Indelible Shadows: Film and the Holocaust by Annette Insdorf (Columbia University, New York)
Indelible Shadows investigates questions raised by films about the Holocaust. How does one make a movie that is both morally just and marketable? Annette Insdorf provides sensitive readings of individual films and analyzes theoretical issues such as the 'truth claims' of the cinematic medium. The third edition of Indelible Shadows includes five additional chapters that cover recent trends, as well as rediscoveries of motion pictures made during and just after World War II. It addresses the treatment of rescuers, as in 'Schindler's List'; the controversial use of humor, as in 'Life is Beautiful'; the distorted image of survivors, and the growing genre of documentaries that return to the scene of the crime or rescue. The annotated filmography offers capsule summaries and information about another hundred Holocaust films from around the world, making this edition an extremely comprehensive discussion of films about the Holocaust, and an invaluable resource for film programmers and educators.