Hitlerjunge Quex. 1933. Directed by Hans Steinhoff.

(6/13/00)

This film was shown without subtitles. During the first part of it explanatory intertitles were inserted explaining the propaganda techniques involved and also explaining some of the story. These titles constantly interrupted the film, although they did provide information that made following it somewhat easier.

This film is a curio, interesting mainly for the fact that it is a Nazi propaganda film and that the study of it can shed some light on how ther German people were brainwashed. As a film it didn't look very interesting although it did come alive somewhat as it got going. It is really difficult to have anything to say about it when it was shown without subtitles.

The film is about a boy named Heini who has to choose between the Communists and the Nazis. The Communists definitely had the sexier girls. In fact, I think that the sexy Communist girl Geida was the best thing in the movie.

The Communists were more interested in food and sex and generally seemed more fun than the Nazis. But the Nazis did offer pagentry and uniforms and, I suppose, a sense of power. But it was hard for me to understand Heini's allegiance to the Nazis.

His interest in Nazism causes a rift between Heini and his family. There is one memorable moment when Heini's father forces him to sing the "Internazione," a patriotic song. Or mouth the words while the father sings. There is an interesting shot when we see Heini's lips moving but hear his father's voice.

Things between Heini and his family become really bad. His mother tries to kill both him and herself withgas. She only succeeds in killing herself. Heini is somehow rescued and wakes up in the hospital. Not knowing that his mother is dead, he is greeted by his new Nazi comrades who give him the great gift of his own uniform.

The father didn't make much of an impression on me in the film until one scene where he talks with Heini and looks so sad and pathetic. The father comes to visit Heini in the hospital at the time that a Nazi leader comes. There is a vivid contrast between the two characters. The Nazi leader is dynamic and confident, the father is passive and unsure of himself. The two men have a discussion in which the Nazi obviously outshines the other.

The Communists intend to break up a Nazi meeting with violence. There is an interesting shot of them gathering in the street, preparing to strike. There is also an interesting scene where Heini is sent to get two glasses of beer. He meets the Communist leader on the way back who talks to and delays the unwilling lad. The two glasses of beer, in constant danger of being spilled, add an interesting note of visual tension to the scene.

There seems to be a battle over distributing handbills and the Communists chase Heini to the fairground where they kill him. The fairground seems to be associated with the Communists. His death takes place offscreen--I think we hear him scream or something--but it is very abrupt and doesn't have much impact. It didn't have much impact on me, anyway.

It didn't strike me as a particularly interesting movie. The characters and situations didn't engage my interest to any extent, nor was there more than mild visual interest. The film is nevertheless of interest as an historical artifact and I would welcome the chance to see it in a print with subtitles and without the inserted intertitles, much as I would like to understand the propaganda content.