So a previous post was about a documentary I had watched for one of my units that I'm studying at university (or college, depending on where you're reading from). I thought as we watch a new documentary and have to write about it each week that if I enjoyed it or found it particularly interesting that I would share with you guys. You may find yourself liking something that you didn't expect, or finding something interesting that you hadn't thought much of before.
So last Monday we watched two very different documentaries, I liked both but found one more interesting and more gripping than the other. This documentary was called Night and Fog. Again what I've written about it was originally written for a piece of work we have each week called a viewing diary, but like I said, if I like them I'll share this with you all, just bear in mind it might not be like other reviews or posts I make.
So Night and Fog...
Night and Fog is a French documentary made in 1955 to show people the shocking truths of the war. Using the stock footage and also contemporary shots of the concentration camps, Resnais created this documentary to show how easily it is for people to forget about the horrors of what happened during the war.
Whilst watching Night and Fog I was both interested as I love learning about things such as this that happened in history, but also shocked. Although I had learnt a lot about the war before and how people were treated, seeing footage of it never gets easier and always leaves you thinking how could someone treat people like that. We all know it happened but it is still hard to believe as the events were so extreme. Seeing footage of how the location of the concentration camp looks now still has effects even without seeing what happened there. It is as if there are ghosts of what happened at that time still lurking so it can still shock viewers. Knowing the buildings are still there but abandoned reinforces the eeriness that hangs over the camp.
Even as a short documentary at only 32 minutes long, each shot and each scene makes the viewer feel something for those affected by what happened in those camps. Its like a shocking punch and it seems so unbelievable to think that so many innocent people were put through all that pain and were killed in the Holocaust. So many men, women and children put through hell so that a monstrous dictator could try and get what he wanted. Night and Fog has a huge impact and instantly I felt awful for those that lost so many loved ones.
Resnais's documentary can be seen as propaganda as it is trying to affect the viewers way of thinking and trying to say to them that we cannot forget that this huge life changing event in history took place, and to make people understand that we simply cannot let another thing like this occur. Those millions of people had their lives taken away from them and it is not forgiveable, so how can we see images like those of the bodies being piled up or pushed into pits and simply walk away from it and wash it from our memories. Events like this are made into documentaries and such in order for people to look back upon it and feel the pain for those lost, and work together for a better future where something like this will never happen again.
This documentary is so hard hitting that it has been said to be 'one of the signal artistic achievements of French – and world – post – World War II cinema', he goes on to state how 'Night and Fog has been misperceived to be a Holocaust Film', however although it does cover the events of the Holocaust and how the prisoners were treated it was made to make those watching it realize how easily they could turn away from and so easily forget about it due to it being so very long ago.
I'm not sure if I would recommend this to many people, but I found it interesting as it is such a huge part of history. It does amaze it that events like this are so easily forgotten but I suppose its like the saying goes 'out of sight, out of mind', and as its been so long people just move on.
If you are interested I think you can find the full movie on Youtube, just search Night and Fog.
Hope you don't mind different posts like this, I just find some of these interesting and want to share them on my blog. Until next time my lovelies, thanks for reading :) x
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