ENGL 120 1

English 120: Film and Culture

Nazisploitation!: Nazis in American Film

T/Th: 1:30-4pm / 100 Lincoln Hall

Instructor: XXX Office Hours: T/Th 12:30-1:30

Office: XXX (confirm by email)
E-mail: XXX CRN: XXX

Course Description: Members of the Nazi party, the participants in Adolf Hitler’s political project of
National Socialism, were the subjects of hero-villain narratives and social critiques as early as 1933, both
within the repressive confines of Germany and in the countries warily observing the ascendancy of
Hitler’s expansionist rhetoric. But it was only after the end of World War II when concentration camp
survivors and occupied citizens exposed—via film footage, photography, painting and sculpture, poetry,
memoir, and novel—the grotesque fullness of Nazi crimes that contemporary notions of this perpetrator
began to take a familiar shape. Whereas wartime Germany was understood as the inciting state in the
bloodiest conflict in world history, postwar Germans were this and more: as perpetrators of something
that came to be called the Holocaust, they were the people who had committed the systematic murder
of more than ten million innocent civilians, people who exterminated Jews, Roma, gays and lesbians,
and disabled children by building gas chambers, wielding rifles, running cattle trains, or standing by in
tacit complicity. Who could commit such crimes? What would motivate them to do so? And what does
their crime say about our capacity for the same? These are the urgent questions with which art in all its
forms—especially film in the United States, a country to which so many Jewish survivors emigrated—
continues to grapple.
In this class, we will set the stage by considering how the historiographical narratives of World
War II and the Holocaust provide different answers to these questions, beginning the “factual” shading
in of different notions of the Nazi perpetrator. We will then seek to understand the contemporary
American ideological and sociocultural ends that these competing representations of the perpetrator
satisfies, and the instrumental role of American film in advancing these different versions of the Nazi by
contributing to the increasing pursuit of aesthetic, rather than objective and historiographical, truth.
Through our examination of cultural works from the end of the war to the present, we will discuss how
the era, genre, and broader context of these Nazi narratives gives them varying degrees of significance in
the evolving conversations about what the Holocaust was, what it means, and how it should be
remembered. Films from Charlie Chaplin’s The Great Dictator (1940) through Quentin Tarantino’s
Inglourious Basterds (2009) will support our inquiry into where, how, and why the socially constructed
Nazi of yesterday remains a palpable presence in the aesthetic trends, ethical debates, and political
conversations of today.
In pursuit of these answers, this course will require us, on occasion, to come into contact with
graphic film footage and emotionally unsettling narratives. Students with a low tolerance for such
material may not find the course suitable.

Course Goals:
By the end of this course students will:
o Have the skills to read and vocabulary to discuss aesthetic representations of Holocaust
perpetrators as a source of historical information and interpretation
o Articulate the multiple “languages” used to convey meaning in representations of Holocaust
perpetrators both narratively and visually
o Understand the advantages and challenges of working with different film genre categories, from
drama and comedy, to science-fiction and exploitation films
o Identify tropes associated with representations of this specific historical context and how to
discern and extrapolate these tropes in representations of other events
 ENGL 120 2

Texts:
Joe Simon & Jack Kirby, Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Captain America, Vol. 1
All other readings will be made available on Blackboard.

Films:
The Boys From Brazil (Franklin Schaffner, 1978, 125 mins)
Conspiracy (Frank Pierson, 2001, 96 mins)
Der Fuehrer’s Face (Donald Duck in Nutzi Land) (Jack Kinney, 1943, 8 mins)
Education for Death (Clyde Geronimi, 1943, 10 mins)
Eichmann (Robert Young, 2007, 96 mins)
The Great Dictator (Charles Chaplin, 1940, 125 mins)
The Grey Zone (Tim Blake Nelson, 2001, 108 mins)
Inglourious Basterds (Quentin Tarantino, 2009, 153 mins)
Ilsa: She Wolf of the SS (Don Edmonds, 1975, 96 mins)
Memory of the Camps (Sidney Bernstein, 1985, 56 mins)
Music Box (Costa-Gavras, 1989, 124 mins)
Night and Fog (Alan Resnais, 1955, 31 mins)
The Reader (Stephen Daldry, 2008, 124 mins)
The Stranger (Orson Welles, 1946, 115 mins)

Requirements:
Participation (attendance, discussion, in-class writing) 25%
Class presentation 10%
Response papers (5; 2 pages each) 30%
Final paper 35%

