A German Youth

Product Description A GERMAN YOUTH (Une Jeunesse Allemande) chronicles the political radicalization of some German youth in the late 1960s that gave birth to the Red Army Faction (RAF), a German revolutionary terrorist group founded notably by Andreas Baader and Ulrike Meinhof, as well as the images generated by this story. The film is entirely produced by editing preexisting visual and sound archives and aims to question viewers on the significance of this revolutionary movement during its time, as well as its resonance for today's society. Review Fiendishly researched and smartly constructed, 'A German Youth' is a formidable piece of documentary detective work focusing on a small but significant historical moment that continues to matter... Périot, who also served as his own hard-working editor, made it his business to plow through more than a thousand hours of this kind of archival footage. He wanted to present history as it happened, and something more. For it is the determination of 'A German Youth' to not only show how things looked from ground zero but also to provide the context for what happened, to show how middle-class German youths came to feel they had no other choice but to radicalize themselves and resort to violence. Key to the film's thesis is that this student unrest was taking place when Germany was still recovering from its Nazi past, when young people feared a return to authoritarianism and felt that the establishment, in general, and the West German government, in particular, were compromised by their Third Reich connections... Convinced that the forces that controlled society were so violent they had no choice except to embrace armed struggle themselves, these most radical folks formed the Red Army Faction in 1970. But, especially with Meinhof, who had the highest public profile, there was a visible sadness rather than a bravado about this decision, a feeling that the establishment had needlessly abandoned them. As 'A German Youth' carefully details, it did not end well for anyone. --Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times A thought-provoking look at the Baader-Meinhof group and the political debates of the era In 'A German Youth,' [Périot] refuses to romanticize the actions of the Red Army Faction (RAF) yet similarly offers no condemnation, demanding that auds consider the political and social atmosphere of the period, which in turn leads to uncomfortable realizations about where we are now... Periot's well-illustrated argument convincingly concludes that the subsequent years of violence, perpetrated by people whose largely bourgeois backgrounds seemed anomalous to acts of terrorism, isn't so surprising given the clash between a rigid government with a hesitant understanding of democracy and a radicalized youth spurred by extremist ideology... Periot (always his own editor) builds his arguments almost invisibly, guiding the viewer while trusting his audience to use their heads. How refreshing to have a director refuse black-and-white conclusions, knowing that formulating questions is the best way to probe the past and its ramifications. --Jay Weissberg, Variety Captivating...essential for anyone interested in cinema and politics... With no commentary beyond audio clips and visuals composed almost entirely of historical footage, Périot uses the radicals own images and words to show how their discourse evolved over ten years from progressive to militant... --Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter
ASIN: B0833VH2XH
VSKU: DBV.B0833VH2XH.G
Condition: Good
Binding: DVD
Note: Any images shown are stock photographs and product may differ from what is shown.
Condition Notes: Individually inspected: Guaranteed to play perfectly or your money back. Case may show wear and may be in library packaging. Ships Fast!