Day 30: Nuit et brouillard / Night and Fog (1955)

I took a class last year that was in the history of Jews on film. Our professor mentioned numerous films that he would have liked to have shown but didn't have time for, including both this one and Homicide. Shortly after the class ended, I noticed both were for sale through Criterion so I picked them up. I have since been meaning to watch Night and Fog, but much like other films on the topic of the concentration camps, one needs to be in a certain mood to watch them. I find that most times I sit down to watch a movie, I'm rarely in the mood to watch something along the lines of Schindler's List. Despite this, there remains great value in watching and experiencing these films. One of the best parts of my high school education, in my opinion, was that we were shown Schindler's List, and I strongly feel that all high school students should be screen not only Schindler's List but also Night and Fog as a documentary comparison to the fictional tale.

On the 10th anniversary of the end of WW2, Resnais ventured into the concentration camps with his video camera. His work combines colour shots from modern-day (1955) empty concentration camps with black-and-white archival footage from the war to provide a glimpse into the horror that was the holocaust. Michel Bouquet provides a gripping narration that is sprinkled throughout, leaving much of the film silent creating a very sombre mood for the images to be witnessed and felt by the audience.

This film is powerful and moving. As a history student, I have done a lot of reading, studying and discussion on the second world war and the holocaust, but no number of texts can provide the sense that this film does. While some people may find it difficult to watch at times, it is exactly for this reason that everyone should this film.