Analysis Of Harlan s Movie Jud Suss - 939 Words

One of the strongest tools a government can wield is public opinion. Harlan’s movie Jud Suss was used as a propaganda tool to subvert the Jewish population by demonizing them. Harlan’s movie is especially dangerous due to the statement he makes where he asserts the claim that he based the entire film on historical facts. Through this Harlan attempts to justify the movie through an allusion to historical views of the Jewish population. Although Jud Suss did have an artistic flare to it, Harlan’s claims of its integrity are inaccurate as the movie was used to incite the public; through the rewriting of â€Å"historical facts†, the surrounding public controversy and the trial conducted about Harlan’s work. To begin, Harlan’s first defense is the fact that he claims to have used the official records to obtain the facts surrounding Jud. The Duke Carl is a man who lives extravagantly, whose taste rivals none in his domain. Jud is painted as a man who utilizes this to subvert the Duke into becoming his puppet which is simply a false accusation. Jud maybe a smart, cunning man but it was the Duke, who lived beyond his means and Jud was blamed as the cause. Granted Jud may have enabled the Duke, however it was the Duke who led his people into chaos by not understanding them. Historical records state the tension which existed in the court as the Duke, a catholic, was not very well reviewed by the Lutheran majority. Another glaring problem is the fact that it was most likely the court