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The Yellow Star: The Persecution of the Jews in Europe - 1933-1945

The Yellow Star: The Persecution of the Jews in Europe - 1933-1945 (1981)

March. 05,1981
|
7.2
| Documentary

This Oscar nominated documentary serves not only as a remembrance but a lesson and a warning for the future. It follows the plight of Europe's Jews during the terrifying period from 1933 until the final defeat of the Third Reich in 1945. Never before had the world seen such contempt for human life on such a grand scale, the murder of an estimated 6 million Jews, with countless others persecuted. During the 1930s a wave of national fervor swept through a tumultuous Germany; people looked for answers, and the politicians were all too willing to point the finger of blame towards the Jewish population. Few, if any, could have foreseen how the views of one man would unfold…that man was Adolf Hitler.

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Reviews

Artivels
1981/03/05

Undescribable Perfection

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ThrillMessage
1981/03/06

There are better movies of two hours length. I loved the actress'performance.

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Guillelmina
1981/03/07

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

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Haven Kaycee
1981/03/08

It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film

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Rodrigo Amaro
1981/03/09

Dieter Hildebrandt's documentary is an interesting and overviewed source with plenty of unseen footage, sound clips and propaganda from WWII and before that, which makes this a must-see film for those who want to learn more about the persecution suffered by the Jews between the decades of 1930 and 1940. More experienced viewers, myself included, won't find this much different from what's presented in several existing documentaries except one thing or another, so it can be a very repetitive experience but worth watching nonetheless.It's all very briefly presented in nine or ten chapters, that goes from Hitler's rise to power (1933), the first laws preventing Jews of doing many things; the magnificent and huge campaign built by the government with the 1936's Olympics and also deceiving the German population into thinking the Jews are part of the nation's problems; 1938's Night of the Broken Glass with attacks to synagogues, stores, many people died or were injured; later on it culminates with war, final solution in the concentration camps and gas chambers.Parallel to that, we are presented some of the Nazi propaganda of the period, one of them is a film (never showed to the public even back then) that paints a friendly picture about "the reality" of the Jews in the labor camps, with the victims happily acting before cameras as if they were working in an ordinary factory. Truly appalling.Technically speaking the movie is very well put together, consisting mostly of archive footage, narrated by a tiring voice and dubbed in some parts during German speeches (captions would be better) or when presenting reflections of people who escaped the persecution. 99% archive, except for one introduction by Simon Wiesenthal, one of the film's producers.Good film, highly informative and historical. 8/10

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