Resnaiss night and fog, with its ironically wagnerian title, was a documentary about the death camps, their liberation and their aftermath, and was one of the very first films to disclose to a. Dec 15, 2017 her most important is the wideranging, impressively detailed study of alain resnais brilliant documentary, nuit et brouillard night and fog, which she published in french in 2007. Directed by alain resnais, it was made ten years after the liberation of. The title of this film, night and fog, is completely appropriate at expressing the deeply low nature of what true horror is. Makes small a generation of new wave french film directors. Griersons housing problems was the first film to incorporate talking interviews with its subjects. Juxtaposing the stillness of the abandoned camps empty buildings with haunting wartime footage, resnais investigates humanitys capacity for. I dont possess a vocabulary to convey the impact the images had upon me. Ten years after the liberation of the nazi concentration camps, filmmaker alain resnais documented the abandoned. Directed by alain resnais, it was made ten years after the liberation of nazi concentration camps. Night and fog when i was a sophomore at usc, i took a french new wave cinema class that initially exposed me to the work of resnais and his film night and fog, a short documentary made ten years after the liberation of the nazi death camps focusing on the treatment and living conditions of prisoners along with the role of memory in the. Between 1955 and 1983, three french film documentaries displaced our understanding of the events of world war ii. The documentary film from french director resnais set ten years after the second world war depicts the problems of auschwitz with shocking images from the concentration camps. The holocaust revisionist carlos porter has written that the night and fog decree xviii 1922 2730 was intended as an alternative to shooting resistance members.
Analysis of the documentary night and fog 1277 words. One of the first cinematic reflections on the horrors of the holocaust, night and fog nuit et brouillard contrasts the stillness of the abandoned camps quiet, empty buildings with haunting wartime footage. Night and fog was passed by the french board of censors, although one or two shots of corpses had to be cut. Alain resnaiss night and fog nuit et brouillard, 1955 is a 31minute film about the nazi concentration camps that has been called the greatest documentary film every made indeed, francois truffaut called it simply the greatest film ever made 1. Former deputy sheriff eddy craig right to travel traffic stop script washington state law duration. The original aim was to make a film lauding the bravery and suffering of the french resistance a decade after the end. The film s original language is french and the original title is nuit et brouillard. Jun, 20 the documentary, night and fog, directed by alain resnais, was produced in 1955 as a short historical documentary about concentration camps used during the holocaust. Framed as a documentary, the film is an unsettling view of life inside the nazi concentration.
The french arthouse film maker alain resnais, a star of the new wave. A mere decade had passed since the end of the war, and the french public was unprepared to confront the horrors shown in the filmlet alone the possibility of french complicity. A mere decade had passed since the end of the war, and the french public was unprepared to confront the horrors shown in the film let alone the possibility of french complicity. Francois truffaut once called night and fog the greatest film ever made. Aug 21, 2005 night and fog, cited by roberto rossellini as the most important film of the postwar years, ran into trouble with the french censors. Nuit et brouillard is a 1956 french documentary short film. Jean cayrol, later responsible for the script of resnais muriel 1962, wrote the narration for night and fog.
It is about the holocaust, and specifically, the nazi concentration camps. It was conceded by the prosecution that such people could be legally shot v 405. Night and fog remains an essential and indispensable document of the 20th century. I had heard the phrase night and fog, but had missed the true meaning of it until i saw this movie sitting on a shelf in a local video store. Directed by alain resnais, it was made ten years after the liberation of german concentration camps. Jun 23, 2003 night and fog was passed by the french board of censors, although one or two shots of corpses had to be cut. Ten years after the liberation of the nazi concentration camps, filmmaker alain resnais hiroshima mon amour documented the abandoned grounds of auschwitz and majdanek in night and fog nuit et brouillard, one of the first cinematic reflections on the holocaust. In french, with english subtitles and scenes that are unforgettable and horrific. Francois truffaut called night and fog the greatest film ever made. Nuit et brouillard night and fog 1955 rotten tomatoes. Face aux fantomes, a 2009 french documentary by jeanlouis comolli, with historian sylvie lindeperg author of night and fog. Night and fog is a 1956 french documentary short film. Resnais agreed on the condition that jean cayrol, the poet who had survived the camp at mauthhausengusen, wrote the narrative for the film. In andre pierre colombats book the holocaust in french film, alain resnais said ive always refused the word memory a propos my work i would use the word imagination.
