Holocaust films: Genre Analysis

Over the last fifty years, literally hundreds of films have been created on the subject of the Holocaust. Numerous theories have been put forward to somehow explain the popularity and audiences’ seemingly endless macabre fascination with, what were truly horrendous events in the course world history.

Some theorists have put forward the notion that the genre has proven to be successful because film has become one of the more enduring and effective way of educating, and indeed, transposing facts and ideas to modern generations. This being the case, the proposition of using film to remember and commemorate such events is ultimately assisting the world in ‘bearing witness’ to ensure such atrocities are not able to be repeated.

However, academics argue, perhaps on principle, that films trivialise war for the purpose of creating entertainment and capital gain which diminishes the films role as an educative devise. Often academic’s criticisms are aimed more to film as a communication medium, than to the merits of the films in terms of genre and script.

Other theories put forward have been that it is apparent Jewish monopoly of the Hollywood industry whe

The genre of Holocaust films is not only a commercially viable one but also an enduring one. Over the last couple of decades, the Academy Awards have frequently been awarded to films and documentaries about this subject matter. Spielberg’s ‘Schindler’s List’, Benigni’s ‘Life is Beautiful’ and Polanski’s ‘The Pianist’ are just a few recent examples.

Regardless of why this genre of film is popular, questions of whether it is ethical to portray such events in such graphic detail in a fictional context can arise. Similarly, it has been questioned as to whether using humour, black comedy and melodrama within the context of this genre is somehow lessening or perhaps desensitizing the viewers to the harsh realities of the actualities of the Holocaust.

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