Class presentation (10%): In small groups of 3, students will take responsibility for providing the historical
context, and the viewing, discussion, and response paper prompts for one class session; a list will be handed
out for you to sign up. Each group will screen the film ahead of time—you are responsible for locating the film
that you sign up for—and will do extra research on the film for that class session—its production, reception,
critics, etc.—which you will summarize in a one-page (front or, if longer, front-to-back) handout; doing the
assigned readings ahead of time will facilitate your research. On the same handout you will include a
summary of the historical context surrounding each film; the specific historical context research topic will be
clarified on the sign-up sheet.
Handouts will also include 2-3 directed watching prompts—things that the class should pay special
attention to, such as particularly meaningful scenes, recurring motifs or themes, or filmmaker strategies that
are especially pertinent to our analysis. Finally, the group will provide four questions that can be used for in-
class discussion or at-home response papers; these should be open-ended (rather than yes-or-no) and
provocative enough to get people talking and writing. The assigned readings will be helpful in this regard.
In general, each group will spend the first 5-7 minutes of class introducing their research using (but
not reading from) the handout, and will explain the directed watching prompts. After viewing, group
members will take a leading role in facilitating discussion around the film. However, the length of some films
or other planned activities may not leave enough time for that length of introduction or an extended
discussion, making it especially important that you bring enough copies of a handout that is descriptive,
concise, well-formatted and can stand on its own. As with the other written assignments, all prose on the
handout should be your own; pasting an online synopsis is unsuitable.
Please note: One group will present on two short cartoons, combined with the Captain America text, rather
than one feature-length film and should be prepared to amend the presentation conventions accordingly.
Talk to the instructor should you have questions about how to do this.

Response papers (6% each; 30% total): These five two-page reflection papers will be based on materials
viewed in or read for or in class. Papers 1-3 are due by Tuesday, July 9th at 5pm, and papers 4-5 are due by
Thursday, August 8th at 5pm. They may respond to questions proposed on the presenting groups’ handouts,
 ENGL 120 3

as well as the core inquiries for the course like: In this particular representation, who were the perpetrators
(literally and figuratively)? How does the writer/filmmaker want us to feel about this category of perpetrators?
And what elements of the representation tell you that? How do you actually feel about the perpetrators as
represented? Why? How can we understand the Holocaust through the lens of American representations?
How can we understand American culture through Holocaust representations?

Final paper (35%): You are required to write a paper of 8-10 pages, analyzing 2-3 films, on a topic of your
choice. Papers may discuss questions like: How does another country (Italy, for example) present a different
Holocaust narrative trajectory than the American Holocaust macro-narrative that we’ve discussed? Using
strategies we’ve developed in class, how do the Nazis of American film and literature compare to American
representations of other genocide perpetrators? What other Holocaust narrative archetypes (like the
bystander) emerge from the representations we’ve encountered in class and how does this archetype
transform over time? What do we discover by comparing different representations of a single event (like
Kristellnacht), place (like the Warsaw Ghetto), or person (like Mengele) across time and texts? On Tuesday,
July 23rd, you will submit a proposal with a paper topic and an annotated bibliography of two primary and two
secondary sources; we will discuss this proposal in a brief one-on-one conference. The final paper should be
submitted to the appropriate link on Blackboard no later than 5pm on Friday, August 9th; no late papers will
be accepted. You will find example proposals and successful papers on Blackboard.

Extra credit – Illinois Holocaust Museum essay (5-10%): Students desiring extra credit may visit the Illinois
Holocaust Museum & Education Center in Skokie. Following the visit, students should write an essay (300-
400 words) that considers two or more of the following questions: What are your general impressions of the
museum? Did it meet your expectations; why or why not? How does the museum merge the American,
especially Illinois, story with Holocaust stories? What were the most memorable exhibits and why? What
ideas do you have for new exhibits, or different presentations of an existing exhibit, that could enhance the
museum experience; why would you implement this change? Student admission is $8; museum hours and
directions are available online at http://www.ilholocaustmuseum.org. Proof of visit (in the form of a ticket)
must be submitted to the instructor by Thursday, August 1st. Papers must be uploaded to Blackboard by
Friday, August 9th at 5pm; no late papers will be accepted.

Attendance: Because your understanding and engagement of the material depends on your
presence in our class, I will take absences seriously. More than two, for any reason, is inexcusable.
Furthermore, excessive absences will affect your response paper grades, since they require you to
use material and skills that we will develop in class. Preparation includes completing homework and
in-class assignments, and having read the texts to be discussed in class. Please make it a point to
turn off your cell phone before class begins. Using your phone or laptop for non-course purposes,
during film viewing or class discussion, will amount to an absence. Arriving more than fifteen
minutes late will amount to an absence. Please note: In the event of your absence, you are
responsible for finding a classmate who is willing to fill you in on any missed material.

Laptops & cell phones: If you need your laptop in class to take notes or view documents when we
are not viewing films, please do so, but do not do non-class-related activities during class time.
Additionally, do not use your cell phones—including sending or checking text messages—during
class time.

Late Work: Late work, including homework, will not be accepted after the due dates, except in the
case of documented family emergencies or doctor-documented illness. In such cases, you must
communicate promptly with your instructor. Absence from class does not affect the due date. Note:
Due dates are important, and Blackboard posting links expire by the due dates listed in the
syllabus.

