Science Fiction Films of Nazi Cinema?

This wikipedia entry explains it quiet nicely:

Goebbels etc. etc.

Yes, you are absolutely right on that. But still, despite the correctness of Goebbel's assumptions, German filmmakers and censors let their movies appear as if it was still 1928 with newer cars. I wonder how long they could have done that. The average German's real life in most cases had to do something with the party here or there. But you do not even see an extra with a HJ-uniform which MUST have been quite common due to the frequent meetings and membership being close to compulsory.

And on the other hand they almost banned the best leightweight comedy produced in these years, "Die Feuerzangenbowle" (1944), a story set in a school "in the good old times" (i.e. pre-1914) for "ridiculing authorities" (i.e. teachers).

I have the impression that the nazis made three kinds of movies: 1) Light entertainment (romance, comedy, adventure) films with toned down propaganda; 2) historical films with less toned down propaganda; 3) blatant propaganda.

You are right, and the emphasis on -1- came from the disappointing conclusion that -3- in most cases didn't sell that well. So to say, Goebbels production strategy moved from "Hitlerjunge Quex" (1933) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_Flags_Lead_Us_Forward) to "Quax, der Bruchpilot" (1941) (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0034076). The latter is an example of a comedy with toned down propaganda, but as I said before, in most movies of this period, the propaganda is not toned down, but between non-existing and invisible.

Interesting examples are the later infamous movies where -3- met -1- and -2-, that is "Jud Süß" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jud_Süß_(1940_film) ) and "Kolberg" (1945, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kolberg_(film) ).

Or can you name a movie from Franco Spain?

I might just be ignorant - but can you name a movie from pre-Franco Spain?
 
I have the impression that the nazis made three kinds of movies: 1) Light entertainment (romance, comedy, adventure) films with toned down propaganda; 2) historical films with less toned down propaganda; 3) blatant propaganda.

Yes, what kind of movies would they make in the long run? Maybe nothing mentionable at all, maybe the movie industry would starve since even the nazis would notice that it's always the same old, but the nazis in charge would prevent anyone from breaking the rules. Similar as in Franco Spain, just on a bigger scale. Or can you name a movie from Franco Spain?
No, but I can at least name four movies from Nazi Germany which are still shown today:
- Die Feuerzangenbowle (a classic)
- The Man Who Was Sherlock Holmes
- Münchhausen
- Große Freiheit Nr. 7
 
Does anyone have an idea why this is?

1. You named it, it happens to be opposition literature. The part of German literature from 1933-45 which is still highly regarded mainly happened abroad. Brecht, the Manns, Zweig, Feuchtwanger, Seghers etc.

2. Censorships kills art. And all authoritarian regimes apply plenty of that.

But you are right that regimes which thickly write PROGRESS on their banners, should be a great base for writing Sci-Fi. But they aren't. Maybe the problem is the fear that the present might look bad when compared to the Utopia of Sci-Fi.

IMHO, the best representation of "national-socialism" resp. "communism" in space are ironically both American: Starship Troopers and Star Trek TNG. :)
 
I actually find the lack of genuinely great works of fiction from right-wing in regimes in 20th century Eurasia, and to a lesser extent all authoritarian regimes of the time, quite interesting. I can't think of a single book from Nazi Germany that has remained literally well regarded (although the environment of OTL is hardly going to help that*) nor from Imperial Japan. The USSR did have some interesting works of literature but most often this was dissident literature (about the gulags etc...).
...
teg
To be fair, Sergei Eisenstein was a ground breaking cinematographer with (?initially?) Soviet support. Battleship Potemkin, Aleksandr Nevsky, still watched.
 
To be fair, Sergei Eisenstein was a ground breaking cinematographer with (?initially?) Soviet support. Battleship Potemkin, Aleksandr Nevsky, still watched.

I meant literature as in books rather than film or stuff like that. Interestingly, authoritarian regimes seem very good at making good films but terrible at producing decent books and even worse at producing video games (both more individualistic?)

teg
 
"can you name a movie from pre-Franco Spain?"

The Andalusian Dog? No, actually, that one was made in France, although the makers are definitely from Spain.

"the propaganda is not toned down, but between non-existing and invisible."

