Description
Book Synopsis Holocaust movies have become an important segment of world cinema and the de-facto Holocaust education for many. One quarter of all American-produced Holocaust-related feature films have won or been nominated for at least one Oscar. In fact, from 1945 through 1991, half of all American Holocaust features were nominated. Yet most Holocaust movies have fallen through the cracks and few have been commercially successful. This book explores these trends--and many others--with a comprehensive guide to hundreds of films and made-for-television movies.
From Anne Frank to Schindler''s List to Jojo Rabbit, more than 400 films are examined from a range of perspectives--historical, chronological, thematic, sociological, geographical and individual. The filmmakers are contextualized, including Charlie Chaplin, Sidney Lumet, Steven Spielberg, Quentin Tarantino and Roman Polanski. Recommendations and reviews of the 50 best Holocaust films are included, along with
Trade Review
Rich Brownstein's Holocaust Cinema Complete is wonderful and special. His specific examination of the Anne Frank Diary's complicated print history, as well as his deep dive into the entire Anne Frank cinema sub-genre since the 1950s is extraordinary. As with all other Holocaust cinema, Brownstein recommends the best Anne Frank films, based equally on both their educational and entertainment value. His unique and well documented overview of this sub-genre of Holocaust movies is essential for educators and Anne Frank aficionados alike, as well as for film buffs generally." —Tom Brink, head of publications and presentations at the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam and the producer of the Anne Frank Video Diary
"The proliferation of films whose subject is the Holocaust, whether in its preliminaries, enactments, or aftermath, whether in Europe or the United States, is a continuing phenomenon, worthy of deeper study. Rich Brownstein's achievement in identifying, analyzing, and critiquing the wide-ranging genre will be of immense utility to a variety of readers, whether educators, film critics, historians, or those drawn almost irresistibly to the topic of how to represent the unrepresentable. In an informed and singular voice, Brownstein's exhaustive lists, numerous classifications, and cogent discussions, have provided us with an invaluable service and considerable material for further thought." —Froma I. Zeitlin, Ewing Professor of Greek Language and Literature and professor of comparative literature, emeritus, Princeton University.
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments
Foreword by Tim Blake Nelson
Foreword by Walter Reich
Foreword by Michael Berenbaum and Edward Jacobs
Foreword by David Zucker
Author's Preface and Introduction
1. Narrative Holocaust Film Basics
Defining Narrative Film 13
Defining Holocaust Film 15
Creating a Definitive Holocaust Film List 16
Grouping Holocaust Films: The "4+1 Genre" System 19
Non-Holocaust Films: Shorts, Television Episodes, Documentaries and Miniseries 28
2. Stats and Eras
Holocaust Film Stats 32
Four Eras of Holocaust Film 43
3. Surprising Holocaust Film Traits
Fiction vs. Non-Fiction 55
Non-American Holocaust Film Production 60
American Guilt 70
God, the Holocaust and Holocaust Exploitation 73
4. The Unavoidables: Elie Wiesel, Anne Frank, Oskar Schindler and Oscar Bait
Elie Wiesel: The Elephant in the Room 79
Anne Frank: A Microcosm of Holocaust Film 83
The Black Hole of Holocaust Films: Schindler's List (1993) & Friends 96
Oscar Bait 107
5. A Practical History of Holocaust Filmmaking in Hollywood
6. The Greatest Narrative Holocaust Film Ever Made
7. Roman Polanski and The Pianist (2002)
8. Holocaust Film Curriculum Planning: The "SOFTA" System
Students 158
Objectives 165
Follow-Up 168
Time 173
Administrative 175
Summary 176
9. Recommended Holocaust Films
The 52 Best Holocaust Films 181
The Very Best Holocaust Films 275
Epilogue: Eva.Stories and Holocaust Film Trends
Appendix I: List of Holocaust Films
Appendix II: Non-Holocaust Films Often Miscategorized as Holocaust Films
Chapter Notes
Bibliography
Index
