1) I thought this film was confusing at first, but once you were comfortable with the plot, it turned again and manipulated the viewer again. It did a good job showing how haunting the Holocasut was not only to the Jews but to the Nazis (rightfuly so).
2) The film did a good job converying the horror of the people that went through the Holocaust. It shows how powerful the post-traumatic stress was.
3) At first I felt manipulated and good that at the end that the Nazi commited suicude. However, a life is a life and I don't think two wrongs make a right. Yes he killed many people, however killing himself was greedy. He should have to endure and go through the hell of remembering the things that happened in the Holocaust. That was enough punishment in itself; to not be able to go through day to day life without not thinking of the terrors that happened. I also think it was ironic that his pijamas looked like the clothes the Jews wore in the labor camps.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
The Power of Good and Pigeon
1) I thought The Power of Good was an intersting narrative about Nicholas Winton and what he did to save so many childrens lives. A statistic from that film that really stuck out to me was that the product of 5,000 people in families of the children that were saved have come from Winton's efforts. Even though Winton only helped a small amount of people when compared to the amount of people actually killed in the Holocaust, 5,000 are now able to be alive and posper in the world. It really makes one think, what would those do if tey were saved, who would they become, what kind of families would they have created. It was also very risky and dangerous, but Winton knew he had to hurry and he saved as many children as he could. The end of the film that showed him on the tv show was really moving. From his tears, you could tell he was very emotional from all the people in the audience that owed their lives to him. If not for him none of those people in that room would've been there. I just think overall, he is a giving, respectful man. He doesn't care who you are, he just wants to volunteer and help.
2) Pigeon was an intersting film. It was ironic how the Jewish man saved the pigeon-a filthy bird that no one really likes. After the woman saw his act of kindness and realizing he was a Jew, she showed her act of kindness by fooling the German officers into thinkning he was her husband so he wouldn't get taken away by the Nazi guards. The last scene of the film shows the dead pigeon and I think this kind of shows how even though an act of kindness is done and saves a life, one is never safe during these times.
3) The short film helped to show little acts of kindness and the persecuted were helped and many people who helped them go unrecognized.
4) I think people who helped rescue Jews were really brave because they were putting themselves at risk by doing this. They didn't see the Jews as monsters, they respected them as people and just wanted to help them. Some people may have chose not to help because of fear and pure hatred from the Nazi propaganda.
2) Pigeon was an intersting film. It was ironic how the Jewish man saved the pigeon-a filthy bird that no one really likes. After the woman saw his act of kindness and realizing he was a Jew, she showed her act of kindness by fooling the German officers into thinkning he was her husband so he wouldn't get taken away by the Nazi guards. The last scene of the film shows the dead pigeon and I think this kind of shows how even though an act of kindness is done and saves a life, one is never safe during these times.
3) The short film helped to show little acts of kindness and the persecuted were helped and many people who helped them go unrecognized.
4) I think people who helped rescue Jews were really brave because they were putting themselves at risk by doing this. They didn't see the Jews as monsters, they respected them as people and just wanted to help them. Some people may have chose not to help because of fear and pure hatred from the Nazi propaganda.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
The Last Days
1) This is my favorite film we watched the whole quarter. I liked how the viewer was able to get actual real emotion from people who were directly affected by the Holocaust. It was relatable because it wasn't an actor going through the script, it was a person going through panful memories from a tragic moment in their life. I also liked how it showed the people going back to the concentration camp and their hometown. It evoked raw emotions and let the viewer see how painful and affected these people are because of the Holocaust.
2) I liked the documentary better because it wasn't created and acted, it was actual past experiences. I also liked it more because there were different perspectives from the survivors, but all came to the same conclusion that humanity was the cause and not God, whereas in a docudrama, this conclusion is up to the viewer to decide.
3) The woman who carried the diamonds really compelled me. It is a strong testamate to how people did anything they could to keep a little piece of their previous lives. It was amazing how she would eat them everytime and recover them, not always cleaning them off sufficiently. It shows her strong will-power and determination not to give up, when she could've easily given up and died. It was also crazy how the image of the child being killed by being slammed into the truck. I am sure she has a million images that will always stick with her.
