What do say contemporary German films about Hitler and the Third Reich? Cover Image

O czym mówią współczesne niemieckie filmy o Hitlerze i III Rzeszy?
What do say contemporary German films about Hitler and the Third Reich?

Author(s): Andrzej Dębski
Subject(s): Theatre, Dance, Performing Arts
Published by: Akademia Sztuk Pięknych im. Eugeniusza Gepperta we Wrocławiu

Summary/Abstract: Based on the theory by Eric Holbswawm that we live in an "age of historical mythology", as well as Jan Assmann’s theory, that the past is a "myth - regardless of its truthfulness or fictitious character", the text draws attention to the myths created by the contemporary German films about the Third Reich and their cultural significance. Dębski believes that after 1989, there is the need for development of a new common German identity and generational change. The so-called. third generation (grandchildren) wanted to understand what had happened during WWII. Also, they want to play their own roles and be responsible for their actions. Visual media provide "experience" of the past. There are two noticeable ways of dealing with the legacy of the Nazis. One is provided by Aleksandra Hissène and it is considered as historicisation and caricaturisation method. She wants to "normalize" the approach towards the past associated with the formation of a new German identity. Of course, she is aware of Nazi crimes, but she does not believe in self-imposed guilt (imposed on the generation of perpetrators). In the process, the emancipation from the sins of ancestors is only one element. The other element includes the consolidation of the German state based on modern democratic values and the longing for a sense of national pride. It is not easy to show the problems in the form of film because much too often history can be shown in films in relative terms. Dębski analyzes the problem in the context of perception by contemporary cinema-goers. Also, he considers film as contemporary "Pauper Bible".

  • Issue Year: 2013
  • Issue No: 2 (16)
  • Page Range: 94-110
  • Page Count: 17
  • Language: Polish