How are Jewish people represented in films of the 1930s-1940?

The essay will analyse how Jewish people were represented during the era of World War
2.Jewish people are stereotypically represented as vulnerable and victims in films set in the 1930s
to the 1940s. The contributing factor towards is Hitler, Germanys leader, creating the Aryan race.
The Aryan race consists of individuals having to have a particular physical appearance such as blonde
hair and blue eyes. The films that Im going to be studying are; the boy in the striped pyjamas,
Schindler's List, Defiance and the Eternal Jew. My thesis is; The Jewish people are represented as
vulnerable and victims in films set in 1930s to the 1940s (World War 2 era) and I will use
information to prove my thesis right.
World War 2 occurred in 1939-1945, which Germany fought in as they were the main
country that instigated the war. Germany is seen as the antagonist and the perpetrators in films as
they initiated the war, which would lead to the portrayal of Jewish people as victims because they
had many businesses and therefore, they were represented as greedy. Hitler used the Jewish people
as a scapegoat, blaming them for Germany's economic and social problems. This means that the
Jewish people were no longer needed as the Nazis were now in power. Like Karl Marx exemplifies,
the class difference in films is the main factor that creates the tribulations. Marxists believe that the
class differences are meant to be made so that the bourgeoisie and the proletariat people are
divided into the right groups. Jewish people were stereotypically highly educated, middle class and
had important professions. They were wealthier than working class people who mainly were
Germans and Hitler saw the Jews as greedy, manipulative and selfish.
The Eternal Jew (1940), portrayed Jewish people as wandering cultural parasites,
consumed by sex and money. This film was made to encourage the hatred towards Jewish people as
it represented Jewish people as taking over German land and money. This is because Hitler
manipulated the Germans and made them believe that it was the Jewish peoples fault that they
were positioned lower in the hierarchy; hence the Germans are inferior to the Jewish people
because the Jewish people owned most of the businesses and properties. This created a mutual
hatred towards Jewish people by the public and this formed the negative representations of Jews
such as them being selfish and theyre greed for money. This film was created to pursue the
vulnerability of Jewish people. The film consists of anti-Semitic messages, which represents the idea
of Jewish people being victimized as they are abused. However, they are portrayed as the villain in
the film because the films portrays them a greedy for money, which escalates, resulting in the
Germans rebelling against the Jewish community. Through this, the Nazis gained more power,
which they used to capture the Jewish people from their homes and place them in captivity. Their
vulnerability is represented as the Jewish people try to escape from imminent captivity by the
Germans and flee as they have no other option and cannot fight back from the Germans armed
forces, as they are unarmed. Jewish people are represented as vulnerable people as they have no
way of defending themselves.
In the book Film, Ronald Bregan, claims that over 1,000 films were made under the Nazis
that mostly contained anti-Semitic propaganda pieces. Jews were represented as rich and
pretentious representing them as the antagonist and adversary
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. For example, propaganda was
used in cartoons and expresses them as rich and devouring; the cartoons include signs that show
Jews that are not wanted and they resulted in being stereotypically represented. This embodies
them, as the victims because propaganda was used to create the perceptions of the how the Jews
are profane. This further represents the Jews as victims instead of perpetrators as they are not the
ones creating propaganda but in fact it is the Nazis. Their vulnerability is also shown through the
propaganda as they are represented as egotistic people. This is shown in films that have an ending
which escalates into the Jews losing their wealth as they are too weak to fight back the Germans.
Jewish people are represented similarly in all the films revolving around the holocaust and
this is because Hitler thought that they were not part of the Arian race. In particular Jewish people
are depicted as the victims. Schindlers List, the character Schindler speaks directly to the Jewish
man and tells him that Jews are known to be wealthy and own a lot of businesses. This represents
Jews as being wealthy and the dominant group in society, which led Hitler to harbour hatred for all
Jewish people as he viewed them as having power over true German citizens. The Jews are seen as
malevolent and spiteful by the Germans who believe the Jewish society is trying to usurp Germany.
This makes them victims of the Nazis and also vulnerable. In this film, the Germans treat the Jews
like they are some sort of disease and have no respect at all towards the Jewish citizens and this
created mutual hatred towards the Jewish people which led to the German leaders to prosecute the
Jews. The Germans actions bound the Jews to try and run in fear of being captured. For example,
when the Nazi soldiers were running through the streets shouting cruel lines to indicate their hatred
towards Jews and this causes the Jews to flee. The film revolves around a character name Schindler,
whose greed for money encourages his actions for creating a work camp for himself and employing
Jewish people who he would be in control of and would be cheap labour. The Jews are represented
as vulnerable as they follow the instructions given of working in those camps. They are also
oppressed by Schindler as he forces them to comply to work with him or they would risk getting
beaten by German soldiers. Therefore, the Jews are represented as depraved victims of the society.