I once read an article at Telepolis (www.heise.de) which claims that there was some propaganda hidden in the Feuerzangenbowle. (Never saw the other movies you mentioned.)

Eisenstein was great, but of course, he worked before Stalin, i.e. before the Soviet Union really became totalitarian.
 
1. You named it, it happens to be opposition literature. The part of German literature from 1933-45 which is still highly regarded mainly happened abroad. Brecht, the Manns, Zweig, Feuchtwanger, Seghers etc.

2. Censorships kills art. And all authoritarian regimes apply plenty of that.

But you are right that regimes which thickly write PROGRESS on their banners, should be a great base for writing Sci-Fi. But they aren't. Maybe the problem is the fear that the present might look bad when compared to the Utopia of Sci-Fi.

IMHO, the best representation of "national-socialism" resp. "communism" in space are ironically both American: Starship Troopers and Star Trek TNG. :)

Some Soviet authors still seem to be pretty well regarded. Isaac Babel's Red Cavalry stories, for example.
 
I meant literature as in books rather than film or stuff like that.

teg
Right. Sorry, I know that. I was trying to point out that the Soviet film industry had some groundbreaking movies, while the Nazis didn't.

Someone's remark (sorry, forgot to multiquote that one) said Eisenstein was before Stalin. That's a good point.

Some Soviet authors still seem to be pretty well regarded. Isaac Babel's Red Cavalry stories, for example.
Stanislaw Lem (Polish) is considered by many to be one of the greats of Science Fiction. I never liked his stuff, but that doesn't mean much. Aha. He's POST Stalin. Hmmm....

There were a few other Soviet SF writers, can't think of their names.
 
I once read an article at Telepolis (www.heise.de) which claims that there was some propaganda hidden in the Feuerzangenbowle.

Indeed, there is a propagandistic element in the Feuerzangenbowle. There is one teacher (can't remember the name) which is virtually "the odd man out". He is way younger than his eccentric colleagues and seems to have dropped out of the 30s into this Wilhelminian school. While not portrayed plumply as a NS-propagandist, his way of talking that the older generation (of teachers) would after all give way for new and great ideas to be taught is a clear allusion to the post-'33 era.... if you know that you watch a movie from the 3rd Reich.

Otherwise you just forget about this friendly, strict-but-not-too-strict and after all boring teacher. He has no interesting eccentricities, no funny accent, no serious pranks are played on him and Rühmann does neither seduce his daughter nor his love interest. Why is he in the movie after all? Ah, err, yes - someone thought it would be safe to add a spoonful of propaganda.

I did some fact-checking: the teacher's name is Dr. Brett ("board"). The character existed in the novel, but the character was changed in the movie into the mentioned direction.
 
The propaganda of Feuerzangenbowle is really so much toned down that some of it could have been interpreted as anti-nazi propaganda had the film appeared two years later, like when on of the older teachers said to the mentioned Dr. Brett: you young people think you can make it better than us, and you will make it better." At that time of course the nazis were meant, but you have to know that to realize it. And much of the other "nazi-propaganda" is just the escapism you find in German Heimatfilm until the 60s, like: rural live is better than urban live, the not career/money focused girl gets the man (in other films the men may compete for a woman, but the schematic stays the same).
 
Some Soviet authors still seem to be pretty well regarded. Isaac Babel's Red Cavalry stories, for example.

And then there is Michail Sholokhov who got the Nobel Prize in Literature 1965 "for the artistic power and integrity with which, in his epic of the Don, he has given expression to a historic phase in the life of the Russian people".
Quiet Flows the Don was written from 1928-1940, so during Stalin's reign.



To get back on the topic of Nazi SF, here is what I could find about their "SF-literature":

1. Der Mars greift ein (1934)

The Mars intervenes” is a fascinating Nazi sc-fi novel written by Titus Taeschner, a German engineer who penned two other works of technical science fiction in the 1930’s. A novel that revolves around Professor Sieger, a German scientist and the world’s most famous Mars researcher, who conducts his work in secrecy at Villa Marsberg. After splitting the atom, Professor Sieger is equally successful in establishing contact with the inhabitants of Mars. In time, he learns “all the fast-forward-evolved techno-secrets of the future.” Fortunate for him and the Third Reich, as Germany not only faces European rivals, it is being threatened by a bellicose Russo-Japanese alliance! Somehow, the Martians intervene in earthly events and secure the peace for Germany. And Professor Sieger? After being kidnapped from Villa Marsberg and held on a Japanese battleship, he is freed and eventually removes to Mars.
The name Sieger translated means Victor.

