This Blog is a resource tool for the students taking the "FACING HISTORY AND OURSELVES" elective at Westborough High School, