Holocaust Cinema Complete: A History and Analysis of 400 Films, with a Teaching Guide

by Rich Brownstein

Overview

Holocaust movies have become an important segment of world cinema and the de-facto Holocaust education for many. One quarter of all American-produced Holocaust-related feature films have won or been nominated for at least one Oscar. In fact, from 1945 through 1991, half of all American Holocaust features were nominated. Yet most Holocaust movies have fallen through the cracks and few have been commercially successful. This book explores these trends—and many others—with a comprehensive guide to hundreds of films and made-for-television movies.

From Anne Frank to Schindler's List to Jojo Rabbit, more than 400 films are examined from a range of perspectives—historical, chronological, thematic, sociological, geographical and individual. The filmmakers are contextualized, including Charlie Chaplin, Sidney Lumet, Steven Spielberg, Quentin Tarantino and Roman Polanski. Recommendations and reviews of the 50 best Holocaust films are included, along with an educational guide, a detailed listing of all films covered and a four-part index-glossary.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781476684161
Publisher:	McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Publication date:	10/01/2021
Pages:	488
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.98(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

After a career in Hollywood, Rich Brownstein has become a leading international expert concerning the history and use of Holocaust films. He has lectured for Yad Vashem’s International School for Holocaust Studies in Jerusalem, Israel, since 2014.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
Foreword by Tim Blake Nelson
Foreword by Walter Reich
Foreword by Michael Berenbaum and Edward Jacobs
Foreword by David Zucker
Author’s Preface and Introduction
1. Narrative Holocaust Film Basics
Defining Narrative Film
Defining Holocaust Film
Creating a Definitive Holocaust Film List
Grouping Holocaust Films: The “4+1 Genre” System
­Non-Holocaust Films: Shorts, Television Episodes, Documentaries and Miniseries
2. Stats and Eras
Holocaust Film Stats
Four Eras of Holocaust Film
3. Surprising Holocaust Film Traits
Fiction vs. ­Non-Fiction
­Non-American Holocaust Film Production
American Guilt
God, the Holocaust and Holocaust Exploitation
4. The Unavoidables: Elie Wiesel, Anne Frank, Oskar Schindler and Oscar Bait
Elie Wiesel: The Elephant in the Room
Anne Frank: A Microcosm of Holocaust Film
The Black Hole of Holocaust Films: Schindler’s List (1993) & Friends
Oscar Bait
5. A Practical History of Holocaust Filmmaking in Hollywood
6. The Greatest Narrative Holocaust Film Ever Made
7. Roman Polanski and The Pianist (2002)
8. Holocaust Film Curriculum Planning: The “SOFTA” System
Students
Objectives
­Follow-Up
Time
Administrative
Summary
9. Recommended Holocaust Films
The 52 Best Holocaust Films
The Very Best Holocaust Films
Epilogue: Eva.Stories and Holocaust Film Trends
Appendix I: List of Holocaust Films
Appendix II: ­Non-Holocaust Films Often Miscategorized as Holocaust Films
Chapter Notes
Bibliography
Index

Editorial Reviews

More than a reference book, Brownstein’s tome is a work of Holocaust film criticism and a guide for educators teaching the Holocaust through film. Brownstein [is] an international expert concerning the history and use of Holocaust films… This book is an invaluable source on Holocaust films and deserves a wide readership. …highly recommended”—Choice; “Rich Brownstein’s Holocaust Cinema Complete is an asset to every educator and to anyone trying to understand the history of Holocaust films. His research is extensive and impressive, listing every Holocaust film ever produced worldwide. His classification of these films into different genres and topics is invaluable. Teachers are always asking us, ‘what is the best Holocaust film we can use in our classroom?’ Rich has provided a ‘guide for the perplexed’ and specific answers to this and many other questions with which educators grapple. I highly recommend this book for any teacher wishing to use a Holocaust film as part of their classroom experience.”—Ephraim Kaye, Yad Vashem Director of the Jewish World and International Seminars for Educators at Yad Vashem’s International School for Holocaust Studies, from 1994 through 2020

From the Publisher