Ruzowitzky, Stefan, dir. Das radikal Böse

Based on Christopher Browning’s Ordinary Men [see key texts], this documentary attempts to explain the behaviour of the members of the Nazi Einsatzgruppen, the men who were tasked with murdering Jews and partisans in Eastern Europe. Using a combination of fragments from letters and diary entries of the perpetrators, other historical documents, interviews with experts of perpetrator studies, and reenactments of psychological experiments, the film argues that the evil deeds of the Einsatzgruppen cannot be explained by the evil personalities of these men but rather by a number of social factors. The film lends itself well to teaching and pedagogical materials are available for download at an accompanying website (in German).

Ruzowitzky, Stefan, dir. Das radikal Böse. Cologne: W-Film, 2013.