Independent Study

Question:

In "The Pianist," (Roman Polanski) and "The Downfall," (Oliver Hirschbiegel), how do both movies illustrate a negative optic of WWII?

Rationale:

Analysing a binary cultured set of movies, one from a German perspective, and the other one from a Polish one (co-producted by Poland, France, Germany and the UK), my intention is to conform a study of the kind of optic placed on war and propaganda. My goal is to prove how both sides of the conflict, more than half a century after the conflict, portray a negative impression of war and its experiences. To to this, I'm going to focus on the dramatic impact of these movies, ranging from character presentation, narrative, and filmic approaches (lighting, sound, shot types).