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I don't buy the implication that Aryan men married to Jews were somehow less courageous than Aryan women married to Jews. What we do know is that German men were fighting the war; at the time of the protest many of them had just tasted defeat on Russian territory.

Feel-good movies about the Holocaust have received mixed reviews. Life is Beautiful, Roberto Benigni's 1998 dramedy, was too grotesque for my liking. But—in spite of some manipulation and improbability—Rosenstrasse made me feel good for a good, historical reason, and it didn't minimize anyone's suffering in the process.

Talk About It

1. What does Rosenstrasse reveal about the Germans involved in the war?
   
   
2. What do you think led some Nazis to cruelty toward the Jews? What led some of them to show mercy?
   
   
3. How are the killers of the innocent today different from the SS soldiers in the movie?
   
   
4. What's motivating the women to protest? Do you think this is a "feminist movie"? Why or why not?
   
   
5. Did you feel manipulated at any time when watching the movie? Why or why not?

The Family Corner

The film includes some scary scenes in which the SS soldiers point their guns at people, and some in which the guards hit the prisoners. Apart from that, given the parental supervision, it can be a family-friendly movie.

Photos © Copyright Samuel Goldwyn Films

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