Your Job in Germany

Your Job in Germany (1945)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

WW2 propaganda film from director Capra tells young troops why they should overtake Germany as well as why they should put them in the ground so that they can never rise up again. The film tells how Germany has always been evil and when given a second chance they ruin in and send another person like Hitler. I know these films were made to rally troops during WW2 but looking at them today you can't help but call them rather racist. This film here at least says you should respect their customs yet it then follows that by saying you shouldn't talk to their people because you can't trust them. The film runs just over ten-minutes and pretty much tries to pump up Americans and throw a fear factor into things. This is certainly a film of its era and I'm sure most will find it boring but if you're interested in these films its not too bad.

Just a few notes about this picture. First, the narrator is John Lund, not Dana Andrews as mentioned in an earlier review. Second, this OWI short was slightly expanded, re-scored (by William Lava), the narration re-recorded by Knox Manning, was re-titled "HITLER LIVES?" and released theatrically by Warner Bros. While the images are striking and the script disturbing, John Lund's reading of the text is, for the most part, adult and instructive. Compare this with Knox Manning's over-the-top, almost rabid, alarmist narration. Musically, the Tiomkin-Newman et al scoring for the War Dept. version is sober while William Lava's treatment is typical Warner Bros. bravura. The same film intended for two entirely different audiences. Only slightly different in the footage (the Warner version includes some studio-shot material of race-baiters and rabblerowsers) yet the execution of the aural elements legions apart. And, as noted by another reviewer, it is striking how in both versions the word Jew is not uttered once, nor are the Jews identified as the primary target of the Nazi atrocities. When I first saw this film (I recently acquired a 16mm print of the Warner version), one thing struck me dead center. The plea for children to be children and not to be molded into tools for the state. Some might make the same plea today.

This is an absolutely amazing film.

Dr Seuss's script shows a far uglier side to his persona than the cat in the hat. The film is essentially a crass (though I fear successful) attempt to entrench racist ideas about Germany in the American soldiers sent after Germany's WWII defeat. Germans are portrayed as inherently evil human beings. American Soldiers are warned to be on their guard that those wily Germans are likely to slap their lederhosen and drink beer and be merry in the hope that their essential evil and cruelty might go unnoticed. The audience is left in no doubt that to fraternise with a German is to succumb to the trickery of the most irredeemable despicable evil that human nature could offer. Nazism is not political but an inevitability of the German race.

Watch this film and think about Muslim fundamentalists on TV. Or think about the Grinch.

I am not going to give a numerical score to this film--it really isn't very easy considering that "Your Job in Germany" is pure propaganda--and very angry propaganda to boot. Now I am not saying that the film isn't true in many ways nor am I ignoring that the anger was more than justified--but the film isn't one you can easily rate or classify. It is, however, a fascinating look into the mind of the Allied cause at the end of the war in Europe.

The film was made to be shown to occupying troops in Germany. Much of it is a history lesson about German militarism beginning with the conquests of Kaiser Wilhelm I and Otto Von Bismark and moves to the present time. Interestingly, the film never really talks about the Holocaust, though it essentially brands the German people as evil. Considering the deaths of many millions at their hand, this view is certainly understandable though clearly not politically correct. It also admonishes soldiers NEVER to talk to the Germans or be friendly in any way towards them--just be professional and keep on guard for any indications that another war could be brewing. It's all quite paranoid and angry--but it is also a sign of the times--and an interesting piece of our history.

By the way, although it's not listed on IMDb, a companion film "Our job in Japan" is also available like this film from archive.org (whose films are frequently linked to IMDb). In this Japanese occupation film, the Japanese people are described more as dangerous but misguided and soldiers are encouraged to show the conquered people decency and friendship. Interesting, that's for sure.

Also, this film (and probably the Japanese one as well) was written by Theodore Geisel--that's Dr. Seuss to most folks.

This film was previewed by several US generals before being shown to the troops. Most of the generals approved of it. However, General George Patton didn't like the film and gave it a one word review, "Bull....".

See "General Patton, A Soldier's Life" by Stanley Hirshson, published 2002.

I have seen the film but have not seen the similar film for Japan, which I understand is even more strident.

It is interesting that Dr. Seuss (Theodore Geisel) made Army training films that received academy awards (Oscars).