Subtelty versus Blatancy in Nazi Propaganda

Although both Jew Süß and The Eternal Jew are retellings of “historical” events, the manner in which they go about retelling the events are very different. Both films rely heavily on visuals to promote Nazi ideals of anti-Semitism, however, Jew Süß delivers its message in a more discrete way than The Eternal Jew, which likely allowed for the films to have vastly different reviews. Jew Süß uses an entertaining plotline to gradually show how disastrous society can become when too much authority is given to Jews. The Eternal Jew, instead bombards the audience with numbers and images, such as maps displaying the historical global spread of Jews. When comparing these two films, I find it hard not to immediately concentrate on the differing moods of the films, which result from these varying techniques.

Jew Süß engages the audience on a level beyond its political message, shifting the focus to the individual characters and away from the anti-Semitic undertones. Especially after Süß "masks" himself as a non-Jew, it is possible to not concentrate as much on the fact that the manipulation is by Jews. One is reminded of this, however, throughout the film. There are temporary breaks from the anti-Semitism, where one is able to view the events solely as manipulative actions taken from corrupt people, before being reminded again that these manipulators are Jews. Nevertheless, one is forced to conclude, after witnessing the events of the film, that Jews were, in fact, the problem several hundred years ago. The Eternal Jew, on the other hand, concentrates constantly on its anti-Semitic message. Because of this, one is forced instantly to either be in agreement with the film, or against it. The Eternal Jew takes the message from Jew Süß and expresses it in a more direct way. The message that was almost indirect but nevertheless unavoidable in Jew Süß is blatantly exerted throughout The Eternal Jew, which likely resulted in more discomfort and uncertainty among the audience during screenings.

It is easier to question something when you know exactly what you are questioning. In Jew Süß, numbers and dates do not play a substantial role, unlike the dominance of numbers and dates in The Eternal Jew. The problem with numbers and dates in The Eternal Jew, is similar to the problem with the film’s straightforward message, it forces one to choose sides. As soon as one date seems false, or one statistic seems exaggerated, one begins to doubt the overall validity of the film. While watching it in class, I constantly was forced to consider the accuracy of the numbers being reported. On the contrary, while watching Jew Süß, I was simply pulled into the world of the film, without the need to check any facts being presented. Jew Süß slyly suggests that Jews are bad, while The Eternal Jew screams that. Jew Süß feels like a piece of entertainment that is accompanied by an important message (the message’s applicability to modern times is suggested in the closing scene, as the importance of respecting the ban of Jews in the future is emphasized), while The Eternal Jew feels like a film someone would have to watch in school and rarely, if ever, choose to watch for pure enjoyment. The anti-Semitic messages of the films are unavoidable, although one is able to deliver in such a way that the audience, almost inevitably, eventually agrees, while the other forces the audience to make an early decision either in favor of the film or not. Both misrepresent history, but Jew Süß does it in a more entertaining and cleaver way, which, I believe, is the reason it was successful while The Eternal Jew was a flop.