The Nazis saw film as a major vehicle for both indoctrination and escapist pacification of the "masses"; in fact, Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels tried to create a German counter-Hollywood. This highly acclaimed study, by one of Germany's leading commentators and authors on cultural policy, analyses the pictorial and spoken language of the various film genres in the Third Reich, including news reels, documentaries, feature and "cultural" films. It shows how a powerful and sinister propaganda machine emerged which, by deploying a wide range of psychological techniques, exerted a strong fascination on the masses. These methods were so successful that they continue to serve as models for totalitarian régimes to this day.
Preface
Chapter 1. The Symbolic Value of Flags and Banners
Chapter 2. The Flag in Feature Films
Chapter 3. Reasons for the Rise of Hitler
Chapter 4. Film and Propaganda in the Third Reich
Chapter 5. The Nonfictional Genres of Nazi Film Propaganda
The Cultural and Educational Film
The Documentary
The Compilation Film
The Newsreel
Select Bibliography
Index of Names
Index of Film Titles