The Broken Jug as Subtle Nazi Propaganda

There are many ways that you could go about proving that The Broken Jug is a facet of Nazi propaganda, but in my opinion the primary use of Nazi ideology in the movie is the justification of the Nazi eugenics agenda. Having been released in 1937, the movie was being screened after many of the Nazi T4 experiments and euthanasia programs had already been initiated without the knowledge of the public. However, the public was well aware of Nazi racial ideology and the promotion of physical perfection. The Nazis sought to rid Western society of all physical and mental imperfections in the attempt to make a master race of strong Nordic peoples, in other words a people that represented the antithesis of Judge Adam. In the Broken Jug, Adam seems to represent everything that the Nazis disapproved of: his body would have been considered atypical for a svelte German soldier, he regularly engaged in overeating and heavy drinking, he showed very little respect to women (as demonstrated by his treatment of Evie, as well as his daughters), and he slacked off on his job of upholding the law. This inability of Adam to uphold the law is another facet of Nazi ideology embedded in the film. There is a clear message from the filmmakers that in order for society to function properly, there must be competent lawmakers and judges to protect society. The choreography of chaos at the end was a clear metaphor for what happens to society when there is a lack of leadership, which would have been meant to resonate with audience members as a representation of post-World War I Germany. Furthermore, the idea of Adam’s excessive behavior and inability to maintain order share a clear link in the film: his heavy drinking the night before the “trial” for the broken jug resulted in his being unprepared to host the visiting judge. The Broken Jug set up for German audiences a relatable anti-hero in Judge Adam, for he is not intended to be an evil villain such as the Communists are depicted in other movies, but a product of excess and a lack of self control. The film can be construed as subtly sending Nazi-coded messages to the audience concerning physical restraint and attention to order.