Movie Depictions: World War II -- Country Films


Figure 1.-- The anti-War themes that have become a staple in the West, even in World War II films, have not developed in Russian productions. Any criticism of the Red Army during the War is generally considered as unpatriotic. A good example of the way the Russian film industry treats the War is 'Fortress Brest' (2010). As is typica of Russian productions, questions like why the Red Army was in a Polish city whenb attacked by the Germans are conveniently avoided.

Surely no other war has been the subject of more films than World War II. Films were made both during and after the War. We have done some work on World War II. So far we have done some work on English World War II films and American World War II films. The NAZIs of course began making propaganda films as soon as they seized power in Germany (1933), years before they launched World Wat II. We have little information on their Axis allies (Italy and Japan). We do know that the Japanese made prpaganda films, including some in English (for distribution in Malaya and the (Philippines). We also know very little about Soviet films. Just like after World War II, Hollywood after World War II began making films with an anti-War and often anti-military bias. Even World War II-theme fils were affected. THis trend dis not occur in the SOviet Union, at least when the Red Army was depicted.

America

Movie studios and the U.S. Government agencies were involved in propaganda during World War II. The studios were involved before America entered the War. The Government mostly after America entered the War. Quite a few Hollywood films addressed World War II. The most interesting period was before America entered the War after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. (December 1941). Before that there were no Government censorship or directives on content. Hollywood avoided attacking the NAZIs for a long time. Hitler took over in 1933, but the first anti-NAZI film did not appear until 1939. Hollywood was concerned about losing the profitable German market. While Hollywood avoided attacking the NAZIs, interesting during the 1930s there were no films made which endorsed the strong isolationist sentiment that was widely held by Americans. The first American anti-NAZI film was "Confessions of a Nazi Spy". NAZI Propaganda Minister Josef Goebbels was furious and threatened repercussions. This was Warner Brothers independent decesion, not forced by the Government. After this ground breaking film, Hitler rapidly moved toward war and Hollywood as abecame strongly critical of the NAZIs and Japanese militarists, although the timeline varied from studio to studio. It is also interesting to note how Hollywood ignored the Soviet aggressions. After Pearl Harbor, of course, Hollywood enthusiastically signed up for the war effort. There were also a number of related films made after the War. Just like after World War I, Hollywood after World War II began making films with an anti-War and often anti-military bias. Even World War II-theme films were affected.

Britain

Hollywood films of course dominated the American film market. British films were also widely circulated in America. England had one of the world's most important film industries at the time of World War II. Although not quite up to Hollywood in box-office appeal, studios like Ealing made many important films. Film studios including German studios made anti-war films in the 1920s. We are unsure as to just when the studios began to change in the 1930s. As far as we can tell, the studios did not change until the outbreak of the War. It is interesting, that British studios also refrained from attacking the NAZIs. This of course reflected the appeasement policies of the Chamberlain Government. We do not know if the British Government actively tried to influence studio productions. British law did not permit the Government to issue orders, but the Government certainly could influence the studios in a variety of ways. Earnings from runs in German theaters may have been another factor. We know that the British made many important films during the war. The best know British anti-NAZI films are all war-time films. The best known is probably "Mrs. Minerva" (England, 1942) which won as Oskar. Another war-time film was "The Pied Piper (England (1942). After the War began of course censorship and war acts gave the Government the ability to control film content. This was not the case before the War.

France

France had a substantial film industry, one of the most important in Europe. Like the British and Americans, the French film industry generally shied away from making anti-NAZI films before the War, although our information is very limited. Hopefully our French readers will know more. The Germand invaded and occupied France (May-June 1940) before the industry had the ability to address the War in any depth. We do not yet know of any war films made during this operiod. The Germans allowed the French movie industry to operate during the occupation, but of course the productions were controled, usually by self-censorship (1940-44). We do not know of any fillms made during thge occupation addressing the War, but here our information is very limited. As the French Army spent most of the War in German POW camps, the French unlike many other countries have not made many World War II films. An exception to this was a large number of films dealing with the Resistance. There have been some Hollywood films suich as the 'The Longest Day' (1962) about D-Day. And a Bert Lancaster film, 'The Train' (1964) about saving French art. It includes some interesting insights about the German use of the French rail system. Another important film is 'Is Paris Burning?' (1966) about the liberation of Pris/ There are two excellent films about children: 'Jeux Interdits' (1952) and 'Au Revoir les Enfants' (1987).

