Everything Is Illuminated Meaning

Although most do, a holocaust film does not necessarily have to retell the events of the actual holocaust to relay the same message. A good example of this would be everything is illuminated. Everything is illuminated “starts out as a journey to piece together one family's story under the most comedic and absurd conditions turns into a surprisingly meaningful and existential odyssey, one full of personal and political revelations.” (levy) although everything is illuminated is not your average holocaust film, it does an amazing job of avoiding trivialization. Of course, the film is not able to avoid all trivialization, as that is impossible, and even the audience can trivialize the event. But everything is illuminated is able to relay the intended message without much hiccup.

One of the elements of everything is illuminated that assists in it avoidance of trivialization would be the many layers of metaphor and meaning. Not only does this give the film a complexity similar to the holocaust, but it gives a full and rich explanation of the themes and importance in the film. Again, everything is illuminated

does not, for the most part, tell of the actual events of the holocaust, but it does tell of the importance of remembering such events. The main character Johnathan collects things throughout his life. For everything that happens to him, he collects something from his surroundings. He does this so that he “won’t forget.” This action connects to the theme, that the past should be remembered. Additionally, in the title screen and in between chapters throughout the film, the first item Johnathan collected is shown. This is a cricket, encased in amber. This is one of the more subtle hints connecting back to the theme. amber, a substance that preserves whatever it surrounds, is a metaphor for the remembrance and preservation of the past. There are many connections back to the theme throughout the film, and the layers because of this is an element that assists in the avoidance of trivialization.
Another portion of the film which helps with avoidance of trivialization is the use of thematic elements that give the film a rich and engaging storyline. One of these elements is character development, presented in Alex. Alex is the very definition of a dynamic character, his beliefs changing drastically. At the beginning of the story, Alex says something similar to “the past should stay in the past.” This changes by the end, as he comes to the realization that the past is always within us, coming out to illuminate the present.
Another, and possibly the most important, aspect of the film that assists in the avoidance of trivialization would be the themes and meaning presented in the movie.

Alex comes to the conclusion that “everything is illuminated in the light of the past.” Saying this at the end of the film, he gives the viewer a verbal representation of the theme. He also says something similar to “the past is inside all of us, coming out, much like the inside out shirt.” He is referencing Johnathan telling him his shirt was inside out. He does not understand this, and the miscommunication leads to him making this realization. The meaning behind this film, the importance of remembering events such as the holocaust, is one of the most important parts of the film. This gives the viewer an important message that will help with the collective remembrance of such events throughout

humanity.
To represent the holocaust, or any instance of genocide, in a depiction that is truly accurate is extremely important today and in the future. This is because without the knowledge of something such as the holocaust, the world won’t know how to prevent it from happening again. Similarly, prevention of genocide is extremely difficult if one does not represent instances of genocide in a way that is true to the event. If the true message is lost, how can one expect it not to happen again? It is not only important to remember the holocaust so as to prevent it, but also to keep the memory of those affected by it alive.
The accurate representation of an event such as the holocaust through art is very important, and will remain important forever. Trivialization of such an event not only destroys the meaning behind the event, but it also strips any possibility of prevention from it happening again. And although avoidance of all trivialization is impossible, someone trying to create an artwork depicting it should attempt to trivialize as little as possible. This is why it is so important to find the balances necessary to achieve an accurate depiction. Holocaust representation in artwork educates the masses on the event, and the misrepresentation of such an event would be disastrous.