This is a very important book, offering a view of a particular genre of Weimar cinema, the World War I film, unlike anything previously available in English. Written clearly, in non-technical language, and covering in detail all of the available films on the subject, the author succeeds in keeping the reader interested even if the film is not available for viewing. But WHY does she not provide English translations for the extensive quotes from German sources that are needed to understand the points she is trying to make? It's infuriating for us non-German speaking readers. A major deficit in this otherwise fascinating work.
How was Germany's experience of World War I depicted in film during the following years? Drawing on analysis of the films of the Weimar era—documentaries and feature films addressing the war's causes, life at the front, war at sea, and the home front—Bernadette Kester sketches out the historical context, including reviews and censors' reports, in which these films were made and viewed, and offers much insight into how Germans collectively perceived World War I during its aftermath and beyond.
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