Germany

The NAZIs of course began making propaganda films as soon as they seized power in Germany (1933), years before they launched World Wat II. Movies with antiWar themes like 'All quiet on the Wstern Front' were banned. Interestingly, despite the fact that NAZI film making was controlled by Propaganda Minister Goebbels, war movies did not become a German staple. Hitler was more intefested in convincing the German people tht he was not leading them down the path to war. There were films made attacking the Jews, but war was a topic generally avoided by NAZI film makers. After he launched the War by invading Poland, the film indusytry focused more on providing arelief from the all real grim relality of war. The most famous NAZI war film was 'Kolberg' (1944) about an 18th century Seven Years War battle. Combat troops were taken from the war for the filming. Apparently a World War II setting would have been too depressing. The two most notable post-War German films that we are familiar with are 'Das Boot' (1981) and Die Bücke' (1959). Both are World War II classics. Another film is 'Europa, Europa' (1990), but it was more of a pan-European film.

Italy


Japan

The Japanese had a small film industry. This and the Chinese film industry as far as we know were the only ones in Asia. We do know that the Japanese made propaganda films, both before abd during the War. There were films attempoting to promote immigration to the new Japanese colonies like Manchuko (Manchuria). We know nothing at this time about Japanese films about the War made during the War. There were fims made in English (for distribution in Malaya and the (Philippines). We know very little about them.

Soviet Union/Russia

We know very little about Soviet films at this time. We do not know how Soviet pre-War films dealt with World war I. Hopefullysome of our Russian readers can enlighen us. As the Soviet Union became aajor target for the NAZIs and they were important in the Populsr Front and the support of the Spanish Republic, one would think thst the Soviets woukd have begun attacking the Fascists at an an early point. And as the industry was a unit of the state, they presumably did not have the commercial concerns affecting Western studios. This changes with the NAZI-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact (August 1939) which made World War II possible. We do not know of any World War II films made before the German invasion (June 1941). The red army was active during this period, invadung Poland, fighting aar with Finland, conducting a border war with the Japanese, and occupying several countries or annexing parts of others. As fae as we know, these actiuons were not the subjects of films. Perhaps our Russian readers will know more about this. This of course changed with the German invasion. The Soviet film industry was a part of the Great Patriotic War. Unlike the Germans, the Soviets made many war films. The anti-war trend in the West did not occur in the Soviet Union, at least when the Red Army was depicted. And this has continued in modern Russia. Any criticism of the Red Army during the War is generally considered as unpatriotic. A good example of the way the Russian film industry treats the War is 'Fortress Brest' (2010).

Yugoslavia

Quite a number of World War II filmss have been made in Yugoslavia. The country was devestated by the war wiyh massive loss of life. It is thus understandable that there would be many film accounts. as most of the films were made during the Communis era, the films why also depicting the Germans as the villsns, do not very acurately depict the role of the non-Communist resistance. A reader in Serbia mentions a film, although he cannot recall the title. It was a 1972 which he viewed on You Tube. The Germans massacared a village. Itappears to have been their reprisal system, dead German meant 100 Serbs killed in reprisal. The children come out of hiding in the village where the killings took place and take up arms against the Germans. They come across a train in the sidings and here voices from the sealed cars. They were wagon full of Jewish children. The story goes on and in the end the children battle the German forces.







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Created: 9:06 PM 10/21/2011
Last updated: 10:16 PM 7/15/2016