Genocide Review

The third and final film I watched was "Genocide", a documentary on the Holocaust. Most American students have studied the horrors of the Holocaust from multiple perspectives by the time they are in college. Films, lecturs, readings such as Anne Frank's Diary, have all situated the Holocaust firmly in our minds as the quintessential human rights violation and the premier example of genocide. This human rights course was no different. Several times over the course of the semester, we have discussed the importance of the Holocaust in the modern day understanding of human rights. Indeed, it was only after the end of WWII in 1945 that a conception of univeral human rights came into existence. The Nuremburg Trials can be seen as the prototype of international justice as the world was forced to innovate in order to deal with destruction on an unparalleled scale.

    The film "Genocide" is an example of a well made documentary on human rights abuses. It chronicles every brutal action undertaken by the Nazi regime and focuses not only on the Jewish experience, but on all those who suffered during that time. The horrifying human rights violations that occured against any "different" group, Jews, gypsies, homosexuals, Slavs and politial opponents are enumerated and elaborated upon. The effect is harrowing but necessary. The documentary rehumanizes those groups that were stripped of their dignity during the Holocaust, and depicts the fact that differences between people are minimal, our similarities are far greater.
   
     The documentary also reflects on the failure of other nations to successfully step up and end the Holocaust, or help sufficiently when they could. The film was very well rounded and depicted the Holocaust from multiple angles. It was extraordinarily educational and informative, and is one of the better documentaries on the Holocaust that I have seen. Though many of the facts were simply repetition, it is perhaps "Genocide"'s refusal to allow modern audiences to become complacent that is most valuable. Most people today know what occurred during the Holocaust, and it is the duty of films such as "Genocide" to remind us of them and force us to feel horror each time. One cannot become desensitized to such tragedy.

    "Genocide" reminds the audience that again, like the Armenian genocide, events such as this are not simply flukes. They have occurred too many times to hope for the best. Instead what is necessary is concentrated action against such hatred. By showing the historic underpinnings of the Holocaust and depicting the lives of the victims before and after, one can see that genocide is always a threat. One must be proactive about preventing genocide, and that perhaps, is the most important message of the film. It is not simply a documentary made for its own sake. It hopes that through depiction, storytelling and reminder, people will be able to see the warning signs before it is too late.