The Holocaust in Art-House Cinema
CJST 231
Spring 2026
| Section:
01
|
Theodor Adorno famously wrote in 1949 that "writing poetry after Auschwitz is barbaric," but what about making movies? Some prominent filmmakers agreed with Adorno and refused to make films about the Holocaust, on the grounds that it was an immoral and impossible task. Other directors turned the tragedy into commercial entertainment, didactic sermons, or action-filled blockbusters. This course will focus on the filmmakers who sought a middle ground. They argued that the Holocaust is a story that cannot but must be told, and they experimented with the medium of film to find ways to tell it without exploiting its horrors. Throughout the semester, we will watch classics like Night and Fog, recent films like Zone of Interest and The Brutalist, iconic epics like Shoah and Come and See, and lesser-known films. Through this challenging body of work, we will inquire if and how it is possible to describe the indescribable and speak the unspeakable. We will examine what films can teach us about the Holocaust and what the Holocaust can teach us about filmmaking. Finally, we will question whether these films are truly distinct from Hollywood's war and genocide narratives -- are they also not manipulative? Are they also not barbaric? |
|
| Credit: 1 |
Gen Ed Area Dept:
SBS CJST |
| Course Format: Seminar | Grading Mode: Graded |
| Level: UGRD |
Prerequisites: None |
|
Fulfills a Requirement for: None |
|
Past Enrollment Probability: Not Available |
| SECTION 01 |
Major Readings: Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore
Art Spiegelman. THE COMPLETE MAUS.
Annette Insdorf. INDELIBLE SHADOWS: FILM AND THE HOLOCAUST.
Samm Deighan, THE LEGACY OF WORLD WAR II IN EUROPEAN ARTHOUSE CINEMA.
|
Examinations and Assignments:
Bi-Weekly (twice a week) comments: 50 %
Creative mid-term assignment and presentation: 30 %
Participation: 10 %
Final essay: 10 %
|
Additional Requirements and/or Comments:
This course counts toward the minor in Jewish and Israel Studies
|
| Instructor(s): Shavit,Avner Times: ..T.R.. 02:50PM-04:10PM; Location: TBA |
| Total Enrollment Limit: 19 | | SR major: 0 | JR major: 0 | | |
| Seats Available: 19 | GRAD: X | SR non-major: 9 | JR non-major: 5 | SO: 3 | FR: 2 |
| Drop/Add Enrollment Requests | | | | | |
| Total Submitted Requests: 0 | 1st Ranked: 0 | 2nd Ranked: 0 | 3rd Ranked: 0 | 4th Ranked: 0 | Unranked: 0 |
|
|