2) I liked the documentary better because it wasn't created and acted, it was actual past experiences. I also liked it more because there were different perspectives from the survivors, but all came to the same conclusion that humanity was the cause and not God, whereas in a docudrama, this conclusion is up to the viewer to decide.
3) The woman who carried the diamonds really compelled me. It is a strong testamate to how people did anything they could to keep a little piece of their previous lives. It was amazing how she would eat them everytime and recover them, not always cleaning them off sufficiently. It shows her strong will-power and determination not to give up, when she could've easily given up and died. It was also crazy how the image of the child being killed by being slammed into the truck. I am sure she has a million images that will always stick with her.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Black Comedy & Holocaust "Art"
South Park clip 1: I think the clip was funny because it played off of something childish that adults feel is funny. It didn't really focus on the Jews, but it did poke out the forced labor and how rediculous it was to force people to work until death just because they're different. It also kind of bashed the idea of how people would hide just to survive which I didn't think was that appropriate.
South Park clip 2: This clip is a play off of Anne Frank. It kind of showed how some Germans had sympathy for Jews. It made fun of the scared Jews (cats). Cats can be seen as mangy animals so it is a sick comparison to compare the cats and Jews.
Board game: I think for kids who don't have background on the Holocaust, they develop the mentality the Germans had. They try to "win" the game by packing as many people in which is pretty much what the Germans tried. The children who understand the purpose of the game understand what is going on and they start to try to sabatage the game and purposely lose.
Perfume: This picture shows the false pretense of how the Nazis convinced people they were going into a camp and not a work and/or death camp. The outside was glamorized but once inside, just the the perfume, it was deadly.
Diet Coke: I don't understand the purpose of of having this image. It plays off of the idea that the prisoners starved and idn't have any luxuries. Some even died from malnutrition and in this advertisment, they are almost making fun of the situation.
Prada: Prada is expensive and a luxury item. It relates to how the Germans stripped the Jews of all their valuables.
Lego: I think the lego creation is really inapropriate because it allows for people to reinact the Holocaust. It's even more sickly ironic that it's from a company in Germany.
Gates of Auschwitz: If the gold really came form the fillings from the Jews, I feel that is extremely disrespectful. These people are dead and to make a beautiful piece of art from something so morbid.
South Park clip 2: This clip is a play off of Anne Frank. It kind of showed how some Germans had sympathy for Jews. It made fun of the scared Jews (cats). Cats can be seen as mangy animals so it is a sick comparison to compare the cats and Jews.
Board game: I think for kids who don't have background on the Holocaust, they develop the mentality the Germans had. They try to "win" the game by packing as many people in which is pretty much what the Germans tried. The children who understand the purpose of the game understand what is going on and they start to try to sabatage the game and purposely lose.
Perfume: This picture shows the false pretense of how the Nazis convinced people they were going into a camp and not a work and/or death camp. The outside was glamorized but once inside, just the the perfume, it was deadly.
Diet Coke: I don't understand the purpose of of having this image. It plays off of the idea that the prisoners starved and idn't have any luxuries. Some even died from malnutrition and in this advertisment, they are almost making fun of the situation.
Prada: Prada is expensive and a luxury item. It relates to how the Germans stripped the Jews of all their valuables.
Lego: I think the lego creation is really inapropriate because it allows for people to reinact the Holocaust. It's even more sickly ironic that it's from a company in Germany.
Gates of Auschwitz: If the gold really came form the fillings from the Jews, I feel that is extremely disrespectful. These people are dead and to make a beautiful piece of art from something so morbid.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Life is Beautiful
1) The title of this movie speaks volume. In such a destructive time period and persecution, Guido was able to see the good and beautiful things in life. He spreads this assuredness to his friends and family, especially when he is in the concentration camp trying to keep his son hidden. This movie showed how some people, in order to cope with everything that was happening to them, blocked it out and focused on the good to keep them alive and keep their spirits up.
2) There are elements of this movie that are accurate, however some things are not entirely accurate. I find it hard to believe that Guido was able to hide Joshua for so long and keep him fed and entertained without being caught. I also don't think when the Germans were leaving the camp, they would've left everything so intact. I do believe that the film shows a good perspective of the Nazis. The doctor has a lot of repect for Guido, however, since he is a Jew, no matter how good of a person the doctor sees him as, Guido is still of an inferior race.
