Third Wave of Nazi Film Studies

David Welch, Roel Vande Winkel. Cinema and the Swastika: The International Expansion of Third Reich Cinema. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2007. 342 S. $90.00, cloth, ISBN 978-1-4039-9491-2. Reviewed by Christelle Le Faucheur Published on H-German (October, 2007) Over the last forty years, scholars of Nazi cin‐ though most of them take a political-economic ap‐ ema have produced conceptually and thematical‐ proach and focus on superstructures (activities of ly diverse studies. While the earlier, "traditional" big companies such as Ufa; diplomatic and eco‐ school of Nazi flm historiography focused on is‐ nomic maneuverings of German officials and sues of ideology and propaganda, research in the businessmen; larger historical and political pro‐ 1990s expanded the corpus of flms studied to in‐ cesses against which such processes are to be un‐ clude popular genres such as melodramas and derstood), the authors attempt to investigate the musicals. Such inclusions improved and differen‐ difficult topic of reception. While each country tiated our understanding of flm production and had a specific cinematographic relationship with consumerism in the Third Reich (p. 2). The Germany, common fndings emerge from the di‐ present collection, edited by Roel Vande Winkel verse studies: systematic "restructuring," and David Welch, expands the focus of research "Aryanization," and exploitation of the flm indus‐ outside Germany. Overcoming longstanding lin‐ tries and flm markets; international popularity of guistic limitations on Third Reich flm studies, this German flms and artists; increase in flm atten‐ collection investigates various attempt to infil‐ dance during the war and/or occupation; absence trate--economically, politically, and culturally--the of wartime reality in the cinematographic produc‐ film industries of twenty countries or regions that tions; importance of national cinema in times of Germany occupied, befriended, or with which it crisis; beneficial effects of the Nazi's forced re‐ entertained "neutral" relationships. Twenty-three structuring of national flm industries; and the ex‐ essays introduce the reader for the frst time to a perience of the war as preparation for countries world cinema influenced by Nazi politics. under Soviet influence. The essays are extremely informative, raising After introductory chapters on the German new issues about cultural imperialism and con‐ film industry, the International Film Chamber, sumerism during the National Socialist era. Al‐ and the Hispano Film production company, the H-Net Reviews book's chapters treat Austria, Belgium, Brazil, in the press to reconstruct "the important role this Croatia, the Czechoslovak region, France, Greece, institution's activities and rhetoric played in the Hungary, Italy, Japan, Luxemburg, the Nether‐ Nazi's bid to establish hegemonic control over an lands, Norway, South Africa, southeast Europe, integrated European economic and cultural Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Great Britain, and space" (p. 26). This international organization of the United States. This odd order, which ranges national flm industry representatives from twen‐ from friend to enemy, is not otherwise explained ty-two nations was created in the mid-1930s to ad‐ and seems random. The book does not offer a dress the structural crises of European cinema, transnational study of German global flm politics aggravated by what many perceived as American per se. Rather, it explores the dynamics at play be‐ cultural imperialism. While the IFK was at frst a tween indigenous national flm industries and weak structure used by Germans to promote their Berlin's ruthless attempts at becoming the Euro‐ interests, wartime conditions enabled the Nazis to pean Hollywood. reconfigure IFK into a central organizational, co‐ The editors introduce these "local" studies ercive tool for the diffusion of German cinema in with a detailed assessment of the German flm in‐ wartime Europe. Presenting themselves as the de‐ dustry (1933-45). Using legal, institutional, eco‐ fenders of Europe's national traditions, the Ger‐ nomic, and personal leverage, the National Social‐ man leaders of the IFK ofered an attractive vision ists sought to achieve total control of the media of a "European Cinema for Europe," and some‐ industries. Mandatory membership in the cham‐ times they indeed facilitated significant develop‐ bers of culture was used to control productions; ment of the continent's smaller national cinemas. these organizations excluded "non-Aryans" and But, as Martin shows, the IFK's actions and ideolo‐ massive emigration of talented professionals en‐ gy served nothing so much as the establishment sued. Film censorship increased; the critical as‐ of absolute German hegemony. sessment of art was banned in 1936 in favor