:06:00
You see the implications?
The cause for concern?
:06:04
An unwritten rule we followed was:
don't dramatize the Holocaust. . .
:06:09
. . .just tell the story.
Let the story tell itself.
:06:13
The difficult thing was finding
where the real characters intersected.
:06:18
And taking a narrative out of these
historical characters and events.
:06:25
Paul Brickman's interpretation of Adam
Czerniakow, the Jewish Council head. . .
:06:30
. . .the Judenrat, which is like being
the mayor of New York, if you will. . .
:06:35
. . .his interpretation was that
this man did everything. . .
:06:41
. . .to mitigate damages being inflicted
upon his people by the Germans.
:06:47
In his hopefulness, Czerniakow tried
to create a negotiating position. . .
:06:53
. . .where he could bargain to make
the life easier until it was over.
:06:57
His mistake was that he thought
the people he was bargaining with. . .
:07:03
. . .exchanging pleasantries,
were people. They weren't.
:07:07
Strip the women naked.
This won't happen again.
:07:10
One of the interesting things
was the character Dr. Fritz Hippler. . .
:07:16
. . .who was a filmmaker
who did The Eternal Jew...
:07:19
. . .and who was one of the pets
of Goebbels. . .
:07:23
. . .because as I did this research,
almost all of the photos that exist. . .
:07:28
. . .are actually German propaganda
photos created by Hippler's people.
:07:33
It was incredible. Like I was watching
a Saturday Night Live skit gone awry.
:07:39
But I thought portraying it
would be chilling.
:07:42
I was assigned by Goebbels to film.
:07:48
-He says the film will outlast us all.
-Victory will last! This is not it.
:07:54
Depends where you put the camera.
:07:57
His debate with General Stroop,
who is played by Jon Voight. . .