- 368 pages
- English
- PDF
- Available on iOS & Android
About this book
From the late 1930s to the early twenty-first century, European and American filmmakers have displayed an enduring fascination with Nazi leaders, rituals, and symbols, making scores of films from Confessions of a Nazi Spy (1939) and Watch on the Rhine (1943) through Des Teufels General (The Devil's General, 1955) and Pasqualino settebellezze (Seven Beauties, 1975), up to Der Untergang (Downfall, 2004), Inglourious Basterds (2009), and beyond.
Probing the emotional sources and effects of this fascination, Sabine Hake looks at the historical relationship between film and fascism and its far-reaching implications for mass culture, media society, and political life. In confronting the specter and spectacle of fascist power, these films not only depict historical figures and events but also demand emotional responses from their audiences, infusing the abstract ideals of democracy, liberalism, and pluralism with new meaning and relevance.
Hake underscores her argument with a comprehensive discussion of films, including perspectives on production history, film authorship, reception history, and questions of performance, spectatorship, and intertextuality. Chapters focus on the Hollywood anti-Nazi films of the 1940s, the West German anti-Nazi films of the 1950s, the East German anti-fascist films of the 1960s, the Italian "Naziploitation" films of the 1970s, and issues related to fascist aesthetics, the ethics of resistance, and questions of historicization in films of the 1980s–2000s from the United States and numerous European countries.
Frequently asked questions
- Essential is ideal for learners and professionals who enjoy exploring a wide range of subjects. Access the Essential Library with 800,000+ trusted titles and best-sellers across business, personal growth, and the humanities. Includes unlimited reading time and Standard Read Aloud voice.
- Complete: Perfect for advanced learners and researchers needing full, unrestricted access. Unlock 1.4M+ books across hundreds of subjects, including academic and specialized titles. The Complete Plan also includes advanced features like Premium Read Aloud and Research Assistant.
Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app.
Information
Table of contents
- Contents
- List of Illustrations
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction
- 1. Democracy in Action: The Hollywood Anti-Nazi Films of the 1940s
- 2. Resistance to the Resistance: Denazification and Democratization in 1950s West German Cinema
- 3. Melancholy Antifascism: The East German Antifascist Films of the 1960s and 1970s
- 4. Between Art and Exploitation: Fascism and the Politics of Sexuality in 1970s Italian Cinema
- 5. Postpolitical Affects and Intertextual Effects: On Moloch and Inglourious Basterds
- 6. Postfascist Identity Politics: European Resistance Films in the New Millennium
- 7. Entombing the Nazi Past: On Downfall and Historicism
- Notes
- Index of Names
- Index of Films