of Lisa Jarvinen and Franciso Peredo-Castro's "appropriate" evaluation of flms. The Nazis creat‐ history of the Hispano-Film-Produktion Company ed a new system of symbolic and fnancial incen‐ (HFP) is a concrete example of Germany's global tives to produce of work that conformed to aspirations. A join German-Spanish endeavor dat‐ regime ideology. The regime successfully "nation‐ ing from the start of the Spanish Civil War, its goal alized" the flm industry by creating the huge was to produce and distribute fascist flms for au‐ monolithic institution Ufa-Film G.m.b.H. (Ufi); it diences in Spain and Latin America. In allied or also standardized flm screening by imposing a neutral countries, the German effort to gain con‐ compulsory "cinematic trinity," consisting of trol over the European flm industries took the newsreels, Kulturfilm, and the feature flm (p. 15). form of co-productions, massive fnancial invest‐ This model, designed to enhance flm's propagan‐ ments, and pressure to withhold raw materials. distic potential, was later implemented in occu‐ German attempts to create a star system with in‐ pied territories. By 1939, German cinema had at‐ ternational appeal are illustrated with the story of tained an expertise and technical mastery un‐ the Spanish actress and diva, Imperio Argentina. equaled in Europe. Military expansion guaranteed The authors also trace the intricacies of German unlimited distribution, especially since the Ger‐ involvement in South America. Conflicting Span‐ man government prohibited U.S. flms in occupied ish, German, British, and American interests had Europe for financial as well as political reasons. a strong influence on the indigenous flm indus‐ Benjamin Martin uses publications of the In‐ tries here. After Pearl Harbor, Hollywood black‐ ternational Film Chamber (IFK) and its coverage listed any Latin American company that collabo‐ rated with Axis countries. Mexico's flm industry 2 H-Net Reviews thrived with U.S. help, while Argentine flm pro‐ ence." Although the Flemish flm community duction decreased significantly. hoped to utilize the German occupation to devel‐ "Between Resistance and Collaboration," the op its own flm industry, it quickly became obvi‐ title of Robert von Dassanowsky's essay, accurate‐ ous that Germany considered Belgium simply an‐ ly summarizes the contradictory position of the other export market. German flm stars became Austrian flm industry. As he explains, "five years very popular with a Belgian population that was of Nazi Germany's systematic infiltration of Aus‐ largely opposed to the German occupation. This trian flm production through investment, racial paradoxical situation was, as Vande Winkel ex‐ dictates, and blatant corporate absorption had so plains, far from unique to Belgium. prepared the industry for its new form and role Brazil's relationship with Nazi Germany is at that Berlin was in complete control in a matter of the center of Luiz Nazario's essay. The author days following [the annexation of March 1938]" shows how in the 1930s, "Brazil became one of the (p. 58). Now Jewish artists who had fed to Vienna main targets for Nazi propaganda strategies in in the wake of the nationalization of the German South America--due to its continental dimensions film industry found themselves ostracized once (a vast "vital space"); its numerous German immi‐ more. Dassanowsky shows how the Austrian flm grants established in colonies in the Southern market and industry had been highly dependent States (800,000 to a million added to 80,000 to upon Germany for production and distribution, as 10,000 resident Reich citizens); its large reserve of well as raw materials and fnancial banking. mineral resources, a desired source of raw mate‐ When Austria disappeared as an independent en‐ rial from the Reich economy" (p. 85). The essay de‐ tity, possibilities for independent Austrian flm‐ tails propagandistic fascist efforts and influences making vanished. Berlin and Ufa were to focus on in Brazil. Outspoken admirer of the Nazi regime drama, historical spectacles, and propaganda doc‐ President Getúlio Vargas "reorganized" Brazilian umentaries. Wien-Film was to produce romantic cinema along Nazi structures, including the perse‐ fare, operetta flms, and musicals as the more en‐ cution of Jews, communists, and political undesir‐ tertainment-oriented and more exportable as‐ ables. However, opponents of Brazil's cooperation pects of Reich flm (p. 62). While acknowledging with fascist Italy and Germany, like Oswaldo the overtly propagandistic quality of flms such as Aranha, maintained cultural collaboration with Homecoming (Heimkehr, Gustav Ucicky, 1941), the the United States. Propagandistic Axis-influenced author seems mostly eager to demonstrate the dis‐ works became untenable after the "Brazilian

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