3) This movie compares with the Boy in the Striped Pajamas by showing a child's perspective. Even though Life is Beautiful follows Guido's life, Guido himself is still a child and acts extremely childish so it is only fitting that he acts this way towards his son. Both movies portray how children didn't understand what exactly was going on and why. In their eyes, there was a fakeness to the whole reality of the situation only because of their innocence blocking the reality.
4) I personally did not like how much comedy was put into the movie. Some comedy was crucial, like when Guido mocked the German while he was giving instructions to the new inmates. In a sense, this mocked the entire Aryan race. I didn't like that up until his death, even marching to the ally that he was going to be shot in Guido still made a joke out of the situation. I assume that that is what helped him get through everyday life in the concentration camp, I just don't think I would've approached the situation that way. I wish there were more serious scenes and tones in the movie.
2) There are elements of this movie that are accurate, however some things are not entirely accurate. I find it hard to believe that Guido was able to hide Joshua for so long and keep him fed and entertained without being caught. I also don't think when the Germans were leaving the camp, they would've left everything so intact. I do believe that the film shows a good perspective of the Nazis. The doctor has a lot of repect for Guido, however, since he is a Jew, no matter how good of a person the doctor sees him as, Guido is still of an inferior race.
3) This movie compares with the Boy in the Striped Pajamas by showing a child's perspective. Even though Life is Beautiful follows Guido's life, Guido himself is still a child and acts extremely childish so it is only fitting that he acts this way towards his son. Both movies portray how children didn't understand what exactly was going on and why. In their eyes, there was a fakeness to the whole reality of the situation only because of their innocence blocking the reality.
4) I personally did not like how much comedy was put into the movie. Some comedy was crucial, like when Guido mocked the German while he was giving instructions to the new inmates. In a sense, this mocked the entire Aryan race. I didn't like that up until his death, even marching to the ally that he was going to be shot in Guido still made a joke out of the situation. I assume that that is what helped him get through everyday life in the concentration camp, I just don't think I would've approached the situation that way. I wish there were more serious scenes and tones in the movie.
Monday, March 7, 2011
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
1) I thought this film was really good at portraying how the children experienced the Holocaust. They were innocent and didn't know what was going on. Its ending was really surprising that Bruno died at the end, but it was ironic because his father was the Commodant. I feel bad for Bruno's family, but it was a bittersweet sympathy. No child should deserve to die at such a young age that way, but the father and mother knew they lived near a camp and tried to act as if everything was normal. Bruno's sister got caught up in the propaganda, until she realized what was actually happening.
2) I think this film wasn't that accurate. I don't think Schmoel would've been able to sit and talk to Bruno and go unnoticed day after day of their encounters. I also don't think it would have been that easy for Bruno to go under the fence. It is also hard to believe that Schmoel was not sent directly to the gas chambers considering his young age.
3) I wouldn't recommend this film to others if it was the only one they could view because it centers around Bruno's life more than the Holocaust. Bruno was a German so he didn't experience all the affects the Jews went through. It also didn't show the brutality to the extent that the Jews recieved from the Nazis.
4) The next scene of the film I could see Bruno's father going into the gas chambers and searching for his son among the corpses. Then I could see the mother and daughter leaving the father for the country after Bruno's funeral.
2) I think this film wasn't that accurate. I don't think Schmoel would've been able to sit and talk to Bruno and go unnoticed day after day of their encounters. I also don't think it would have been that easy for Bruno to go under the fence. It is also hard to believe that Schmoel was not sent directly to the gas chambers considering his young age.
3) I wouldn't recommend this film to others if it was the only one they could view because it centers around Bruno's life more than the Holocaust. Bruno was a German so he didn't experience all the affects the Jews went through. It also didn't show the brutality to the extent that the Jews recieved from the Nazis.
4) The next scene of the film I could see Bruno's father going into the gas chambers and searching for his son among the corpses. Then I could see the mother and daughter leaving the father for the country after Bruno's funeral.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Night and Fog
1. I thought this film approached the holocaust in a way that went down to the persecuted's perspective. It described what happened in a concentration camp through images and pictures. I also like how it changed from black and white to color to represent the past and the present.
