret the crime.” This is one of many ridiculous statements made by members of the gloriously idiotic American white supremacy movement featured in Blood in the Face; a film as darkly hilarious as it is infuriating. The film features a series of interviews — some of which are conducted by a young Michael Moore — with some of the trashiest anti-semites I’ve seen since Geraldo’s glory days. I would accuse the film of shooting fish in a barrel if it wasn’t so entertaining to witness. The film is directed by Anne Bohlen, Kevin Rafferty (Atomic Cafe) and James Ridgeway (based off of his novel of the same name) and features some great stock footage of their own promotional videos that are straight out of a Saturday Night Live skit. The film has a very dark sense of humour and sheds some light on a small but terrifyingly dumb group of radicals that are more capable of organizing a tailgate party than a race war.
One of the most controversial ‘classics’ of all time, Triumph of the Will is a terrifying document of the Nazi parties early rise to power and Hitler’s influence over his people. The film documents the 1934 Nazi Party rally in Nuremberg and constantly walks the fine line between non-fiction and propaganda filmmaking. Leni Riefenstahl has been applauded for the techniques employed throughout the film, but the fact that the film was commissioned by the Third Reich had left a bad taste in the mouths of even those who praise her work.
A double bill of Triumph of the Will and Alain Resnais’ ‘Night and Fog’ could possibly result in one of the greatest and most depressing representations of cause and effect ever captured on film. The grand spectacle of the Nuremberg rally is replaced by the ghostly remains of Nazi concentration camps. Resnais’ use of graphic stock footage in connection with the post-war imagery is both a reminder and a warning of what too much power can lead to. A haunting film in both its construction and its content.
As bat-shit crazy as they were, you have to admit the Nazi party definitely had a handle on aesthetics. Hitler, an artist in his own right, oversaw the look and presentation of the Third Reich, which obviously played a key role in their influence over the people of Germany and their staying power in modern popular culture. Director Peter Cohen explores the ‘Nazi philosophy of beauty through violence’ in his film The Architecture of Doom, an informative yet somewhat dry look at the Nazi aesthetic. Cohen’s filmmaking style is comparable to a slightly less glossy Ken Burns’, relying on collages of stock footage and still photography accompanied by some somewhat austere narration. The information presented is quite dense and the film itself isn’t particularly cinematic or ‘entertaining’, but I don’t think that’s really the goal. It’s a history lesson on Hitler’s obsession with art and how it influenced his regime. One particularly interesting section deals with the Nazi propaganda films of the era, as overseen by Joseph Goebbels. A very interesting perspective on the Nazi party.
Possibly the creepiest doc of the bunch, Homo Sapiens 1900 looks at the Nazi Party’s quest to create the ultimate race of Aryan soldiers through the practice of Eugenics. Another densely informative film by The Architecture of Doom director Peter Cohen. We learn about the history of eugenics and what role it played in Hitler’s ultimate plan for world domination. Again, Cohen doesn’t quite give us a particularly cinematic experience with his use of narration and stock footage, but rather focuses on pure information. This is a truly disturbing history lesson.
Both Triumph of the Will and Night and Fog are some of the most powerful films I have seen. A double bill would be too much for a person to handle I think, if they were first-time viewings. That would wreck you.
Oh, and for anybody interested, here is a breathtaking spectacle that shows just how far ahead of her time Riefenstahl was: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwmYFz01MxA&feature=related
Architecture of Doom sounds pretty interesting. Funny, while watching Inglorious Basterds tonight, I was a little bit shocked and disappointed with myself for realizing the beauty of that theater they are in with all those Nazi flags. The bright bright red with that pure black and white symbol is extremely eye-catching and snazzy. I felt a little weird thinking that way considering what it represents, but if you strip that away and just look at the aesthetics, it is very pleasing and almost beautiful. This doc sounds like it explains that and describes it in detail. I’d like to take a look at that. Glad someone else had the thought before I did. Now I don’t feel like quite such a prick.
Did you have any other opinions about ‘Inglourious Basterds’ Andrew, such as the distortion of the story?
I can imagine reading in some chatroom any day now a post from someone actually thinking that it portrayed how Hitler died.
The film was the most repulsive piece of badly-made and pointless fiction I have ever seen; why it had to use real names I have no idea at all and find myself shaking my head whenever I think about it.
Andrew James comment about the eye-catching aesthetics of the red banner, white circle and swastika are understandable. The swastika is an old symbol that pre-dates the German nazi party. It was partly chosen because of the effect that it and other symbols used by the nazis had on those around it. The nuremburg rallies etc had thousands of them and they look fantastic. It is only political correctness that makes one feel guilty/uncomfortable. During the rallies most people who attended, including those visitors from other governments, found the whole experience to be mesmerising.
My neighbor of 45 yrs. is keeping a big secret. I asked him back in1972 which camp he had worked in during WW II – he told me Sobibor(strictly extermination) Well I saw him in network tv documentary around 2007 -4 consecutive evenings. THERE HE STOOD IN OFFICERS UNIFORM WITH HITLER & OTHER SS OFFICERS. CAN ANYONE TELL ME HOW TO FIND THAT SHOW? The people in The Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section–Department of Justice also seemed very interested. How can I find that documentary/show? please send any info to Gordon 1154 Melbourne Dr. NewHaven, In.or call 260-493-6043
hey nazi was nazi they were very big nation lover in the world don’t take any quation on his fight they were fight last man deth i no whole history of hitler he my best ideal….