subscribe to this page
Call#: Van Pelt Library PN1993.5.G3 K2913 1989
Call#: Van Pelt Library PN1993.5.G3 K2913 1989
Call#: Van Pelt Library--4 East--Temporary Location Annenberg PN1993.5.G3 K2913 1989
Call#: Van Pelt Library--4 East--Temporary Location Annenberg PN1993.5.G3 K2913 1989
“The Politics of Representation”
This chapter starts with a description of the contrasting images of the filming of the extravagant film Kolberg with the harsh realities of war. Germany was constantly being bombed by the allies; the people were seeking refuge in bomb shelters while director Veit Harlan was concerned with finishing filming. This introduction shows the ridiculousness of the whole situation. This situation illustrates how the priorities of the Nazis were very misguided. Goebbels, who was also overseeing the project, allowed for Harlan to draw away almost 200,000 troops from battle for use in the film. Kolberg was a film about a historic battle at Kolberg in which the citizens were key to victory. The film was meant to inspire, but it was released only a couple of months preceding eventual defeat. The film’s propaganda was lost because the war was already lost. “Today, Harlan’s Kolberg has become an emblem of the Third Reich’s unshakable belief in the demagogic power of images” (Kaes 3-4). The Nazi political system relied on keeping its power through the maintaining of an appearance of strength and a belief in the system, which were both fostered by propaganda through film. The keeping up of these appearances became a major goal of the Nazis that often interfered with other priorities i.e. the war effort. The only reason the Nazis were successful was because of the Godlike status the Nazis were able to give Hitler through the use of these appearances, which were built using film.
The argument of this chapter directly supports the claim that the Nazis placed an overly high value on film because of the over importance of image and appearances to the Nazi system. Goebbels and the Nazis should have recognized, though, that the resources spent on keeping up these appearances with extravagant films like Kolberg would have been better utilized directly in the war. The maintaining of appearances should not matter once fear of survival is an issue, but Goebbels obviously did not realize this. The Nazis should have changed their priorities once the threat of defeat became evident. It is unbelievable that even a couple months before defeat Goebbels still had the production of Kolberg completed. The propaganda generated by film was seemingly more important to Goebbels than military victory. Such misguided priorities and principles doomed the Nazis.
tagged adolph_hitler book film germany goebbels image kolberg nazi nazi_cinema propaganda by lcuzz ...on 02-DEC-08
Marshall. L. "A Nazi Piece of Work," Herald Sun 06 May 1995. LexisNexis. 1 Dec 2008
While Kolberg, has been criticized for being such an extravagant film that was filmed very late in the war and so close to Germany's defeat, there was another film that was being produced after Kolberg. The production of this film went on almost until Germany’s defeat. With shortages, bombings, and death only twenty miles away, Goebbels ordered the making of another extrazagant film, Das Leben geht weiter or Life Goes On. The set designer of this last film of the Nazi era, was instructed to “spare no expense to recreate the aftermath of the devastating Berlin air raids in November 1943”(Marshall). This film was meant to be an updated version of Kolberg that just as extravagant. The idea of the film was Goebbels', who definitely became obsessed with film. This last film had mostly been forgotten in history. This is in part because those involved were embarrassed they were part of the film , so they did not talk about the film. The other reason is that the footage was completely lost.
Most film historians view Kolberg as Goebbels' last production and biggest folly, but Das Leben geht weiter apparently takes its place. This last film shows how illogical Goebbels was. Germany did not have the resources to endure in World War II, but Goebbels felt that it had the resources to make a 2.5 million marks budget film. Goebbels' priorities were very misguided. He definitely should have had someone checking his power. Goebbels wasted so many of Germany’s resources on useless film production. Kolberg was barely viewed by audiences and Das Leben geht weiter was never finished and the footage was completely lost. Even if these films had been viewed, they still would have been wasteful because the resources were needed so much more for the war effort. Goebbels definitely overvalued film to the point where he was willing to sacrifice the war. While this wasteful film production was not the cause of Germany’s loss, it definitely did nothing to help Germany endure with so many resources were being diverted away from the war.
tagged 1945 das_leben_geht_weiter film germany goebbels kolberg nazi_cinema newspaper propaganda wwii by lcuzz ...on 02-DEC-08
Kolberg. Dir. Veit Harlan. Perf. Horst Caspar, Gustav Diessl, Heinrich George, Kurt Meisel, Kristina Soderbaum . DVD. UFA, 1945.
Kolberg is a historical epic of the Nazi film era. It is about the patriotism of the people of Kolberg during the Napoleonic wars and the importance of the average citizen. The film highlights the patriotism of Nettleback. He steps on the toes of his superiors to make sure that victory was had in Kolberg at all costs because that is what the people of Kolberg desire, for they are a proud and loyal people. The officer in charge of Kolberg’s defense is doing a poor job and conflicts with Nettelback, imprisoning Nettelback, who was merely trying to correct the deficits in Kolberg?s defenses. Nettelback sends his trusted Maria to the king to ask for a different officer for Kolberg. Maria meets with the queen and is struck speechless by the Queen’s beauty and majesty. She is successful in getting Nettelback’s request granted. The way Nettelback and the newly appointed officer work together shows how the citizens and the government can truly combine efforts for the greater good. Romance also finds its way in the film with Maria and Lieutenant Schill. The reoccurring theme throughout the film is that a citizen must be willing to sacrifice all for his country. Honor and loyalty to one’s country trump all else. This theme is illustrated in Maria and Lieutenant Schill's conversation about their willingness to sacrifice all for Kolberg and how only then would it be enough.
Joseph Goebbels, minister of propaganda, felt that Kolberg would inspire the citizens to support World War II by drawing on astounding examples of patriotism by average citizens and its great significance to Germany. Because of the importance Goebbels placed in the impact of the film, he was willing to divert many of Germany’s much needed war resources to the making of this movie, which was the one of costliest of this era. Two hundred thousand troops were used in the making of the film, troops that were taken away from battle. The cost of the film was very extravagant, and Germany really did not have the surplus of resources to accommodate such a project. Film production began in 1943 and was not completed until 1945, so the film’s impact as a source of propaganda was very minimal, considering Germany was on the brink of defeat and most of the theaters were closed from the mass destruction from the Allies’ bombings. “The film remained virtually unseen as the city fell to Soviet troops” (Thompson and Bordwell 274). Overall, Kolberg was a great folly of Goebbels and a waste of money and resources that Germany could not afford. (Thompson and Bordwell 274)
Thompson, Kristin, and David Bordwell. Film History An Introduction. 2nd. New York: McGraw Hill, 2003.
tagged 1945 cine_101 film german_cinema goeebbels historical_epic kolberg napoleonic_wars nazi_cinema propaganda veit_harlan war by lcuzz ...on 02-DEC-08