Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Foreword by Elie Wiesel
- Preface
- Introduction
- I Finding an Appropriate Language
- II Narrative Strategies
- III Responses to Nazi Atrocity
- 9 Political Resistance
- 10 The Ambiguity of Identity
- 11 The New German Guilt
- IV Shaping Reality
- V Third Edition Update
- Annotated Filmography (Third Edition)
- Filmography (Second Edition)
- Notes
- Bibliography (Second Edition)
- Bibliography (Third Edition)
- Relevant Websites
- Index
9 - Political Resistance
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 14 January 2010
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Foreword by Elie Wiesel
- Preface
- Introduction
- I Finding an Appropriate Language
- II Narrative Strategies
- III Responses to Nazi Atrocity
- 9 Political Resistance
- 10 The Ambiguity of Identity
- 11 The New German Guilt
- IV Shaping Reality
- V Third Edition Update
- Annotated Filmography (Third Edition)
- Filmography (Second Edition)
- Notes
- Bibliography (Second Edition)
- Bibliography (Third Edition)
- Relevant Websites
- Index
Summary
Why do most of the films that present political resistance to the Nazis during the Holocaust – such as The Gold of Rome, Jacob, the Liar, The Fiancée, The Last Stop, Kapo, Samson, Landscape after Battle, Kanal, Ashes and Diamonds, and Professor Mamlock – come from Eastern Europe? Is it because most of the organized resistance during World War II came from the left, and its survivors prevailed in Communist countries? Political resistance certainly does not mean only organized activity by the left; however, there have been very few feature films dealing with issues like Zionism, the political role of the Church in Poland, or the ambiguous political resistance of rightists who applauded (silently) the extermination of Jews while fighting against Nazi invaders of their homeland. Part of the problem is that it was precisely a sense of Jewish solidarity that prevented Jews from openly revolting: knowing that any aggressive act against the Nazis would result in retaliation against Jews elsewhere, these martyrs submitted to death. Would it be worth killing one Nazi if that meant an entire Jewish community would be wiped out – as was the case in Lublin? Their sacrifice was political to the extent that they knew it would protect fellow victims and ensure that Judaism would not perish.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Indelible ShadowsFilm and the Holocaust, pp. 139 - 158Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2002