Imagine you were writing a paper on the Broken Jug. How would you address its position as a Nazi film? Some helpful ways of thinking of this question (you do not need to use all of them or any of them!) What categories would you use to answer this question? How does the film associate with Nazi culture? How might you organize your argument?
The Broken Jug did not immediately strike me as a Nazi film, even though I knew it was. The movie centers around a fool and was based on sticky situations and slapstick comedy for laughs, all characteristics of comedies and not necessarily Nazism. However, upon further review, these characteristics of comedies can easily double as tools to further the Nazis’ cause. If I were to write a paper on The Broken Jug as a Nazi film, I would show how certain aspects of the film were used for comedic and propaganda purposes.
The “fool” (Judge Adam) represents the opposite of the ideal German man. He is a fat, clumsy and gluttonous drunkard. Although his job is to maintain order, he is the actual criminal and attempts to punish an innocent man for his own crimes. Instead of taking responsibility for his crime, he puts himself before everyone else and tries to protect his reputation and livelihood. The film uses him as the example of the weak, cowardly and greedy person, the opposite of the ideal for which they strive.
The sticky situations are comical in that we can see the characters trying to squirm out of them but are also telling of the Nazi agenda. Adam is forced to make up lies to cover for his missing wig, scars and lack of knowledge of the legal system. Instead of owning up to his shortcomings, he tries to weasel his way out. While his lies brought hilarious consequences, they showed how weak and cowardly he was, which ultimately led to his demise. This is another example of the ideal man shown by the Nazis and is persuasive as a Nazi film.
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