Night and Fog or the Shindler's List

University Degree Historical and Philosophical studies

Emir Kisagun

NIGHT AND FOG OR THE SHINDLER’S LIST

Night and Fog by Alain Resnais and Schindler’s List by Steven Speilberg were respectively the first and the last movies that are about the Holocaust. After reading Speilberg’s Oskar by Omer Bartov, which states different ways of representing the Holocaust, without any doubt, one is disturbed by his question: Can documentaries be used more effectively and truthfully than fictions? As this paper is written to find an answer to this question, examples of both documentary and fiction representations will be compared by analyzing the sudden reaction of Alain Resnais with Night and Fog, which is rebelling and the Schindler’s List of Steven Speilberg, which is the first, probably the last movie possessing “hope” about the Holocaust. . As a result of the analyze, the reasons why Night and Fog is a better representation of the Holocaust compared to Schindler’s List will be mentioned.

Schindler’s List, which is the latest movie about the Holocaust, is probably the most spectacular one also, takes a more hopeful, positive side about the Holocaust compared to other representations. The talent of Steven Speilberg combined with the use of technology of the 90s resulted in an extraordinary work, not only addressing the Holocaust, but also the human values. The movie is about one man, Oskar Schindler, who risked everything to save a group of Jews, even recovered them from certain death. This award-winning movie by Steven Spielberg succeeded to provide insight to the nature of Nazi brutality and also shows the labor system, which is set up by the Nazis, along with the death camps.

This work is certainly one of the excellence of Hollywood. Until the apparition of the Schindler’s List spectators have only seen movies about the Holocaust, which all are about the death camps or gas chambers. Therefore, supposing that it was just another one of the previous depressing movies, which was describing Auschwitz, Treblinka or another one with all its reality, one might not want to see the Schindler’s List. After all, it is for sure that, the appearance of this movie on the screen was extremely interesting, so satisfying for the spectator because of its uniqueness. Steven Speilberg, who has directed or produced six of the twenty top grossing films of all time, is considered as the genius of the cinema of our century. He might have decided to make this movie in order to be the first and the only director among the Holocaust moviemakers. Accordingly, Schindler’s List has a special place among the works about the Holocaust, as it is the first and the only movie holding a positive side. However, its being unique does not make it a representative of the Holocaust.

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On the other hand, another award winning Night and Fog, directed by one of the most reputable personality of the French cinema, Alain Resnais, was the first movie produced about the Holocaust. In other words, it was the first reaction to the Holocaust, although it came ten years later. Because of the lack of the technology in the field of cinema at that time, Night and Fog has the influence of a superficially made movie; no artist, no story, just commentary. Everything was brought to screen as it was, heads moving in the bulldozer or the fingerprint of the victims in the gas chambers. In short, this movie shows the description of the horrifying reality of the camps without any restrictions. This work of Alain Resnais gives the impression of a disturbing documentary on the concentration camps of Nazi Germany rather than a fiction movie. At that time, it should have helped a lot of people to understand what the Holocaust was like, but especially the concentration camps, although Jews are not mentioned in the work.

One considers the big gap between these works as a result of the time, which made the Holocaust less important in 1993 than it was in the year of 1955. The difference of approximately forty years might have caused the apparition of a more positive movie, in other words, a movie which may be more fictional, but not containing the horrifying reality of the Holocaust. Without any doubt, Schindler’s List is still very grieving, and it makes people feel terrible and cry, but at least, it does not show the horrible reality that people used to see.

If, today, the discussion of representation for these works was brought up, Night and Fog by Alain Resnais would fit better to the requirements of a Holocaust representation compared to Steven Speilberg’s Schindler’s List. Some people say that Night and Fog is too old and some of the events might not have been discovered, but as a documentary, it is very natural, neither exaggerated like other Holocaust movies, nor like happily ending ones, including Schindler’s List. In the movie, the concentration camps, with the fingerprints, and some recordings from the World War II, which have nothing to do with discovering events during the Holocaust, are exposed to the viewer. It is also another point of view that Night and Fog is too short for a representation. Yes, it is short, but it is very precise, just focusing the Holocaust and especially the concentration camps. It is neither like Claude Lanzmannz’s Shoah, which is boring and lasts nearly ten hours, nor like fictional ones, during which, I curiously wait the end of the movie rather than paying attention of details of the event or environment.

First of all, a representative of the Holocaust should be natural. Steven Speilberg gave the impression of making a more pleasant one. The nude woman in the lines and showers were very attractive compared to those of other Holocaust movies. Another point, which is an effort toward a more pleasant movie to was to produce this work in black and white made this movie more censured, if this movie was in color, some of the carnage scenes would be just intolerable to watch for the spectator. After these observations, it seems that Steven Speilberg intentionally made the movie more watchable. Secondly, a representation of the Holocaust should look only into the Holocaust, should not be like a drama. After watching Schindler’s List, although the questions like who is responsible for the Holocaust might appear in one’s mind, the main idea will certainly be the kindness of Oskar Schindler, who gave a hand to his Jew workers. On the other hand, right after watching it, the documentary of Alain Resnais made people ask questions like; who is responsible for the Holocaust? How could mankind allow these horrifying camps to exist? How people did believe Hitler? which are the most common questions after experiencing a Holocaust representation.

To sum up, it is for sure that Schindler’s List is one the best works of the cinema and Holocaust history, despite its damning Hollywood label and children’s adventure movies director. Although the subject was very interesting and well accepted bay the audience, this movie cannot be a representative of the Holocaust as it does not fit into the requirements of the Holocaust representation. The Schindler’s List is not only a Holocaust movie, but also a true story, a drama, a war movie. A Holocaust representation should only be about the Holocaust, and preferably should contain no artist and no story. Therefore, Night and Fog appears to be maybe not the best, but a better representation of the Holocaust compared to Schindler’s List, with only natural exposures of the event.

Emir,

Your argument is now much more balanced and complex. To make it stronger, it should have a stronger main claim so the reader can see where you are going. Also, you currently swing from Night and Fog to Schindler's List then back to Night and Fog. Try to do one then the other. Either begin with SL and build up to the point that Night and Fog is more representative or begin with Night and Fog and build up to the point that SL has a good, positive message, depending on which point you want to emphasize. I thought the point that a hopeful message in a Holocaust film can be powerful was a good point (though you made it a bit too strong last time), and it seems to get downplayed here. Anyway, your writing is definitely improving.

B-

This main claim is very vague and doesn't help the reader to follow the argument to come. You should mention that you think SL is good in the way that it presents a hopeful message, but Night and Fog is ultimately more representative. Then the reader will know where you are heading.

resulted in

human values

Was the film quickly made by virtue of appearing "only" 10 years after the war? And in what ways does it seem quickly made?

I think you mean to say "fiction movie."

good, balanced point

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The way that many parts of this sentence are pieced together sounds awkward. One might say, "Some people say that N+F is too old and some of the events might not have been discovered, but as a documtary, it is very natural . . . "

who says this?

Good point; well stated

The passive voice, "it is assumed" sounds awkward. Who assumed? You might say, "it seems that Spielberg . . . " But do you think the black and white was meant to make the film more watchable?