Hitler's Hollywood

This film’s archival material is indeed mesmerizing: jubilant situations, glamorous women and handsome men sharing amorous moments, fanciful images—all in keeping with a high aesthetic standard. But underneath lies a troubling truth: the scenes were produced in Germany between 1933-1945. Accompanied by erudite narration, Rüdiger Suchsland’s film is a rare lesson in a dark era of German cinema with captivating insights on the dangerous relationship that developed between the Reich’s entertainment industry and Nazi echelons. Cinema and history intersect to yield a provocative debate: Did this industry aim to disseminate ideology, or rather, did it provide an escape from a horrific reality?