One Act, Many Interpretations.

There are several ways in which to look at this film as a potential Nazi film. I would start by looking at the motive for producing the film. As Silberman notes, both Ucicky and Jannings had strong party loyalties and had been previously involved with other pro-Nazi films. This fact in itself does not prove that the Broken Jug is a Nazi film, but in combination with further evidence, it is a compelling piece of the argument. It would also be worthwhile to explore the renewed popularity and interest in Kleist in Germany after the first World War. As Silberman states, “Critics seeking historical parallels to Germany’s hour of trial found in their idiosyncratic readings of Kleist’s tragedies a source for glorifying militaristic values and heroic resignation.”

The next way I would approach this film is by analyzing the way in which film is different from the original screenplay. Specifically, what is it about the film production that lends itself to the Nazi ideals. There is very little changed in the dialogue, yet the way the scenes are set changes the emphasis of the dialogue entirely. Even the way in which Adam’s face is filmed distracts the audience from the true meaning of the dialogue.