Claude Lanzmann Director of Shoah Dies Aged 92

[Scepticalscribe]

I have just noticed that the death of Claude Lanzmann, the formidable and influential director of extraordinary documentaries - such as the legendary Shoah - has been announced.

This is understated but compelling documentary making (on the lines of cinéma vérité) and is absolutely gripping to watch, as slow layer by slow layer, it builds its case by using the material offered (or uttered) by participants.

Film-making at its very best, serious, intelligent, and driven by a desire to educate and inform the public of what has happened with a rare respect for sources and material and the story to be told.

RIP Claude Lanzmann.

 

[AlliFlowers]

Always sad to lose someone who has made an impact. More people should see Shoah. Especially today.

 

[KindOfDaz]

"Shoah" is without any doubt a documentary of the most importance and an extraordinary legacy humanity upheld after the sad departure of Claude Lanzmann - rest in peace good man

 

[VanLingleMungo]

Should be mandatory curriculum for American students by end of eighth grade.

 

[decafjava]

Should be mandatory curriculum for American students by end of eighth grade.

European kids as well.

 

[NathanWind]

"Mandatory". Right. Government dictating what is and what is not "mandatory" is what caused the Shoah in the first place.

Coercion is evil.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

"Mandatory". Right. Government dictating what is and what is not "mandatory" is what caused the Shoah in the first place.

Coercion is evil.

Let us say a "suggested or recommended viewing with a view to educating oneself".

While one understands the bristling response to the suggestion of government oversight as to what one should view (though I do recall some silly regulations about what one read in libraries being mooted nearly two decades ago), I would argue that facilitating a climate of culpable ignorance of world history and abuses of power would be is equally unfortunate.

 

[tubular]

Government dictating what is and what is not "mandatory" is what caused the Shoah in the first place.

That and all the other reasons, yes. Like, oh, I don't know, maybe genocidal antisemitism.

 

[NathanWind]

I don't know, maybe genocidal antisemitism.

Murder is possible without the governing elite; however, genocide requires the full force of a government.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Murder is possible without the governing elite; however, genocide requires the full force of a government.

Agreed, and very well said.

The industrial might and technological power of the state was harnessed to achieve this end.

Bigots and fanatics and zealots and antisemites may have passionately desired such outcomes in earlier centuries, but they lacked the means to achieve them, or bring them about.

 

[phrehdd]

"Mandatory". Right. Government dictating what is and what is not "mandatory" is what caused the Shoah in the first place.

Coercion is evil.

This desire for people to do these false equivalencies is getting a bit tiresome. Imagine that, suggesting that a piece of history in documentary form be used in schools. Yep thats a real comparison to how the Nazis behaved </sarc>. In a day and age where people in the West challenge that the death camps never really existed and more, it is a GREAT idea to part the truth to students so they have a proper foundation to work with and understand it happened, and in terms of history, not that long ago. Allow students to gain their own perspective by having the tools.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

This desire for people to do these false equivalencies is getting a bit tiresome. Imagine that, suggesting that a piece of history in documentary form be used in schools. Yep thats a real comparison to how the Nazis behaved </sarc>. In a day and age where people in the West challenge that the death camps never really existed and more, it is a GREAT idea to part the truth to students so they have a proper foundation to work with and understand it happened, and in terms of history, not that long ago. Allow students to gain their own perspective by having the tools.

Agree - and very well made point about false equivalencies - it is becoming both tedious andntiresome and it is intellectually lazy, as well.