War in Documentary

The art of cinema is ever evolving, with new advancements in technology and technique being the foundation for the movement. As such, historically there have been few constants and patterns that continuously reappear as the form has developed. That being said, arguably one of the most important connections that has been in repetition during its time, is that between documentary filmmaking and war. From the first World War to the present, war time has historically gone hand in hand with the development of new filmmaking techniques for cinema as a whole. Documentaries in particular however, were more impacted and played an arguably even more crucial role in war efforts, as non-fiction films became a tool through which international governments could impose their viewpoint on a conflict. Such was the beginning of the propaganda films which have historically been linked to countries trying to sway public opinion in favor of a national ideal. A specific example of this being the Why We Fight (1942-45) series by Frank Capra, which were 7 films produced by the US department of war that endeavored to rally troops to believe in the American’s entry into WWII. 

Considering the introduction of propaganda into the documentary sphere, it may be difficult to discern the value of war-time non-fiction films, especially when the very nature of propaganda is skewed enough to the point of rarely representing reality. With that in mind, one may be wondering how we can trust films about war to be accurately representative of what took place, and what value might films about war have during times of relative peace? In that regard, it then seems that the answer is to look at documentaries that take place posthumously from the event. Some of the main values from war documentaries made after the fact have been that more often than not, the intention of the creator is clear, and the film as a whole seeks to represent and depict war for what it truly was, independent of say from any government (Nichols, 38). Such is the case for the films shown in class; The Act of Killing (2012) and Night and Fog (1956). These two films, unlike the propaganda films of yesteryear exist to bear witness to what happened, with less overreaching ulterior motives fueling their creation. While their approach and framing of their respective conflicts differ quite widely, both are still effective in portraying the gravity and rippling impact from each war.

Perhaps the main discernable difference between the two films, were their framing through which both examined the wars from. Night and Fog seeks to emphasize the victims of such violence, while The Act of Killing features the perpetrators. 

Pictured: Anwar Congo in The Act of Killing (top), Jewish Prisoners in Night and Fog (bottom)

For Night and Fog, the film seeks to simply portray indirectly what took place over the course of the war, specifically emphasizing the mass scale of death and the fallout from such extremes. This is demonstrated clearest by the cinematography and editing. The film utilizes archival footage from within the concentration camps to showcase exactly the practices and systems that were utilized. From showing the Nazi’s dumping bodies in mass graves to the vast piles of shaved hair, the footage is a solemn and clear examination of the brutality that occurred during the war. There's also a sense of large scale created by this footage, as the camera is intent upon showcasing the sheer amount of bodies and death. The cinematography and placement seems intentional in capturing the most of these aspects possible. There’s also something to be said about the fact that this film being made by people removed from the situation, as it was released about 10 years after the war. The film presents itself as a retrospective by juxtaposing the archival footage with the more modern footage of the concentration camps now laying dormant. This creates an interesting commentary on the war as a whole, showing how the extermination of these people were carried out so extremely and in such a short time span, that it left a lasting impact on the world.

In contrast, The Act of Killing takes a more direct approach, opting to feature first hand interviews and accounts of people who carried out such acts of violence. This perspective and framing device creates a unique position, through which the audience can witness violent perpetrators reconcile to killing. This is mostly shown through the fact that the documentary follows the progression of the people starting from one belief and moving to another. Specifically in the case of Anwar Congo, the longer the film carries on and the more he and his comrades put into the recreation of their torture for the ‘movie’, the more he begins to understand and accept the brevity of what he truly did. But this sentiment is not the same for every individual featured, as most find themselves attempting to justify their inhumane actions and simply a product of war, with some still reveling in their actions by the end. In showcasing both journeys, the audience is subtly implored to consider how we ourselves reconcile with people who do awful things while also recognizing they are humans too. While it can be difficult, it is because of documentaries such as these that we can learn to at the very least understand the histories and mindsets that predicate violence, and why people might feel compelled to kill.

In the end, despite their differences in technique and approaches, these films are a witness to the follies of war and what emerges from extreme violence. Such can be said to be the power of documentary as a whole, as it is meant to bear witness to what happens throughout history. As said in the textbook,  “Even though documentary filmmaking may not be accepted as an equal partner in scientific inquiry or foreign policy debate, it still shares a tradition of sobriety in its determination to make a difference in how we regard the world and proceed within it,” (Nichols, 37). War documentaries are no different, in their endeavors to show the different perspectives of conflict. We can learn from Night and Fog to never be doomed to repeat such violence at a grand scale. And from Act of Killing we can become aware of the mindsets that compel people to torture so we can better recognize and prevent other people from falling into the same trap.