Format: I expect all graded work to look clean and professional. Papers must conform to MLA
formatting standards: 12-point Times New Roman font, double-spaced, with 1-inch margins all
 ENGL 120 4

around. I will not grade work that is not formatted properly, or does not meet the page-length
requirement.

Plagiarism: A student who submits a paper, at any stage of the writing process, which in whole or
part has been written by someone else or which contains passages quoted or paraphrased from
another’s work without acknowledgment (quotation marks, citation, etc.) has plagiarized. Maintain
your integrity when completing assignments and be overzealous to give credit where it is due. If you
ever are unsure about what constitutes plagiarism, ask me. Students who are found to have
plagiarized work may be subject to various disciplinary actions, including a failing grade on a
particular assignment, failure of the entire course, and possible expulsion from the university. For
more information about violating academic integrity and its consequences, consult the Web site of
the UIC Office of Student Judicial Affairs. I will take severe measures against plagiarism. In
egregious cases of deliberate plagiarism, my policy is to fail the student on the spot and file a
complaint with Student Judicial Affairs.

Electronic communication: I am happy to correspond with you via email to answers your questions
or handle simple concerns, with the following caveats:
• Email is not ideal for urgent matters. I consider 24-48 hours to be a reasonable period in
which to respond to inquiries. I am usually much faster than this, but not always.
• I expect you to send your message from a professional email address, using appropriate
language. I will not respond to messages that begin with “hey,” don’t adhere to standard
grammar, and don’t fully spell out words
• Be sure that your question isn’t answered in this syllabus or on Blackboard, as it wastes my
time and yours when the information you need is already available.
• Remember to identify yourself and state your query as clearly as possible.

Disability accommodation: Students with disabilities who require accommodations for access to
and/or participation in this course must be registered with the Disability Resource Center (DRC).
You may contact DRC at 312-413-2183 (v) or 312-413-0123 (TTY).
 ENGL 120 5

DAILY SCHEDULE*
*Subject to announced changes

Week One

Tuesday, June 18th

Introductions: Index cards (name, major, reason, 160/161 experience, subject experience)
Class: Review syllabus and sign up for presentation dates
Class: World War II and the Holocaust – an essential timeline
Activity: Silent timeline
Introduce: Memory of the Camps Frontline materials
Watch: Memory of the Camps (excerpt)
Writing exercise: Immediate reactions to the film? How do you feel? How were you supposed to
feel and what signals this? Who were the Holocaust perpetrators as represented in the film? What
were their crimes and what were their motives? Who were their victims?
Class: Share in-class writing

For Thursday:
Read: Holocaust Vocabulary handout
Read: Questions & Answers About the Holocaust
Read: Joseph Goebbels, “Those Damned Nazis”
Read: Stephen Elliott, “Looking Through a Glass Darkly: Night and Fog”

Thursday, June 20th

Guest Speaker – Eric P. Martin, Filmmaker
Class: Discuss homework readings
Lecture: Eric Martin on how to understand documentary technique and critically view documentary
film
Class: Introduce Night and Fog
Watch: Night and Fog (31 mins)
Small groups: Discuss the film as a documentary artifact and a Holocaust narrative.
Class: Discussion on competing definitions of Nazi perpetrators. Which definition seems most
accurate? Why? How do these definitions fit (or not) with your pre-existing idea of Nazis? Where
does your pre-existing notion of Nazis come from?
Small groups: Define Holocaust perpetrators using the material you’ve encountered thus far. How
did you settle on this definition?

For Tuesday:
Read: Elie Wiesel, Night (excerpt)
Read: Primo Levi, Survival in Auschwitz (excerpt)
Read: David Gerstein, “Chaplin, Charlie, and Fascism”
Read: Cinematic Syntax handout
Review: The Six Varieties of Documentary slideshow

Week Two

Tuesday, June 25th

Class: Discuss homework readings
Group 1: Introduce The Great Dictator
Watch: The Great Dictator (125 mins)
 ENGL 120 6

Group 1: Lead film discussion

For Thursday:
Read: “Orson Welles The Stranger Now on MGM DVD”
Read: Peter Novick, The Holocaust in American Life (excerpt)

Thursday June 27th

Class: Discuss homework readings
Group 2: Introduce The Stranger
Watch: The Stranger (115 mins)
Group 2: Lead film discussion

For Tuesday:
Read: Jimmy Gillman, Rev. of The Boys From Brazil
Read: Norman G. Finkelstein, The Holocaust Industry: Reflections on the Exploitation of Jewish
Suffering (excerpts 1-2)

Week Three

Tuesday, July 2nd

Class: Discuss homework readings
Group 3: Introduce The Boys From Brazil
Watch: The Boys From Brazil (125 mins)
Group 3: Lead film discussion
Class: Reminder about response papers 1-3

