The Man Behind the Myth

The man behind the myth

By: Chanel Slijderink

Adolf Hitler, one of the most recognised men in history, is consistently demonised in modern texts. He has become the poster boy for all things evil, drawn with the horns of the devil. Are these misrepresentations appropriate or should the media be expected to represent Hitler as a human like any other? Chanel Slijderink investigates this controversial topic in order to uncover the truth behind these truly disturbing demonic representations.

The twisted ideologies of Hitler allegedly resulted in the systematic murder of over 60 million people, 6 million of whom were Jewish. Do these tragic events really prove that Hitler is any less of a mistake making human than the rest of us? Nevertheless it is this tragic event that is the foundation of Hitler’s evil, callous and psychotic persona and is featured in most if not all contemporary texts. Modern texts find it convenient to indulge in this fantasy image of Adolf Hitler.

Adolf Hitler, is one of the most loathed leaders in all of history due to his reign over Germany during the 1930’s and 40’s. His complex character has become a cardboard cut-out of evil, being degraded and portrayed as menacing, psychotic even a malevolent monster that is obsessive, relentless and chaotic when it comes to his violent, unjustifiable plans. This representation of Hitler is deliberately constructed to strip him of all human qualities so he can be dehumanised and detached from society. This has desensitised modern audiences from his actions and clouds their judgement. Furthermore, when an author writes about Hitler they are not only dealing with controversy and incomplete facts but are predominantly influenced by the many powerful myths surrounding the man. Hitler’s evil image has become inflated since World War II after the monstrosities he committed such as the Holocaust. The common interpretation of Hitler is that he is demonic, malevolent and frightening which still prevails today in our ever changing society. It is also this stereotype that Christian Duguay, director of Hitler: The Rise of Evil has chosen to draw upon.

The creators of this persuasive docu-drama have constructed an image of Hitler that is far more malevolent and wicked than historical records entail. The film has exaggerated reality to position the audience to view Hitler as a cold, calculated monster. The text begins by showing Hitler’s childhood; in particular it foregrounds the abusive relationship between Hitler and his father. The audience is further subjected to scenes with close-up shots on Hitler’s eyes which are dark and devoid of any emotion. This positions the audience to accept Hitler’s overwhelming demonic presence early in the film. The scene is also filled with dark shadows which are associated with evil: - Hitler’s clothes are dark, the music is dark, the lighting is dark, the angles are low and sinister, and all of these aesthetic features contribute to Hitler’s evil persona within the film. The film subjectively uses characters to further define the line between black and white, good and bad. This is achieved by making Hitler and his henchman have dark hair, dark brown eyes and only wear dark suite meanwhile characters like that of the journalist have blonde hair, blue eyes and white lighter suits. Gaps present in the film include the Holocaust as Hitler’s rise to power is far more violent, engaging and entertaining thus overshadowing the historical event.

“Pride is a Weapon”

Moreover, the director neglects to include any positive attributes of Hitler’s life like his healthy relationships between friends and family. Furthermore, Hitler’s callous personality is later reinforced when he prevents a member of his political party from seeking medical attention for his very ill daughter as earlier in the film he refused to publish Hitler’s autobiography, Mein Kampf. This action is spiteful and positions the audience to see Hitler as having no remorse which is a characteristic present in human beings. The film consists of many underlying themes like war, politics, discrimination, violence, manipulation and patriotism. An example of Hitler’s patriotic nature is seen in his speeches which typically revolve around his hatred for Jewish people. If Duguay had, even for a moment, portrayed Hitler as a man rather than some creature of evil, much of the audience would have questioned the film’s integrity and perspective.

Hitler was the perfect boss by Allan Hall has taken a different perspective on Hitler however is more controversial due to the obvious humanisation of Hitler. The article revolves around an interview of one of Hitler’s maids, Rosa Mitterer prior to World War II.

“… a charming man”

Rosa describes her former boss as ‘a charming man’ and swears that she only ever had good interactions with the Fuhrer. This statement alone contradicts most if not all statements regarding Hitler as a ‘megalomaniac’ and his public persona. She later describes him as a great boss and good man which influences the audience to view