German World War II Soldiers

German World War II Soldiers:

            With the wide popularity of the horror film, filmmakers have sought desperately to find niches within the monster genres that make their villains stand out a little more, terrifying effect their audiences. One of the first mainstreams attempts of mixing German soldiers with film monsters was in the Norwegian film “Dead Snow.” Though, it was made by Europeans, it became such a hit in the United States that the filmmakers made the sequel to cater to American audiences.

            The choice by the filmmakers of making their zombies Nazis further perpetuates previous notions of German allowance during World War II. Specifically the notion that soldiers were just “Following Orders.” How better to portray this sensibility than by making the soldiers mindless zombies, incapable of thinking for themselves, and willing to obey their superior’s reign of terror?    

            Of course, demonization is nothing new to those who served under the swastika. In fact, there’s scarcely a film out there that portrays German soldiers in a positive light. Notice the image from Schindler’s List of 3 German solders who mercilessly attempt to execute a defenseless Jew. The expressions on the soldier’s faces as well as they way they carry themselves suggest no kind of indifference or remorse or even hesitance in their actions. They are without feeling. They are cold, lifeless monsters who prey on the weak. The image to the right (from Indiana Jones) depicts a similar expression, with the added textures of lower lighting coming from the floor. This particular type of lighting has become synonymous in both film and stage with evil characters. Evil has been the sole story of every German soldier who fought in the war.