For Tuesday:
Read: Joe Simon & Jack Kirby, Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Captain America, Vol. 1
Read: Craig This, “Captain America Lives Again and So Do the Nazis: Nazisploitation in Comics
after 9/11”
Write: Submit response papers 1-3 on Blackboard by 5pm

Thursday, July 4th

Independence Day: No classes

Week Four

Tuesday, July 9th

Class: Complete mid-semester course evaluation: 1) What do you like best about this class? 2)
What do you like least about this class? 3) What suggestions do you have for the rest of the
semester?
Class: Discuss homework readings
Group 4: Introduce Der Fuehrer’s Face (Donald Duck in Nutzi Land) and Education for Death
Watch: Der Fuehrer’s Face (8 mins) and Education for Death (10 mins)
Group 4: Lead discussion on animated films and Captain America

For Thursday:
 ENGL 120 7

Read: Mimmi Woisnitza, “Messing Up World War II-Exploitation: The Challenges of Role-Play in
Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds”

Thursday, July 11th

Class: Mid-semester course evaluation outcomes
Class: Discuss final paper assignment and Blackboard resources
Class: Discuss homework readings
Group 5: Introduce Inglourious Basterds
Watch: Inglourious Basterds (excerpt)
Group 5: Lead film discussion

For Tuesday:
Read: Alicia Kozma, “Ilsa and Elsa: Nazisploitation, Mainstream Film and Cinematic
Transference”

Week Five

Tuesday, July 16th

Guest Speaker – Wendy Maier-Sarti, Oakton College
Class: Discuss homework readings
Lecture: Wendy Maier-Sarti on The Gendered Holocaust Perpetrator
Class: Introduce Ilsa: She Wolf of the SS
Watch: Ilsa: She Wolf of the SS (96 mins)
Small groups: The implications of sexualizing victim and Nazi

For Thursday:
Read: Paul Chutkow, “From the ‘Music Box’ Emerges the Nazi Demon”
Read: Robert Skloot, “Stage Nazis: The Politics and Aesthetics of Memory”

Thursday, July 18th

Class: Discuss homework readings
Group 6: Introduce Music Box
Watch: Music Box (124 mins)
Group 6: Lead film discussion

For Tuesday:
Read: Hannah Arendt, Eichmann in Jerusalem (excerpt)
Read: Mike Hale, “The Logistician of the Holocaust”
Write: Final paper proposal with annotated bibliography

Week Six

Tuesday, July 23rd

Class: Discuss homework readings
Group 7: Introduce Eichmann
Watch: Eichmann (96 mins)
Hold: Begin paper proposal flash conferences
Group 7: Lead film discussion
 ENGL 120 8

For Thursday:
Read: Alan A. Stone, “Condemned: Stephen Daldry’s The Reader”
Read: Manuel Velasquez, et. al., “Conscience and Authority”

Thursday, July 25th

Class: Discuss homework readings
Group 8: Introduce The Reader
Watch: The Reader (124 mins)
Hold: Complete paper proposal flash conferences
Group 8: Lead film discussion

For Tuesday:
Read: James Waller, “The Social Sciences”

Week Seven

Tuesday, July 30th

Guest speaker – Danny Cohen, Northwestern University and the Illinois Holocaust & Genocide
Commission
Class: Discuss homework readings
Lecture: Danny Cohen on Nazis – Uniforms or Humans?
Class: Introduce Conspiracy
Watch: Conspiracy (96 mins)
Small groups: Understanding the perpetrators of Conspiracy next to the perpetrators in Reserve
Police Battalion 101

For Thursday:
Read: Primo Levi, “The Gray Zone”
Read: Tadeusz Borowski, “The Way for the Gas, Ladies and Gentlemen”
Read: “Arguing Tim Nelson’s The Grey Zone”

Thursday, August 1st

Class: Final opportunity to turn in extra credit proof of visit; reminder of response papers 4-5
Class: Review final paper assignment and expectations; final questions
Class: Discuss homework readings
Group 9: Introduce The Grey Zone
Watch: The Grey Zone (108 mins)
Group 9: Lead film discussion

For Tuesday:
Read: Simon Wiesenthal, The Sunflower: On the Possibilities and Limits of Forgiveness (excerpt)
Write: First 2-3 pages of final paper; print and bring to class

Week Eight

Tuesday, August 6th

Class: Homework readings activity
Small groups: Peer review drafts of final paper
 ENGL 120 9

Class: Complete course evaluations

For Thursday:
Write: Continue drafting final paper
Write: Submit response papers 4-5 on Blackboard by 5pm
Write: Extra credit essay due by 5pm

Thursday, August 8th

Research and Writing Day: No class

For Friday:
Write: Complete and upload final paper by 5pm