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On Monday, Jan. 27, marked the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, or in other words, the end of the Holocaust—a term referring to the persecution and murder of around six million Jews in Europe during the Second World War, perpetrated by the hateful Nazis.
Antisemitism has long existed, but the systematic genocide orchestrated by Adolf Hitler and his minions made it unique and all the more shocking, considering it happened in a modern—supposedly unbarbaric—world.
The Nazis tried everything to hide their crimes. But once the world discovered what they were doing in their occupied territories, filmmakers ensured there would be countless movies and documentaries to keep people well-informed about this atrocity and as a way of paying respect to the victims of this senseless mass murder.
I am not Jewish, and I have never been to Auschwitz to see for myself the industry built, according to a historian, to produce corpses. But it doesn’t take being one or being in such a grim place to feel the initiative to remind everyone that we live on the same planet, regardless of race or religion. Therefore, there’s no reason to view others as inferior, and political power should never be abused for personal gain or to brainwash followers into committing crimes against humanity.
Here are 10 Holocaust-related obras maestras that I urge you to watch if you want to immerse yourself in this sensitive subject for good reasons.
1. Schindler’s List – Steven Spielberg, himself Jewish, directed this historical drama based on the novel Schindler’s Ark by Thomas Keneally. It won seven Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director for Spielberg, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Original Score. As a high schooler, I saw this film on the big screen, and hearing the theme felt like the saddest music ever composed, especially in the context of the most infamous genocide.
2. The Pianist – Adrien Brody won an Oscar for his portrayal of a Polish-Jewish musician trying to survive the Holocaust. Interestingly, he plays the role of a Holocaust survivor in the 2024 movie The Brutalist, which gives him a second Best Actor shot at the Academy Awards. The Pianist director, Roman Polanski, while born in Paris, was brought back to Poland by his Polish Jewish parents when the Nazis invaded the country.
3. Inglourious Basterds – This alternate history masterpiece from Quentin Tarantino stars Brad Pitt and Christoph Waltz, the actor who stole the show with his performance as Hans Landa. The fierce Jew hunter intimidates by sweet-talking and letting the person he’s talking to—like in the now-legendary opening scene—know that he is the one in control and the conversation will end the way he wants it.
4. The Boy In the Striped Pajamas – The author of the novel of the same name, John Boyne, is said to have written the book’s draft in just two and a half days. The plot revolves around an eight-year-old German boy named Bruno, whose family relocates to rural occupied Poland after his Nazi father is promoted. When he sneaks into the woods, Bruno befriends Shmuel, a Jewish prisoner.
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5. Conspiracy – This made-for-television drama takes viewers to the Wannsee Conference that actually happened in January 1942. Apart from some shouting matches among the attendees, the whole thing is relatively a group of men just having a corporate meeting led by a despicable human being named Reinhard Heydrich, played well by actor Kenneth Branagh. The sheer unbelievability of what is being discussed—the Final Solution of the Jewish question—makes it a terrifying trip to the deep recesses of racism.
6. The Grey Zone – This film, starring Harvey Keitel and Steve Buscemi, is based on an eyewitness account written by a doctor who was under the supervision of the so-called Angel of Death, Josef Mengele. Some of the scenes are hard to watch, like the disposal of bodies in the ovens, but historian Rich Brownstein described it as the “greatest Holocaust movie ever made.”
7. The Photographer of Mauthausen – Based on the true story of Spanish Civil War veteran Francisco Boix, it chronicles a prisoner’s attempt to hide photographs depicting the terrible conditions and crimes committed at the camp. Actor Mario Casas, in the lead role, shredded considerable weight to appear malnourished.
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8. The Last Days – This Oscar-winning documentary recounts the plight of five Hungarian Jews who survived Hitler’s reign of terror.
9. Ordinary Men: The Forgotten Holocaust – This spine-chilling study on the mentality of the Nazi police squads will leave you thinking long after its 58-minute run, especially upon realizing that these men who pulled the trigger to kill innocents were not misfits but normal guys who found work.
10. My Best Friend Anne Frank – The Holocaust tragedy would not be complete without the inclusion of a story involving the most beloved young diarist, who wrote, “In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart.” Wait for the last scene where the a cappella song (Szol a kakas mar) by Hungarian singer Pálya Bea serves as a moving backdrop.