Night and fog, cited by roberto rossellini as the most important film of the postwar years, ran into trouble with the french censors. The international reception of night and fog wallflower, 2006 isbn. Although the main purpose was for safety, some say this was also a way for the french government to easily discern a french car from a foreign car while driving at night. They forced us to mask the cap of a french policeman who was supervising the deportation of the jews who had been herded into the veldhiv. He started his career doing documentary shorts, winning an oscar early on for a documentary on van gogh. The phrase is also the title of a french 1956 film french. Nov 10, 2017 but he came around, and the film that resulted, night and fog, became a french.
Required viewing for anyone interested in history, politics, sociology. Night and fog opens with a shot of a vacant field before the camera moves down to reveal a barbed wire fence. Now available in english, it is a most welcomeindeed, a pathbreakingaddition to the literature about the cinematic representation of the shoah. The 1956 film night and fog, directed by alain resnais, uses the term to illustrate one aspect of the concentration camp system as it was transformed into a system. Directed by alain resnais script by jean cayrol score by hanns eisler. One of the first films about the holocaust remains a french. Mar 16, 2018 in 1936 the french government passed a law stating all vehicles produced from 1937 onward must have yellow headlights. Film clip falling under both fair use guidelines and the film critique exemption to the dmca anticircumvention law. Directed by alain resnais, it was made ten years after the. Night and fog 1955 when the great french director alain resnais accepted producer anatole daumans invitation to make a documentary about the holocaust, he turned to a close friend, the noted poet and publisher jean cayrol, to write the narration that would accompany the film s profoundly troubling images. Alternating between past and then present, night and fog is a confrontation of the horrors that took place in the now abandoned grounds of auschwitz and majdanek. A mere decade had passed since the end of the war, and the french public was.
Subtitles are removable, for those who understand the softlyspoken french of the narration. An invaluable resource and testament to history, this film was a profound influence on all films to address issues of the holocaust, from judgment at nuremberg and shoah to schindlers list. Mar 12, 2020 monthly screenings of french movies in westchester. The french film director alain resnais, who died on march 1 at age 91, had a complex relationship with jews. After training as a film editor in the mid1940s, he went on to direct a number of short films which included night and fog 1955, an influential documentary about the nazi concentration camps. This movie was made and shown before the great french new wave auteurs and others took over french language film, yet none of them not one, not in one.
Remembering alain resnais and his complex relationship. Mar 02, 2014 complex and avantgarde french film director best known for night and fog and last year in marienbad. Viewing memory through night and fog, the sorrow and the pity and shoah. The documentary, night and fog, directed by alain resnais, was produced in 1955 as a short historical documentary about concentration camps used during the holocaust. Its narrated by french actor michel bouquet and starts with the events of 1933, when the nazis came into power. Criterions dvd of night and fog is an exemplary disc that will enable the retirement of thousands of wornout 16mmm prints. Pdf viewing memory through night and fog, the sorrow and. Night and fog is a powerful, personal statement about the banality of evil in our time. A film in history finally, there is jeanlouis comollis dense, but illuminating, over90minute look at the making of night and fog, as well as on its reception both after its release, and later, after the. But when alain resnais finished his documentary, with its depiction of nazi atrocities, the resistance of the french censors was fierce. Ten years after the liberation of the nazi concentration camps, filmmaker alain resnais documented the abandoned grounds of auschwitz and majdanek in night and fog nuit et brouillard, one of the first cinematic reflections on the holocaust. Nuit et brouillard is a 1955 french documentary short film. French film and wwii historian sylvie lindeperg analyzes alain resnaiss seminal 1956 film, night and fog, and attempts to place it in the context of the historical treatment of wwii, and specifically of the holocaust, in the decade following those harrowing events. Night and fog represents the peak of director alain resnais activities as a shortsubject filmmaker.
