How women "should" behave, as presented in Hitlerjunge Quex

In Nazi Germany, women were expected to carry themselves in a certain way, different from the way in which men carry themselves. Although the film Hitlerjunge Quex never speaks directly to the role of women under National Socialism, it uses extensive imagery to distinguish the “good” women of the Nazi Party from the “bad” women of the Communist Party. The women of the Nazi Party behave in such a way that distinguishes them from the men; acceptable activities for men may not be acceptable for women. The women of the Communist Party, however, are less distinguishable from the men in their party, in terms of behavioral choices.
The women that are connected with the Communist Party in the film are presented in a much crasser and less-traditionally effeminate way, relative the portrayal of the women in the Nazi Party. Unlike the pure and well-behaved women of the Nazi Party, they smoke cigarettes, drink alcohol excessively, and very importantly wear pants. These women have completely abandoned traditional expectations of women. They are not lady-like in a stereotypical sense, except for their use of make-up, which was taboo under the Nazi regime. Things such as lipstick were signs of lost innocence and women who stooped to that level, women like those of the Communist Party, are portrayed almost as barbaric in the film.
In contrast to the portrayal of communist women in Hitlerjunge Quex, the women of the Nazi Party are portrayed very positively in the film. They wear dresses, which symbolizes their acceptance of the traditional female role (pants are for men). Furthermore, they do not wear make-up and lipstick, which, through the film’s context, signifies their innocence and purity. The women of the Nazi Party do not smoke cigarettes in the film, further establishing their role as innocent and pure.
In many ways, Hitlerjunge Quex uses the same methods to manipulate the audience’s perception of women as it does to manipulate the audience’s perception of the two parties. Throughout the film the Communists are shown to be wild individuals without manners or self-restraint. Meanwhile, the National Socialists are displayed as very disciplined and well-behaved. These impressions are reinforced by the portrayals of women in the respective parties: the communist women are barbaric and vulgar, much like the rest of their party, while the women of the Nazi Party retain their dignity by maintaining their self-respect and not participating in activities (such as smoking and wearing pants) that “should” only be done by males.