How the topic of genocide is presented in the film The Grey Zone - Term Paper Example

HOW THE TOPIC OF GENOCIDE IS PRESENTED IN THE FILM THE “GREY ZONE” Introduction The destruction of human life can never be justified as a fair game, no matter the factors that influence it. The movie, “The Grey Zone” takes a look at the Holocaust from the perspective of real life account, that took place in the in the Auschwitz death camp in the autumn of 1944 as part of the World War to uprising. The storyline is surrounded around prisoners at a Jewish concentration who are assigned a common task of herding their colleague Jews to execution.

This means that the movie takes a look at genocide as a subject matter and uses a series of inner built themes to condemn acts that took place during the uprising (Macleans, 2010). Much of the cruel nature in which the genocide was approached, including the way in which the Jews were executed through the disposure f their bodies into a gas chamber are all depicted in much like real case scenarios. In this review, a personal account of the movie made up of opinions, feelings and emotions that accompanied the watching of the viewer are expressed.

Critique on Style of Presentation The style of presenting the movie, “Grey Zone” has made it gained the description of many reviewers as a piece of work that brings home the limits of screen realism and this is an opinion that I share highly (Holden, 2002). The reason for supporting this opinion is in the manner in which the film, though written and presented in a much technical and mature nature, making it difficult to understand, still makes a lot of meaning and sense to the viewer. Indeed, with the setting of the movie, which depicts the Auschwitz death camp in the autumn of 1944, it was expected that the writer would use a more serious approach to the writing so that the very nauseating nature of the events of the time, which was genocide would be better appreciated by the audience in a more vivid and dramatic manner (Jeune, 2002).

The general approach of presentation is described as very hard to watch because of the depiction of horrific scenes, use of inter-scenes, use of mature language, and a seemingly absence of any comedy. But all these were as a result of an attempt by the writer and director to ensure that a primary perspective was derived from an otherwise secondary presentation of a real life event. Analysis of Movie Theme In several aspects of the movie, the writer is highlighting on the theme of ‘value of the human soul’.

This was indeed done in a manner that gives the clearest indication of how precious the human soul is, such that one would do anything possible to get this soul preserved. This is because even though Hoffman, Rosenthal and Schlermer had aided in the execution of fellow Jews under the command of their superiors, when their own time of execution came, they tried all means possible to ensure that they escaped death. The theme of value for the human soul is also shown in how other people, especially the women prisoners would go to every extent to ensure that the Jews ready for execution were aided to avoid the impending destruction.

Overall, the filmmaker sends out an important message to the audience as to how different people are in their approach of the theme of the value of the human soul. This is because unlike Hoffman, Rosenthal and Schlermer who would value the soul of the humans only when it is their time to die, the characterization of Dina is used to express the view that the true value of the soul of a person is seen in a state of interdependence, where one must be ready to defend the souls of others if they want mercy for their own soul.

The character of Worth of the Movie The theme carried throughout the movie is one that will continue to give the movie much worth and value throughout generations to come. This is because even though the international community is putting in several interventions and advocacy to stop acts of genocide from taking place, they continue to exist but in different forms other than the mass killing of people (Ulrich, Smallwood & Sweetman, 2008). The film is therefore a useful tool for exposing the bizarre consequence of acts of genocide, no matter the form and way through which they take place.

Through the movie, a new twist is added to the call for the human soul to be valued so that it would not be destroyed by cruel justifications such as genocide. Watching this movie also gives viewers a satiric judgment of their own attitudes towards survival. Overall, one is made to ask him or herself, the kind of neighbor he or she is. This is because there are two major forms of neighbors depicted – the one who would value his own life but not that of others, and the one who would value the life of others so much that she will be ready to hold back information that would cause their destruction; no matter how cruelly she is treated to let this information out (Kaser, 2007).

Conclusion From the review above, the best conclusion I can give for “The Grey Zone” is that it is a movie that is hard to watch, it has so much value and worth in its subject matter, themes, use of characterization, as well as the focus on a much contemporary issue of present generation, which is the fight against genocide. Works Cited Holden, Stephen. The Grey Zone 2001. 2002. Web. September 25, 2013 Jeune, Paul, The Jesuit Relations , Vol. XIII: Hurons 1637, Trans., Reuben Gold Thwaites, Cleveland: The Burrows Brothers Company, 2002. Print. Kaser, M. 2007. “The Holocaust, as it was” Central European Survey 16(1): 5-26. Print. Macleans.

U of T master’s thesis calls Holocaust education ‘racist’. 2010. Web. September 25, 2013. Ulrich, D., Smallwood, N., & Sweetman, K. Defining leadership code. In The leadership code: Five rules to lead by (pp 1–24). Boston, MA: Harvard Business School. 2008. Print.