The Effect of the Films on the German Youth

            While Hamilton’s entire article provides a fascinating insight into the effect of the Nazi movement on the German youth immediately following Hitler’s rise to power, I think it is her comparison and analysis of how and why the Nazi party was more effective than the Communist party at recruiting young people that is most interesting.  Hamilton explains that the Communist theme of a universal brotherhood and unity with the working class was too vague and far-reaching to really appeal to young people, whereas Nazi ideology gave the German youth a tangible sense of national identity through their promotion of German heritage, as well as provided them with a universal enemy in the Jew.  Kuhle Wampe and Hitler Youth Quex are both perfect cinematic representations of these two ideologies and their attempt to gain a youthful following.  Kuhle Wampe, with its highly stylized “epic theatre,” slow progression, and lack of identifiable characters, would not have been particularly appealing to young audiences.  The basic ideology of Communism is communicated in the film, but it is not highly recognizable, and there is no clear organization or group to attach a loyalty to in the film.  Unlike the Hitler Youth that is clearly extolled and appears appealing in Hitler Youth Quex, Kuhle Wampe does not present the German youth with a solid organization to join.  Furthermore, while Hitler Youth Quex presents Heini as an identifiable character and martyr for German youth to look up to and emulate, the characters in Kuhle Wampe are less sympathetic and relatable.  As Hamilton explains in her article, the Hitler Youth movement, as Hitler Youth Quex exemplifies, gave the German youth a “hero” to look up to and an ideal to aspire to in Hitler, whereas the Communist movement had little to offer in terms of a living hero of the cause.  Finally, the Hitler Youth movement encouraged young people to dedicate themselves to the cause out of patriotism and dedication to their homeland, giving them a sense of pride that they may not have had in anything before.  On the contrary, as is exemplified in Kuhle Wampe, the Communists attempted to persuade the German youth to join an intangible international community that hardly would have had the same appeal as the exclusivity of being an ethnic German.  After reading Hamilton’s interpretation of the differing impacts of Communism and Nazism on the German youth, the movies Hitler Youth Quex and Kuhle Wampe now seem to be cinematic representations of each party’s strategy in recruiting the youth of Germany.