Historical Dictionary of Holocaust Cinema
By (author) Robert C. Reimer, Carol J. Reimer
Publication date:
12 April 2012Length of book:
272 pagesPublisher
Scarecrow PressDimensions:
239x161mm6x9"
ISBN-13: 9780810867567
Some say that telling the story of the Holocaust is impossible, yet, artists have told the story thousands of time since the end of World War II in novels, dramas, paintings, music, sculpture, and film. Over the past seven decades, hundreds of documentaries, narrative shorts and features, and television miniseries have confronted the horrors of the past, creating an easily recognized iconography of persecution and genocide. While it can be argued that film and television have a tendency to trivialize, using the artifacts of popular culture – film and literature – artists keep the past alive, ensuring that victims are not forgotten and the tragedy of the Holocaust is not repeated.
The Historical Dictionary of Holocaust Cinema examines the history of how the Holocaust is presented in film, including documentaries, feature films, and television productions. It contains a chronology of events needed to give the films and their reception a historical context, an introductory essay, a bibliography, a filmography of more than 600 titles, and over 100 cross-referenced dictionary entries on films, directors, and historical figures. Foreign language films and experimental films are included, as well as canonical films. This book is a must for anyone interested in the scope of films on the Holocaust and also for scholars interested in investigating ideas for future research.
The Historical Dictionary of Holocaust Cinema examines the history of how the Holocaust is presented in film, including documentaries, feature films, and television productions. It contains a chronology of events needed to give the films and their reception a historical context, an introductory essay, a bibliography, a filmography of more than 600 titles, and over 100 cross-referenced dictionary entries on films, directors, and historical figures. Foreign language films and experimental films are included, as well as canonical films. This book is a must for anyone interested in the scope of films on the Holocaust and also for scholars interested in investigating ideas for future research.
Robert C. Reimer and Carol J. Reimer (Univ. of North Carolina, Charlotte; Historical Dictionary of German Cinema) here cover “actual events of World War II and the Holocaust as well as the cinematic treatment of these events during the time since.” A chronology from 1933 to 2011 provides a framework for this subject. Entries give a historical context, and while they do not include detailed IMDB-type information such as cast, crew, or running time, they do list the film’s year of release and director. Places (Warsaw ghetto, Auschwitz), key figures (Adolf Hitler, Adolf Eichmann), and subjects (genocide) are also examined. Topics that have their own entry are in bold throughout. Profiles of mainstream films such as Schindler’s List and The Pianist are included along with documentaries The Sorrow and the Pity and Shoah. The 1978 television miniseries Holocaust: The Story of the Family Weiss is cited as a turning point in the depiction of the Holocaust in popular media. Other aspects of Holocaust cinema include Shanghai Ghetto, a 2002 documentary about “Jewish refugees who escape the Holocaust by immigrating to Shanghai,” and the use of comedy as in Life Is Beautiful and The Great Dictator. Holocaust films affecting the Roma (And the Violins Stopped Playing) and homosexuals (Bent) are discussed. VERDICT Selective, not exhaustive, this resource provides much information on Holocaust cinema and many opportunities for further research. Ideal for students and teachers looking for media resources as well as anyone invested in the subject.