Jud Süss - Film ohne Gewissen

German movies about the Nazi dictatorship are usually heavily subsidised, but nothing to write home about (which actually goes for most German movies these days). "Jud Süß -- Film ohne Gewissen" by Oscar Roehler stands out because it tries to go beyond the simplistic message that "the Nazis were evil". Instead it honestly tries to explore the fact why an actor who didn't sympathise with the Nazis nevertheless chose to play lead in Veit Harlan's antisemitic "masterpiece". We witness Ferdinand Marian getting sucked deep into the heart of darkness. Oscar Roehler also takes a good look at the sexual life of the fascist bohème, with an impressive performance by Gudrun Landgrebe, who looks unbelievably foxy despite her sixty years of age.

This was also the only movie I can think of that displays survivors of the Nazi death machine not as saintly survivors but as brutalised human beings.

That said, I take umbrage at four aspects of this movie:

* the -- pardon my French -- overly drastic fellatio scene between Goebbels and housemaid Britta, who wears a golden swastika pendant to hammer home the fact that she's a Nazi slag (and while I'm at it, the actress playing her, Anna Unterberger, is far to blonde and svelte for a realistic housemaid)

* in the movie, Ferdinand Marian's wife Anna is a "semi-Jewess" who is eventually murdered by the Nazis while Marian lives the high life of a Nazi A-list actor; in reality she wasn't Jewish (although she had previously been married to a Jew and in consequence her daughter was "half Jewish"), and survived her husband by three years; in my book, that alteration was hammy and unfair game

* unlike displayed in the movie, Marian probably died in an "ordinary" traffic accident and didn't commit suicide

* I didn't get the scene where Marian is in a nightclub in Prague with a transvestite; also, in that same scene we see a German soldier firing into the crowd with his Luger, a histrionic scene which would have resulted in carnage plus a court martial for the shooter

You have to view these criticisms in the light that this movie was booed at the Berlinale, ostracised by many critics, and the highest Jewish representative in Germany even called for it to be banned. Of course everyone is free to dislike and criticise this movie, but I simply don't understand what caused this massive rejection of a serious, well-made and captivating movie.

PS: for reference, if you want a movie that really deals with Nazism in an inappropriate manner, check out "Der Vorleser".

Why was this film talked against at Berlinale? I find it excellent. It is very interesting story about what happened to actor Marian who acted in Jew Suss. We are still not sure, but I heard that some soldiers of some country who occupied Germany at that time killed him. Nobody is sure.

It is very important to explore Nazi propaganda films, it was an interesting time in the history of film making in Germany at that time. I wished Nazi period never happened, but it did and left a legacy in film making that Germany and UFA should not be proud of.

I would definitely recommend this film for all people who want to know about what happened to film making during Nazi period. We should explore further what happened to the actor Ferdinand Marian.

German films about Nazism often face the evil eye from reviewers. No exception in this case. Director Oskar Roehler clarified; "Our aim was to enter the innermost sanctum of Nazi high society, and to portray how seducible artists were in the Third Reich". The Third Reich is not to be trifled with. Not now, when we finally have mapped and interpreted Nazism forever. This film delivers a different message and conclusion. De- demonizing the clowns and incarcerating the followers. Many have been outraged by the unabashed rough sex between Gudrun Landgrebe's and Tobias Moretti's characters. Not to mention the brilliant scene where the merrymaking German locals whines about the crumbs that the American liberators hands over to the surviving camp inmates. "Jud Süss" is played out as the war operetta it was. Blind, boisterous, excessive, orgastic, self-indulgent, greedy, in curling pastel colors. Much like Fassbinder's "Lili Marleen" or Szabó's "Mephisto". Nazism and its demons is still a moneymaker in the media world.

This is a fascinating and gripping film. I heard it was discredited at the Berlin Film Festival, but I cannot understand why. Whoever says it's a bad movie, is some sour critic with a bad taste, and when these are together, they infect one another mutually with their moods (or they think it chic to have this view). Nobody should avoid this film only because of their view of it. Nobody but you yourself knows your taste, and the way in which something enters your mind in the strongest way.

And nobody really knows the details that happened to Ferdinand Marian, the exact words that were said, the exact situations. A historical piece like this is never absolutely correct,the real proceedings are lost to us, and therefore different angles of view are allowed, and should be seen as such. And this one was a very fascinating interpretation, that held me captive until the end. This means especially the view on Goebbels, and I'll never forget the color that Moritz Bleibtreu gave him.

This is a very delicate subject and the filmmaker at hand might not have been the best choice. His directing (Moritz B. as Goebbels would have needed some guidance), his poor choices in staging some scenes and other flaws become very apparent.

On the other hand, he is not afraid to go places, that others might not have dared (an intercourse that is so absurd, it's almost funny, if it weren't tragic ... and a scene you will either love or hate). Of course the faux documentary style tries to recreate a feeling of what happened back then. But the fact, that he was just a director for hire, seems to apparent.

He did not really check or confront himself too much with the story. Instead opting on doing what he got from the script (or his interpretation of it). And it's a shame that some powerful scenes such a the one in a tent, were the movie is shown, with reactions, is getting sidetracked and completely dismissed by the next set-up outside the tent, when it seems to be a completely different movie, with no class or style attached to it.

Moretti on the other hand (as most actors), try their best. You cannot fault him (or his "wife" in the movie) for any shortcomings of the end result. With a subject matter like this you could expect a better movie. Some parts are really good and it's ambiguity is still something I cherish (that's why I rated it so "high"). Still there is no constant flow and the mood is all over the place ... same goes for Bleibtreus Goebbels ...