In one scene, a number of German Nazi soldiers are seen evacuating a Jewish family from
their home. The Jews belongings indicate that the family is very rich, yet theyre income does not
have an impact on them being thrown out of their home. This indicates that no matter what the
status of a Jewish person is, they will still be left vulnerable and thought to be inferior to German
soldiers. Even though Jews are known to be the wealthiest in Germany, they are being thrown out
of their houses by the Nazis. The Jews have a higher income and population which in this case may
be an advantage for the Nazis as it creates a bigger reason for the Nazis resulting in the idea of
exploiting the Jews. However, the vulnerability of the Jews is exposed as they do not defend
themselves nor try and get away. Hence they boycott the idea of taking a stand against the German
Nazi soldiers or protesting in fear of being punished or being killed. This shows that the Germans
take complete control over their lives and possessions as their belongings are put in the work camps
and are separated into categories so that the Germans may reuse them again. The way the
concentration camp is surrounded by a fence has guards everywhere illustrates how the Jews are
captured and being treated. The idea of the fence is made for them not to escape and it can be seen
as a fence to protect the outside world from the Jews. This represents the Jews as vulnerable as they
follow the commands given. The film includes a scene where the Jewish workers have to separate
the clothes of the Jews that got killed. The miserable face on the Jewish workers shows the pain and
suffering that they are going through as they have to bear with the idea that a Jew that got killed
wore this type of clothing. The Jewish workers are all displayed as thin as possible and also as weak.
This contradicts the view of the Jews because Jews are seen to be rich and fat as they earned a lot of
money. Karl Marx states, that the bourgeoisie treat the proletariat lower than them so they do not
merge together as the idea of different classes was a benefit for the bourgeoisie. This victimises the
Jews and depicts them as being oppressed as it is fundamental for them to follow the
commandment given by German Nazi soldiers.


In Schindlers List, the Nazi soldier in charge of building the work camps demonstrates acts of
cruelty, greed and his ambitions for conflict as well as self-centeredness. He views Jewish people as
vermin, creatures unworthy of possessing basic human rights. The method of shooting a Jew in the
head is a repetitive action that occurs. This shows the pure hatred the Nazis have of the Jews. It
symbolises the life being bled out of the Jewish lives which satisfies the Nazis. This represents the
Jews as victims because they are attacked out of hatred and not of an actual reason. They are
represented as vulnerable as they get shot in the head repeatedly without any remorse as the Jews
have no right to object. Young women are represented in this film, as fulfilments of the Nazis sexual
needs. This is seen in the film because the Nazi soldier in charge develops lustful desire for his Jewish
maid. This shows that the maid is treated like she is not worth anything as he beats her violently.
Mulvey states that in films, women are viewed as sexual objects by male characters. This is clearly
seen in this scene. The vulnerability of the Jewish women is shown through the actions that the
Nazis undertake. Following orders is not seen as a choice but is compulsory thus creating fear in the
women. The idea of using the maid as pleasure as well as cleaning, instigates that the Nazis can do
as pleased and the women must cooperate with what is told. In the Nazis view, the idea of being in
control of their own maid insinuates their ego as they believe that through making the maid suffer,
they are making the whole Jewish nation suffer. This also shows that the Nazis believe that by taking
the Jewish women they have a certain possession over the Jews which they can use and exploit as
much as they want. This represents the Jewish women as victims because the Nazi's attack them
through sexual violence. The little Jewish girl that hides underneath a bed represents the Jewish
nation as vulnerable and scared of German Nazis. Her fear of being seized and dispatched from her
home into a concentration camp indicates that Jews have no other choice but to hide. The idea of
someone hiding is usually the idea of someone fleeing from a brutal antagonist. This can reflect to
the Jews in hiding. Therefore, the Jewish people are represented as vulnerable victims due to the
way they are treated.
