2004, USA
Documentary, Drama, History, War
Hollywood turns the camera on itself by examining the chronology of films that have represented the Holocaust in Imaginary Witness: Hollywood and the Holocaust, from the first deadly rumors to the next generation of Americans who hear the stories second-hand.
Director Daniel Anker compiles a history of the Holocaust as seen through a uniquely American lens, questioning the responsibility of accurately portraying the horrendous travesty. Recognizing that hindsight is 20/20, America dropped the ball in acknowledging the foreshadowing of the Nazis' genocide of the Jews. As racism radiated without check (and the film eventually acknowledges America's treatment of its non-white population at the time), some films attempted to make statements, quiet though they may have been.
The documentary harks back to neutral news reels which perkily discuss young Nazi book burnings and filmmakers of the 1930s who did not want to upset their German investors to the point of permitting the firing of German Jewish employees despite their American counterparts' similar heritage. If the topic of Nazi treatment of the Jews was ever breached in a film, it was never direct. Director Sidney Lumet claims he never even heard the word "Jew" in a movie until he saw Charlie Chaplin's biting 1940 comedy, The Great Dictator. Imaginary Witness pinpoints this film as a turning point in labeling Hitler not merely as a land grabber but as a mastermind killer.
At the close of World War II, 12 Hollywood moguls were invited to the Dachau concentration camp by General Eisenhower to bear witness to the conditions and survivors so that they may convey this atrocity in their films. It is the ability to truly bear witness that becomes the crux of the documentary -- the courage to present the truth, the focus to fictionalize without over- or under-dramatizing, and the respect needed to properly represent the victims.
The film is as thorough as it can be in 90 minutes, and the interviews with various film historians and directors are thoughtful and direct. In a year when many audiences feel overwhelmed by an abundance of films concerning the Iraq War, it is important to reflect on the freedom of expression and the power of film. As the documentary touches on the House Committee on Un-American Activities' investigation of the motion picture industry, it becomes apparent that the ability to convey the truth can be a battle hard won.
There is a balance to presenting history honestly yet also uniquely enough that the audience is engaged. When history has not yet past, filmmakers risk endangering their own careers by making political statements, but they also risk their conscience by ignoring the truths laid before them. When the truth is so horrific, how does a film begin to tackle the subject? Imaginary Witness applies harsh criticism to those who ignored the elephant in the room while acknowledging the heavy burden of those who chose to provide answers for future generations through their films.