People here, most of whom never actually confronted Nazism, its secondary movements or effects nor grew up with WW2 being a recent occurrence, seem very quick in their ignorance to label this film "propaganda". It is not. "Propaganda" is when you string together not- usually-true items and popular talk to make people think something which may not be true IS actually true.
There is no single actual fact in any major theme in this film that is untrue, that did not in fact happen more than once and that was designed to make Americans think anything that was not true. In fact, Mr. Dmytrk went easy on the Nazis, if anything. I am sure the studios and the War Department wouldn't have allowed that...yet they should have.
SPOILER ALERT HERE
There is dramatization here, of course, especially the ending. But there were no films made about Auschwitz or Bergen-Belsen during wartime, sadly, either. If anyone can show proof that there is untruth in any major part of this film, let her or him please state those untruths.
This film opens a book on the Hitler Youth that never should have been closed and should be told and told again by free people to defend against what that movement created. And please note and remember: the German-American Bund was still active in America when this film was made...
There is no single actual fact in any major theme in this film that is untrue, that did not in fact happen more than once and that was designed to make Americans think anything that was not true. In fact, Mr. Dmytrk went easy on the Nazis, if anything. I am sure the studios and the War Department wouldn't have allowed that...yet they should have.
SPOILER ALERT HERE
There is dramatization here, of course, especially the ending. But there were no films made about Auschwitz or Bergen-Belsen during wartime, sadly, either. If anyone can show proof that there is untruth in any major part of this film, let her or him please state those untruths.
This film opens a book on the Hitler Youth that never should have been closed and should be told and told again by free people to defend against what that movement created. And please note and remember: the German-American Bund was still active in America when this film was made...