Revolution in Paradise: Veiled Representations of Jewish Characters in the Cinema of Occupied France [Hardcover]

The era of the German Occupation of France constituted, surprisingly, a golden age for the arts. These works of art seem to be devoid of political impact. The purpose of this book is to show that, contrary to this accepted view, some of these films were intimately linked to the political situation. All five movies analyzed (Les Inconnus dans la maison;, dir. Henri Decoin, 1942; Les Visiteurs du Soir;, dir. Marcel Carn, 1942; L'Eternel retour;, dir. Jean Delannoy, 1943; Les Enfants du Paradis;, dir. Marcel Carn, 1943) present characters not identified as Jews but who exhibit negative Jewish traits, in contrast to the aristocratic characters whom they aspire to emulate. They demonstrate, implicitly, central themes of explicit anti-Semitic propaganda. Analysis of these films brings out the contradictory nature of European anti-Semitism. On one hand, the Jew is the anti-Christ, throttling the world with disgusting materialism while on the other hand, he is representative of an ancestral stifling morality, which it is time to abolish.

Contents Acknowledgements Introduction Part I: Explicit and Implicit Representations of Jewish Characters in French Cinema during the German Occupation Chapter 1. Direct Anti-Semitic Propaganda Chapter 2. The War on Memory Chapter 3. Le Camion blanc (The White Truck, Lo Joannon, 1943) Chapter 4. Jean Cocteau, Hitler's Admirer: L'Eternel retour (The Eternal Return, 1943) Chapter 5. The Ominous Visitors at the Splendid White Castle: Les Visiteurs du Soir (The Devil's Envoys, Marcel Carn, 1942) Part II: Les Enfants du Paradis: A Different Perspective The Film's Two Parts and the Historical Background: Le Boulevard du Crime (Paris, 1828) and Lhomme blanc (Paris, 1836) Chapter 6. From Page and Stage to Screen: The Theatrical Sources of Les Enfants du Paradis Chapter 7. From Ptain to De Gaulle: The Genesis of a European Super-Production during the Black Years Chapter 8. The Archeology of a Vanishing Murder: The Old-Clothes Man ChlCD