louictisk

I think we all have a conception of the Holocaust. This conception has been created during our history classes, when we've been watching movies that have touched the subject, when we've been reading books and when our ancestors have been telling us stories about the Holocaust. Maybe have some of the movies we've been watching about the Holocaust given us a very glorified picture of what actually happened during the years of mass exterminations of Jews.

But don't worry - if you haven't got a truthful picture of the Holocaust yet, Night and Fog definitely will give it. What I can see, this is the first war inspired documentary Alain Resnais has been directed. The atmospheric music - that all the time is interacting with the narrator - have been made by the musician Hanns Eisler, and fits perfectly in the film. But most impressive of all, is still the film art itself.

You can't hide away from it. The camera moves slowly by extermination camps, high fences with barbed wire, rusty bunk beds in - otherwise empty - dorms and also by humans. The camera moves so slowly, so slowly, and even if you wan't to see it, you can't avoid to watch it. It's all in front of you, and the reality - that's so horrible that words even can't describe that - and that made this 32 minutes long documentary to the most truthful documentary that I ever have watched in this category.

But, not to forget: this isn't only the most truthful and awful documentary about the Holocaust that I ever have watched - this is also the documentary with the most artistic beautiful scenes I ever have watched. And to sum up, these elements make the movie to a historical masterpiece worth watching.

Maybe this isn't the deepest film of Bergman - or the most spectacular film visually - but there is something with this movie that I like. Maybe that's the stripped and easy settings, that's differently in comparison with other films directed by Bergman, or maybe that's the three interesting women's stories - that the film is about - that touches me.

And maybe Bergman knew that. Maybe he knew that films about pregnancies and all that concern about that, touches people. Maybe he knew that it was an excellent idea to directing a film, that takes place in some gloomy hospital wards - for the gloomy settings, leaves space to a film that entirely focus on three - more or less - wounded souls.

Maybe he knew that. Maybe he knew that it was the way to a masterpiece.