The Book Thief demonstrates the vulnerability and victimising of the Jews. In this film, a
German family keeps a Jewish man in hiding due to the Jews being captured. Propaganda is
illustrated towards the German public through posters that depict the Jews as conceited and
rapacious. For example, newspapers in Germany, above all Der Strmer (The Attacker), printed
cartoons that used anti-Semitic caricatures to depict Jews. This displayed Jews in a negative way and
that led to the increase in the hatred for Jews. The Jewish man that is hiding from the Nazis
represents the Jews as vulnerable and a victim as his only resort is to hide. They cannot oppose the
Nazi forces as they are aware they will be executed. This is because the Nazis main attacks and
captures are aimed towards the Jews. The only way the Jews may seek some freedom is through
escapism, as it will bring them to a safer area as well as protection. Instead of making them leave the
country, the Nazis insisted that they must be tormented and suffer desolation. The Jews that find
out the truth of what is destined for them run away. This impersonates the Jews as petrified because
they can do nothing to stop these horrendous actions of the Jews. As the idea of being captured is
seen as appalling, the only option is either to hide or run away. The Jews are represented as
vulnerable through the Jewish man who is frightful of the Nazis as he knows what they are capable
of doing. Hitler reproduced in photos, film, and radio broadcasts, becomes a symbol of power and
leadership for those who follow him, and a symbol of horror and terror for his targets. The targeted
people are the Jews. Hitlers position gives him the opportunity to exterminate anything related to
Jews such as books written by Jews. For the Nazis, the books represent the Jewish nation and by
burning the books, it symbolises for them the extinguishing of the Jewish people. This represents
how the Jews are vulnerable as not even their books have any significance in the Nazis lives, as there
is no one to stop this event to happen.
The Eternal Jew represents the Jews in a negative way as being the victims. This film represents
them as prosecutors as the film shows how the Jews are the main aspect for the problems the
Germany is facing. The film delivers the stereotypical message of the Jews being bloated with money
as they own most business and even though they are rich, their houses are shown as filthy from the
inside to show that the Jews actually dont care about hygiene as their minds has taken over by their
egos due to them earning a lot of money. However as the film gradually comes to the final scenes,
original shots of a kosher butchering are revealed. These scenes instigated disgusting thoughts in the
Germans minds of the Jews as the Jews are represented as brutal and unbearable for the Germans.
This finished with the Germans instigating their distaste towards the Jews. This represents the Jews
as the victims, as the propaganda is used to illustrate false ideas into the Germans heads about the
Jews as the kosher butchering is a religious action in which is not described to the Germans. Thus,
the Germans mutual hatred develops and the Jews become the victims of the society as they are
presented in these films as violent as well as patronizing in the eye of the Germans.
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas represents the Jews as victims in the film. The film consists of
a boy that is the son of a Nazi soldier who befriends a Jewish boy that is stuck in a concentration
camp. The little Jewish boy called Shmuel is displayed as a hungry little Jewish boy who is lonely. This
contradicts the idea of Jews as Jews are seen to be wealthy and popular. However, due to the
concentration camp, the Nazis have eaten their lives out of them. The little boy is represented as
vulnerable as he is afraid of being captured by the Nazi soldiers. This shows the brutality that the
Nazis enforce onto the Jewish workers. Even though Shmuel is just a little boy he has to take part in
labour work. The idea of the Jewish boy working for the Nazis can be so that the Nazis want the
Jews to work for them to make them suffer as the Jews have lived a wealthy and honourable life
before. This represents the Jews as vulnerable because they are suffering now under the Nazi's
control. Shmuel eats roughly when he gains a piece of bread from his friend. This represents them as
vulnerable victims because the Jewish people are being starved and gain less food. This can also be
seen as done because the Nazis want the Jews to feel like they have lost everything and they dont
deserve to have the luxury of eating a good amount of food. Therefore, he represents the Jews as
victims of the society as they are blamed for the wealth of Germany and this makes them get
treated in a harsh way by the Nazis so that they can assure that the Jews learn their lesson. The
vulnerability is exposed through scenes and this elaborates the idea of their vulnerability. For
example, a scene which illustrates a Nazi camp in The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, all the Jewish
inmates are emaciated and forced to hard labour depicting their vulnerability against the Nazis and
also as victims, because they are tormented and starved by the Nazi portraying them as victims of
Nazi abuse.
Defiance represents the Jews as vulnerable. The Jewish people that have to fend for them in
the forest show how vulnerable they are, as they had to leave their homes. This includes them
having to look for shelter, food and equipment to provide them with hunting equipment. The idea of
Jewish people living in the forest shows how much control the German have over the Jews as they
have to leave their homes to hide from the German soldiers. This also represents them as victims as
they are the victims of the German people because they are seen as the depraved and egoistic. The
idea of the Jews fleeing for safety connotes how they are vulnerable due to their action of not being
able to defend themselves. The act of vulnerability is discovered through the children cowering away
when they are captured by soldiers as they are not struggling to get free. This can be compared to
the film 'Schindler's List', as they are too represented as vulnerable because they are fleeing from
the German Nazi soldiers.
In conclusion, my thesis is proven true from the information that I have collected as the
representation of the Jewish majority is that they are vulnerable and victims and this is portrayed in
all the films. I have analysed the different scenes and this has created a further understanding of the
representation of Jews.