- Who Shall Live and Who Shall Die
Infobox Film
name = Who Shall Live and Who Shall Die
image_size = 100px
caption =
director = Laurence Jarvik
producer =
writer =
narrator =
starring =
music =
cinematography =
editing =
distributor =
released =1982
runtime = 90 min.
country = USA
language = English
budget =
preceded_by =
followed_by =
website =
amg_id =
imdb_id = http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0184021/"Who Shall Live and Who Shall Die" is a
1982 documentary that asks whether theUnited States could have stoppedthe Holocaust . The film combines previously classified information, rare newsreel footage, and interviews with the politicians who were in office at the time, to tell a behind-the-scenes story of secret motives and inane priorities that allowed for the death of millions.The "Los Angeles Times " called it, “a devastating political story,” cite web
last =
first =
authorlink =
coauthors =
title =Who Shall Live and Who Shall Die
work =
publisher =Kino International
date =
url =http://www.kino.com/theatrical/th_item.php?film_id=349
format =
doi =
accessdate = August 23 ] and the "New York Times " said the, "unadorned" film tells a story not to be proud of. cite news
last =Canby
first =Vincent
coauthors =
title =American Roles During the Holocuast
work =
pages =
language =English
publisher =New York Times
date =April 19 1982
url =http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9503E4DB103BF93AA25757C0A964948260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=print
accessdate =August 23 ]ummary
At the height of the war, dying Hungarian
Jews managed to smuggle a letter to thatAllies . It read, “And you, our brothers in all free countries: and you, governments of all free lands, where are you? What are you doing to hinder the carnage that is now going on?”Through archival footage and soundbites, the documentary simultaneously reconstructs and criticizes America’s
isolationist attitude during the war. Full of righteous anger, the film scrutinizesJewish-Americans inactivity and the government's apathetic response to the European Jews' cry for help.Full of biting anger,
Peter Bergson of theEmergency Committee to Save the Jewish People of Europe believes that American Jews silenced their outcries against the Holocaust because they were afraid they wouldn't get into their local Country Clubs. Bergson argues that if American Jewish leadership had taken a more vocal and active stance against theNazism , lives could have been saved.But while Bergson blames Jewish leadership, other politicians are more critical of the
Franklin D. Roosevelt administration, which seems to have been ill advised, consumed by other issues, and dependent upon the nation's approval. One politician quips that the truth is President Roosevelt didn't want to be remembered for passing the “Jew Deal.”Regardless of Roosevelt's motives, the Commander and Chief missed opportunities both at war and at home to save Jewish lives. One of the most devastating decisions was the nation's refusal to change its immigration policies. The tangles of bureaucracy, deep-rooted
anti-Semitism , and a fear of the economic effects seem to have caused the inflexibility. One politician recognizes that “it should have been a crisis, but there wasn't enough passion in America to let them in.” He's still haunted by a story of a boat full of Jewish refugees who managed to escape fromHamburg ,Germany , and traveled to America, only to be refused asylum. They ventured down toCuba , were they were again refused entrance. Left with no other option-- the Jews “returned to Hamburg to burn.”The documentary points to the fact that while the Jews were being slaughtered, America refused to fully recognize the horror, but, as soon as the war was over, the nation was ready to address the inhumanity. "Who Shall Live and Who Shall Die" shows clips from a disturbing American propaganda film, "
Death Mills ", which was intended to educate the German people about the crimes of the Nazi regime. Black and white footage showsconcentration camps after their liberation. Emaciated bodies, still alive but with no chance of survival, lie motionless on the open fields. When the crematorium door is opened, showing the skulls inside, the narrator demands, “Don't turn away! Look!” Once the evil had been committed and nothing could be done to change the awful reality, the public was ready to be shocked and horrified.About the director
Laurence A. Jarvik received hisPh.D . andMaster of Fine Arts in Film and Television fromUCLA 's School of Film and TV and taught at UCLA andCalifornia State University ,Los Angeles . cite web
last =
first =
authorlink =
coauthors =
title =Who Shall Live and Who Shall Die
work =
publisher =Geocities
date =
url =http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Musee/3740/WhoShallLive.html
format =
doi =
accessdate = August 23 ]Since then, he's been involved in
PBS . He wrote two books about the station, "Masterpiece Theatre and the Politics of Quality " (Scarecrow Press ,1999 ) and "" (Prima ,1997 ), and testified before theUnited States Congress about PBS and cultural policy. He has appeared onC-Span 'sWashington Journal ,CNN Crossfire , ABC Nightline, and theCBS Evening News , among other programs. His articles have appeared in scholarly and popular publications including "The New York Times", "The Boston Globe ", "The Los Angeles Times", "American Film ", "Montage ", and "American Cinematographer ". ]Reception
"Who Shall Live and Who Shall Die" was the first documentary to examine America's roles during the Holocaust. It was initially seen as controversial, but has since become a part of
US Holocaust Museum ’s collection. The documentary received positive reviews from major publications. And the US Memorial Holocaust Museum has said, "It is a detailed, informative presentation of a complex topic, with oral testimony from a wide range of Jews and non-Jews involved with the issue of Jewish rescue. Indispensable for more advanced students of the Holocaust." ]Trivia
*"Who Shall Live and Who Shall Die" features scenes from "
Death Mills " an American Propaganda film intended to educate the Germans about the horrors of the Nazis committed. ]*
Annette Insdorf 's book about film and the Holocaust "Indelible Shadows ", which is prefaced byElie Wiesel , has a chapter on "Who Shall Live and Who Shall Die". ]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
