Hitler’s Hollywood Is A Lovely Veil Of Horrors
When a historical nightmare occurs it can distort every facet of society, in particular the arts. Artistic expression is molded by the tides of events. If a society goes completely mad, its artistic processes will be a reflection of the disease. This is ever so evident in the evolution of fascist societies. Rüdiger Suchsland’s brilliant, unnerving yet captivating new documentary, Hitler’s Hollywood, is a work of dark reverie and critical study. It challenges the viewer to ponder the very meaning of the word “beauty,” and to wonder in disturbed awe if fascism can indeed produce beautiful works. Moments in this documentary are indeed so luminous that the spectator cannot help but drink in the imagery, even if we are aware that it is all merely a veil for horrors.
Hitler’s Hollywood is a kind of sequel to Suchsland’s previous work, From Caligari to Hitler, which was based on the seminal book by critic Siegfried Kracauer. That film was a study of German cinema during the Weimar Republic, digging into the psyche of titles like M, Metropolis and Nosferatu to dissect the state of a society preparing itself for Nazism. In this new film Adolf Hitler has already taken power, the economic crisis of the 1920s has receded, anti-Semitism is becoming a national philosophy, and fascism has bred a new culture of utopian hopes. The public is therefore ready for a cinema that will crystalize its daydreams. Of course one must have control over the dream factory itself. As renowned artists such as Fritz Lang and Marlene Dietrich fled Germany for Hollywood, those who stayed behind would form part of UFA, the only major film studio left standing after the Nazi government nationalized it following the shutdown of everyone else. Propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels proceeded to create a fascist twin to Hollywood, commissioning the production of every major genre of the period, except horror films and crime movies (it would have been a tad too close to mirroring the actual regime).
To read Rengifo’s full review, go to Riot Material magazine: https://www.riotmaterial.com/hitlers-hollywood-lovely-veil-of-horrors/
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