2. The image that stuck out most to me is the how the camp looks present day. It looks really nice with the grass and trees. It is a stark contrast to the way it looked like during the Holocaust. It just shows how deceiving the Holocaust was. It seemed like a patriotic act, however in reality it was a mass murder.
3. I think it is necessary to show graphic images just so people can get the effect of the event. It is one thing to talk about what happened, but to physically see what occured in the camps is a humbling experience to the hype surrounded by the word "Holocaust."
4. It was helpful because the subtitles combined with the music were distracting, so it helped to have a background knowledge of what your viewing.
2. The image that stuck out most to me is the how the camp looks present day. It looks really nice with the grass and trees. It is a stark contrast to the way it looked like during the Holocaust. It just shows how deceiving the Holocaust was. It seemed like a patriotic act, however in reality it was a mass murder.
3. I think it is necessary to show graphic images just so people can get the effect of the event. It is one thing to talk about what happened, but to physically see what occured in the camps is a humbling experience to the hype surrounded by the word "Holocaust."
4. It was helpful because the subtitles combined with the music were distracting, so it helped to have a background knowledge of what your viewing.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Swing Kids
1. I thought this film showed how the Nazi's basically brain-washed young adults into believing in the Navi ideology. They engrained it into thier curriculum at school. Swing Kids shows how three friends were broken apart by different ideolgies. At first the HGA seemed like the appropriate place to go, but as Peter realizes how corrupt Naziism is, he decides not to follow Hitler, while Peter's best friend Thomas feeds right into the Nazis. Arvid is ignored because he is crippled and Jewish so he is the first to be separated from his group of German friends. The movie showed the strength of the youth and how they were controlled which affected their future and the future of others.
2. I think this movie was historically accurate. It showed how in the HGA they teach the youth that Jews are a disease that needs to be destroyed. It also showed how corrupt the police was. They would beat people up just because they wanted to. It predicts how the people feared the Navis so they would obey them at all cost. The movie showed rebels as well in it's depiction of the swing kids.
3. I think I could relate to Peter's mother the most. She just wanted to protect her children and provide for her family. She was scared of the police because her husband was dead and she was the main authority in the household so if something happened, it would be up to her to figure out what to do. I think if I was in her position I would feel the same way; just wanting my family to stay safe and together.
2. I think this movie was historically accurate. It showed how in the HGA they teach the youth that Jews are a disease that needs to be destroyed. It also showed how corrupt the police was. They would beat people up just because they wanted to. It predicts how the people feared the Navis so they would obey them at all cost. The movie showed rebels as well in it's depiction of the swing kids.
3. I think I could relate to Peter's mother the most. She just wanted to protect her children and provide for her family. She was scared of the police because her husband was dead and she was the main authority in the household so if something happened, it would be up to her to figure out what to do. I think if I was in her position I would feel the same way; just wanting my family to stay safe and together.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Imaginary Witness
1) I think the title Imaginary Witness is titled so because many of the producers that created these films base their films off of interpretation, stories, and from survivors. They weren't actually there on a day-to-day basis filiming the persecution. They are trying to document what others have witnessed, but there is no way to imagine what happened.
2) I feel creating such graphic films are necessary to accurately portray the Holocaust because it is one thing to base your ideas and views from the media and what we read, but it's another to actually witness the graphic nature of the crimes that were commited. The Holocaust is not a light subject so the movies I feel should not be created "lightly."
3) I am taking this course because I think it is important to learn about what happened and hopefully to gain the knowledge to better understand why this happened. I hope to gain a better understanding of how this event could of occured and the ideals behind the events.
2) I feel creating such graphic films are necessary to accurately portray the Holocaust because it is one thing to base your ideas and views from the media and what we read, but it's another to actually witness the graphic nature of the crimes that were commited. The Holocaust is not a light subject so the movies I feel should not be created "lightly."
3) I am taking this course because I think it is important to learn about what happened and hopefully to gain the knowledge to better understand why this happened. I hope to gain a better understanding of how this event could of occured and the ideals behind the events.
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