Night and Fog (1956)

Monsieur Alain Resnais' holocaust documentary "Night and Fog" is about different concentration camps in Europe where more than 9 million people lost their lives. What is most shocking is the attitude of those who were directly responsible for these deaths. There is not a single person who accepts the guilt. Everybody says that I am not responsible as the orders to kill came from the top. This film is able to make strong impact on viewers due to Jean Cayrol's powerful voice. As a concentration camp survivor, he wrote the text of this film. "Nuit et Brouillard" takes into account three different time periods. It all started in 1933 when a call was made regarding "Il Faut Une Nation Sans Fausses Notes" (One needs a nation without false notes).This was the period when concentration camps were getting constructed with each camp having a surprise element. For example : a symphony orchestra and a zoo. In 1942, military commander Heinrich Himmler gives the slogan "Il Faut Anéantir Mais Progressivement" (One must destroy but progressively).As per his instructions, models and plans of concentration camps are studied, deportation of Jewish people from all parts of Europe takes place and cyanide based pesticide Zyklon is used as killing by hand takes time. By 1945 Nazi brutality is at its peak as by this time concentration camps are huge cities with roughly 100,000 inhabitants. A lot of German companies namely Steyer, Krupp, Heinckel and Siemens benefit enormously from cheap labor provided by concentration camps. There is immense horror after the war when allied forces open the doors of concentration camps. It is at that moment deportees watch with horror without understanding anything. By directing "Night and Fog", Monsieur Alain Resnais has attempted to find an answer to human cruelty. The only question which all human beings can ask is this : "How can a human being inflict so much cruelty and suffering on another human being" ? His film features excellent cinematography and music by Ghislain Cloquet, Sacha Vierney and Hanns Eisler. Lastly anybody watching this film must bear in mind "Même Un Paysage Tranquille Peut Tout Simplement Conduire A Un Camp De Concentration" (Even a quiet landscape can simply lead to a concentration camp) !!!!!

I saw "Night and Fog" in film class as a teenager over 40 years ago. I have never forgotten it, nor will ever as long as I live.Anyone who sees this film will understand what will happen when one group of human beings cedes absolute dominance over themselves to another group. Notice my use of the word "will". Some may not ADMIT they understand (eg., the holocaust deniers), but they WILL understand.One point seven million Cambodians, one million Armenians, four hundred thousand Cossacks, three million Ukrainians, six million Jews as well as a like number from other "undesirable" categories. On and on...And yes, the Holocaust DID happen.One half hour you will never, ever forget. Absolutely shattering.

This haunting film tears at our very essence. Narrated by a Holocaust survivor in a subdued, restrained voice, some of the most horrific images of inhumanity are presented matter-of-factly, having more impact than virtually any other cinematic presentation I've seen. I had a high school teacher who, himself, was in a German prison camp. After his own liberation, he had the experience of being part of the force that went into the death camps. He showed us pictures that I'm sure would have been seen as inappropriate for our young eyes. These images have stayed with me my whole life. I owe him a debt of gratitude for his courage in bringing us into his world. I think that this brief film probably did the same thing for people of that era. The films that have been put together, the still photos, and the insightful commentary have an enormous impact. Don't watch unless you have a strong stomach. The pictures tell the story and they pull no punches.

A movie i've seen in history class and i assumes it's very disturbing, mostly when you are only 12 years old. It's only thirty-two minutes but it's very shocking, it's unfortunately what happened. A voice-over without emotions will comment the movie, even this voice is uncomfortable. You can't forget a film like this, it's more powerful than a lesson about World War II. Alain Resnais made the only movie which make you think about the concentration camps and the Nazi Germany. If you never seen this film, you absolutely should watch it, it's maybe not for everyone but it's history.