2. Im Jahre 2000 im dritten Reich. Eine Schau in die Zukunft“ by Edmund Schmid (1933)

“In the Year 2000 in the third Reich. A look at the future.” was written by Edmund Schmid in 1933. Here is one translated part:
" (...) this focuses on a great arian festival (...) the birthday of Hitlers successor, the "noble" Herr König whose one hundreds birthday coincidentally falls on in the year 2000. Since Herr König lives as a strict vegetarian, abstains from alcohol and smoking, enjoys as much fresh air as he can get and plays with his German shepereds just like Hitler did, he looks very healthy for his age (...) The Reich in the year 2000, that Herr König rules, has established itself as one of the four big world powers besides England, Japan and the USA.
Almost all German countries, like Holland, Austria, Skandinavia and the German Swiss are now parts of this great prospering nation. France on the other hand is reaching the brink of collapse due to (verniggerung/niggersiation/racial degeneration) while Russia's Red army was able to purge the Jews out of the Union, but is still suffering from the effects of the soviet yoke."
The name König translated means King.

3. Sun Koh – Der Erbe von Atlantis (1933–36)

“Sun Koh-- The heir of Alantis” is a sci-fi dime novel series which was written by Paul Alfred Müller from 1933–36.

The first volume a man lands, wearing only a pajama, with a parachute in London - Sun Koh, the (bronzehäutige/tannend) prince of Atlantis. He is the last survivor of his lost continent and has a great responsibility: because according to ancient prophecies, Atlantis will reappear from the ocean. He only remembers that the has to visit he Excelsior Hotel in London. There he meets two people who he will join him to become his faithful companions in his many adventures, the often outspoken elevator boy Hal Mervin and the undefeated heavyweight boxer Jack Holligan, a black man from the tribe of Joruba who rather wants to be called from now on Nimba. And he meets his arch-nemesis, the Mexican Juan Garcia, from whose hands Sun Koh needs to free his secret love Joan Martini. The spurned Lady Houston is also often responsible for unpleasant incidents and more than once Koh has to save Joan Martini from her envious clutches.
Sun Koh find out that Garcia is responsible for the deaths of his parents and that Garcia has a a twin brother, the eccentric, but good Manuel Garcia.
The twin lives in the so-called sunshine city of the Maya on the Yucatan Peninsula,. There he has found a huge stock of precious Mayan relics.

Manuel Garcia grants Sun Koh access to them after he learns to trust him. Sun Koh is now financially independent and can gather scientists together from around the world who can help him with his invention, when Atlantis re-emerges from the waters.
During his many adventures Sun Koh always finds hints and mysterious buildings, suggesting that some of the Atlanteans had survived the sinking and settled in other continents. And as to the very end, Atlantis rises again from the waters, Juan Garcia is once again ready to snatch Koh's legacy, but with the help of his friends Koh can defeat Garcia. He, together with Joan Martini, enters the as the first humans the reborn continent Atlantis.
 
A light entertainment example from one of the Reich's vassals :

The Blue Star Hotel
(Hotel Modrá hvězda)

TBH, the most Nazi-ish thing is that it has compulsory bilingual credits (Czech and German). Other than that, it's kind of surreal that it's generally like any old pre-war Czechoslovak movie comedy, even down to the mostly familiar cast and crew members. IIRC, politics aren't even properly mentioned in the movie.
 
I could see them making films set on colonised planets, with the plucky colonists fighting off the subhuman native collectives until being rescued by the universally blond haired blue eyed Space Security force. All of whom look heroic in their natty black uniforms.

almost sounds like an american scifi B-movie from the 50s :p
 
How about Superman being found on a German farm and being brought up by Nazi parents, later in life using his Xray vision to check for circumcisions.
Also surprised no one posted Iron Sky.
 
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