Loyalty

In Hitlerjunge Quex, gender is represented in terms of the good (the National Socialist) men and women and the bad (Communist) men and women. The National Socialist men and women in the film are the ideal representations of the genders. Heini is the epitome of a good boy, as he is a hard worker, respectful and extremely loyal, all qualities that the National Socialists value. Loyalty is his strongest quality, as he saves his mother from his father’s anger and even saves the Nazi Youth from being killed by the dynamite. At the beginning of the film, in fact, one of the characters even tells Heini’s father how much he admires his young son. On the flipside, Heini’s roommate is an example of a bad boy. He is susceptible to Gerda’s temptations, rudely gawks at Ulla’s picture and is not loyal to the party. The dichotomy between the two boys shows the difference between the weak communist youth and the strong Nazi youth.

On the other side, the women in the film are also represented as polar opposites. Gerda is a vamp who uses her sexuality to persuade boys to join the communist party. She represents the unethical women with loose morals that do not fit within the clean-cut, highly structured Nazi world. On the other side, Heini’s mother and Ulla represent the good kind of women. Heini’s mother does everything she can to provide for her son and even goes as far as to commit suicide to save her son. She shares Heini’s loyalty, which is something very important to the Nazi party. Ulla is a nice, wholesome girl who is loyal to the party, to her brother and to Heini.

In the film, loyalty seems to be the most important quality in a good man or a good woman. This is also the message of the film. Although Heini and his mother die because of their loyalties, their deaths are glorified. Heini’s mother is viewed as a martyr, as she sacrifices her life to save her son’s. Heini is killed by the communists but his dying words are about the glory of the flag and the party. They are both satisfied with their sacrifice, as they are loyal to the party and to their loved ones above themselves.