Nazi Film Propaganda

729 Words2 Pages

Propaganda is the art form of persuasion which means that it takes aim at people’ behavior, thoughts and provide them new information. World leaders make propaganda now and they did before. One of the countries which propagandized their ideas well is Nazi Germany. The thing that makes them special is Nazi Germany had a “Ministry of Propaganda” which was led by Paul Joseph Goebbels. The mission of this ministry was “to censor all opposition to Hitler and present the chancellor and the Nazi Party in the most positive light while stirring up hatred for Jewish people.”(HISTORY.COM) He was the one of the close friends of Nazi Germany’s Führer, Adolph Hitler. Goebbels, who appointed himself "Patron of the German film", and Adolf Hitler realized the power of films and they used cinema as propaganda.

Goebbels and Hitler thought that the most effective way of propaganda is using film. In 1994, Goebbels said: “The film is one of the most modern and far-reaching media that there is for influencing the masses.” Moreover, Hitler was a movie fan. “He(Hitler) cultivated friendships with actors and filmmakers and often screened films as after-dinner entertainment. Even more fascinated with the cinema was his powerful Minister of Propaganda, Dr. Josef Goebbels, who controlled the arts during the Nazi Era. Goebbels watched films every day and socialized with filmmakers.”(5) Hitler thought that “Propaganda for the masses had to be simple, it had to aim at the lowest level of intelligence, and it had to be repeated many times concentrating on such emotional elements as love and hatred.” The effect that film had on them was great due to the dual usage of the senses as compared to the other forms of media. Both Goebbels and Hitler were movie fan and ...

... middle of paper ...

...t-papers/rode.html>.
2) Boland, William. "Hitler's Use of Film in Germany, Leading up to and During World War II." . N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Dec 2013. .
3) Goh, Sebrina. "Why and How Film was Used for Propaganda Purposes in Nazi Germany." . http://voices.yahoo.com/why-film-was-used-propaganda-purposes-2031569.html, 14 10 2008. Web. 16 Dec 2013. .
4) “Joseph Goebbels.” 2013. The History Channel website. Ara 30 2013, 3:28 http://www.history.com/topics/joseph-goebbels
5) Bordwell, David and Kristin Thompson. “Film History: An Introduction. New York” McGraw – Hill, Inc., 1994.
6) The Ministry of Illusion: Nazi Cinema and Its Afterlife. 1. Boston: Harvard University Press, 1996. 456. eBook.

Open Document