The films original language is french and the original title is nuit et brouillard. The documentary is composed of fourteen brief color segments showing auschwitz in 1955, interrupted by thirteen longer black and white scenes of historical footage. For many years, his 1955 film night and fog was shown in classrooms as an. The appearance of alain resnais 1955 french documentary night and fog heralded the beginning of a new form of cinema, one that used the narrative techniques of modernism to provoke a new historical consciousness.
Essay analysis of the film triumph of the will the making of night and fog and its relation to triumph of the will will be discussed. This book looks at the stylistic approaches to representing the holocaust in films. Night and fog is a great film because it exists only for the viewer to come to some sort of minute understanding of what occurred in the nazi concentration camps during wwii. Night and fog nuit et brouillard is a 1956 is a 32minutes documentary film from france, directed by alain resnais.
The makers of night and fog were appointed by a historical group in france and honoured the liberation of the concentration camps professor diamond, documenting the holocaust, 2016. Nuit et brouillard is a french documentary short film. The documentary features the abandoned grounds of auschwitz and majdanek while describing the. The film opens with color footage from the 1950s of auschwitzbirkenau camp. Alain resnais june 3, 1922 march 1, 2014 was a french film director, photographer, and illustrator. Directed by alain resnais, it was made ten years after the liberation of german concentrati. Night and fog is a 1956 french historical documentary short film. Night and fog was released to very positive acclaim and still receives very high praise today.
Mar 06, 2015 he turned to mauthausen survivor jean cayrol, whose poems of night and fog would serve as the films politically and metaphorically charged title, which evokes not only the nazi edict under which cayrol was persecuted, but also frances postwar obfuscation of its involvement in holocaust atrocities. A french film on this subject had not been made until then. The film faced difficulties with french censors unhappy with a shot of a french police officer in the film, and with the german embassy in france, which attempted to halt the films release at the cannes film festival. This is night and fog by umschoolofcommunication on vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.
Night and fog nuit et brouillard, france, 1955 directed by alain resnaisproduced by anatole dauman, samy halfon and philippe lifchitzhistorical consultants. One of the first cinematic reflections on the horrors of the holocaust, night and fog nuit et brouillard contrasts the stillness of the abandoned. Afterimage presents a theory of posttraumatic film based on the encounter between cinema and the holocaust. But he came around, and the film that resulted, night and fog, became a french. Night and fog 1956 the history of nazi germanys death camps of the final solution and the hellish world of dehumanization and death contained inside. American b movies independent french film jeanpierre melville o founded his own production company in 1945 o production style small crews location shooting largely unknown actors. Alain resnais 3 june 1922 1 march 2014 was a french film director and screenwriter whose career extended over more than six decades. Night and fog ten years after the liberation of the nazi concentration camps, filmmaker alain resnais documented the abandoned grounds of auschwitz and majdanek in night and fog nuit et brouillard, one of the first cinematic reflections on the holocaust.
The book offers a unique interpretation of the interworking of biography, history, politics, and film in one cultural moment. Peter bradshaw looks back over a career marked by intellectual engagement and. Even the sad music of death from this film plays in my ears, and i have not seen it. The film concludes with a subtle accusation against all who view the. Colombat, andre pierre, the holocaust in french film. Resnais weaves remembrance and creativity in night and fog. The film was originally released in france as nuit et brouillard. The documentary features the abandoned grounds of auschwitz and majdanek while describing the lives of prisoners in the camps. Poetic mode night and fog uses creative patterns, rhythms, and noncontinuous cutting to.
A shot of an officer, obviously french because he is wearing a kepi, also had to be doctored somewhat to assuage national sensibilities about france being involved in the holocaust. Night and fog the current the criterion collection. Gece ve sis fragman night and fog trailer 1955 night and fog clip. Influences on the french new wave american bmovies independent french film. The subject involving the holocaust is a really hard subject for me to really deal with. Ten years after the liberation of the nazi concentration camps, filmmaker alain resnais documented the abandoned grounds of auschwitz. Almost half a century after it appeared this classic film is still widely regarded as the starting point for any visual representation of the holocaust.
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