The Stereotypical
Embodiments of Jews and Germans in Jew
Suess
by Erin Shockley
Nazi propaganda films
were an essential part of the “success” of the Third Reich’s Final Solution
plans because they helped to infiltrate the common population and influence
their thoughts. One such film was Jew Suess (Jud Suss), directed by Veit Harlan, created in Germany in 1940, and
having a running time of one hundred minutes.
One of the major propaganda tools utilized in this film is the
stereotypical portrayal of the Jews, Germans, and Jew-sympathizers.
Suss-Oppenheimer
(Ferdinand Marian) is characterized as the “typical Jew.” He hoards his money and jewels, and is shown
going to a cabinet to retrieve his hidden riches. He, like the other Jews in the film, is not shown actually doing
manual labor; he simply takes advantage of the diligent citizens with sly,
somewhat dishonest schemes. For
example, Oppenheimer levies additional road and bridge taxes, exploiting the
hard-working Germans for his own benefit.
This also provides a link between Jews and capitalism, the development
of which was abhorrent to the Nazis and many Germans of the time (“Jew Suess”). Further depicting Oppenheimer’s obsession
with money, he is lectured by Rabbi Loew (Werner Krauss) for living lavishly,
like a peacock. Since Oppenheimer lives
in splendor and attempts to disguise his Jewish appearance, it is implied that
he is a “traitor” to his religion. At
the beginning of the film, Oppenheimer is shown with the traditional beard,
wearing his Jewish robes, and then the scene fades into another picture of him
dressed richly, clean-shaven, and more “Westernized” overall. He is able to get by the Stuttgart guards
without being recognized as a Jew, showing the ease with which Jews can “trick”
others into believing they are of the same background. Another scene depicting the “conspiracy” of
the Jews is when Rabbi Loew explains to Oppenheimer that, “hidden, in this way,
[the Jews] reign over peoples of the earth” (Jud Suss). Even the cinematic aspects of the film
further this stereotype; the Jews almost never look directly at the camera, but
are filmed from the side instead.
Another common stereotype was that the Jews did not have a country of origin,
but instead wandered over the world, “contaminating” other races. This is obviously shown in the film when
Oppenheimer tells Dorothea (Kristina Soderbaum) about his worldly travels, but
cannot give her a direct answer as to the location of his home. Instead, he answers that he has never been
so happy as he is at that moment, by her side; this scene clearly depicts the
common thought that Jews were overly sexual.
Later in the film, Oppenheimer rapes Dorothea, leading to her
suicide. Another way in which
Oppenheimer causes destruction is by bringing chaos to Stuttgart and
instigating a rebellion among the people.
Even the Rabbi aids him in his dishonest plot to gain power, showing the
supposed hypocrisy of the Jews. In
addition, the other Jews in the film are generally unattractive with big,
hooked noses, dirty, and lazy. Their
accents heighten the idea that they do not belong anywhere. These images serve to incite feelings of
disgust for Jews among the audience.
In contrast, the Germans
in the film are portrayed in a more favorable light. Young Dorothea and Faber (Malte Jaeger) are very attractive, as
are most of the German women, while the older men are generally well-fed and
stocky. Dorothea is the symbol of Aryan
purity, and she is “contaminated” when she is raped by Oppenheimer. Therefore, she sacrifices herself for the
good of the German society and the future of a pure race; she is treated as a
martyr in the film. Also, as she sings
to Faber’s piano playing, a feeling of harmony is emanated, that contrasts with
the chaotic singing and dancing of the Jewish celebration shown earlier in the
film (“Jew Suess”). Faber also depicts
a “good German” in that he is able to recognize Oppenheimer as a Jew, even when
he is in disguise (“Jew Suess”). In
addition, he does not give in to the torture he faces while in prison. Another honorable portrayal of the Germans
is during Oppenheimer’s trial when Sturm (Eugen Klopfer) says “an eye for an
eye, a tooth for a tooth – that is not our way,” after Oppenheimer had
described the Jewish god in those exact terms earlier in the film (Jud Suss). Similarly, the hard-working German welder
dies nobly, while the criminal Oppenheimer begs for his life (“Jew
Suess”). In these ways, the film makes
the viewer proud to be a German.
In addition to the
strictly Jewish or German characters, the film also includes Jew-lovers,
embodied in Duke Karl Alexander (Heinrich George), who is depicted as a
psychologically weak person. He cannot
recognize Oppenheimer to be a Jew, making him victim to the “Jewish
infiltration plots.” He allows himself
to satisfy his desires by accepting Oppenheimer’s bribes of money, jewels,
balls, and women, which likens him to Jews.
Because he follows the advice of Oppenheimer, the people over whom the
Duke rules start a rebellion, and chaos ensues. Eventually the Duke dies, and although it is not clear, the film
suggests that his death is linked to his friendship with Oppenheimer. The Duke is in no way a heroic character, an
intentional act by Harlan to dissuade audience members from associating with
Jews.
Possibly the director’s
most significant accomplishment in Jew
Suess was his success in creating an entertaining film with very
stereotypical undertones, having the effect of brainwashing the unsuspecting
audience as they enjoyed an evening of leisure. Without being aware, many people took away from the film
heightened Germanic pride and an increased dislike of Jews. Being supported by his people was essential
to Hitler’s plans of creating a pure race to dominate the world, and this could
not have occurred without propaganda films such as Jew Suess.
Works Cited