Horst in Translation ([email protected]) I have to say I am a bit baffled that this half-hour documentary from 60 years ago is so famous to this day. Resnais was in his early 30s when this was made, but already had a pretty prolific body of work. The film's narrator is probably the biggest issue for me. It's a bit odd to see the commentary writer also worked in the animation department for "Oggy et les cafards". Anyway, his style here is extremely sterile and even if this documentary is about an issue as serious as it gets (life at labor and concentration camps during World War II), there is also all the suffering involved and I believe you have to bring in emotion somehow as this topic asks for it. Almost the whole thing is in black and white and it occasionally seems like a collection of photos. There is not much motion in this picture. The music is sometimes off the mark as well, too playful for the things depicted. It's a bit odd to me as I believed Hanns Eisler to be more thoughtful and talented in that regard. These 32 minutes are certainly worth a watch for the content, but that is pretty much it and I would say that it has not aged particularly well. Oh and it is in French, so make sure you get subtitles as well if you aren't a native speaker. And stay away if you cannot cope with watching the atrocities of war.

FilmCriticLalitRao Monsieur Alain Resnais' holocaust documentary "Night and Fog" is about different concentration camps in Europe where more than 9 million people lost their lives. What is most shocking is the attitude of those who were directly responsible for these deaths. There is not a single person who accepts the guilt. Everybody says that I am not responsible as the orders to kill came from the top. This film is able to make strong impact on viewers due to Jean Cayrol's powerful voice. As a concentration camp survivor, he wrote the text of this film. "Nuit et Brouillard" takes into account three different time periods. It all started in 1933 when a call was made regarding "Il Faut Une Nation Sans Fausses Notes" (One needs a nation without false notes).This was the period when concentration camps were getting constructed with each camp having a surprise element. For example : a symphony orchestra and a zoo. In 1942, military commander Heinrich Himmler gives the slogan "Il Faut Anéantir Mais Progressivement" (One must destroy but progressively).As per his instructions, models and plans of concentration camps are studied, deportation of Jewish people from all parts of Europe takes place and cyanide based pesticide Zyklon is used as killing by hand takes time. By 1945 Nazi brutality is at its peak as by this time concentration camps are huge cities with roughly 100,000 inhabitants. A lot of German companies namely Steyer, Krupp, Heinckel and Siemens benefit enormously from cheap labor provided by concentration camps. There is immense horror after the war when allied forces open the doors of concentration camps. It is at that moment deportees watch with horror without understanding anything. By directing "Night and Fog", Monsieur Alain Resnais has attempted to find an answer to human cruelty. The only question which all human beings can ask is this : "How can a human being inflict so much cruelty and suffering on another human being" ? His film features excellent cinematography and music by Ghislain Cloquet, Sacha Vierney and Hanns Eisler. Lastly anybody watching this film must bear in mind "Même Un Paysage Tranquille Peut Tout Simplement Conduire A Un Camp De Concentration" (Even a quiet landscape can simply lead to a concentration camp) !!!!!

Hitchcoc This haunting film tears at our very essence. Narrated by a Holocaust survivor in a subdued, restrained voice, some of the most horrific images of inhumanity are presented matter-of-factly, having more impact than virtually any other cinematic presentation I've seen. I had a high school teacher who, himself, was in a German prison camp. After his own liberation, he had the experience of being part of the force that went into the death camps. He showed us pictures that I'm sure would have been seen as inappropriate for our young eyes. These images have stayed with me my whole life. I owe him a debt of gratitude for his courage in bringing us into his world. I think that this brief film probably did the same thing for people of that era. The films that have been put together, the still photos, and the insightful commentary have an enormous impact. Don't watch unless you have a strong stomach. The pictures tell the story and they pull no punches.

Martin Teller Holocaust documentaries tend to be very detached, holding back judgment and emotion and letting the horrors of the situation speak for themselves. Night and Fog is somewhat unique in that the narrator's outrage is apparent. I've seen an awful lot of Holocaust docs, this is the only one I've seen more than once. Three times, actually. And probably no more, because it's so terribly upsetting. A mere 32 minutes, but Resnais concentrates so much sorrow, pain, and cruelty into it that it's almost unbearable. You just don't get used to seeing this stuff. I felt at times the musical score was a bit tacky, or at least unnecessary, but the overall package is very powerful and a haunting reminder of how evil humanity can be.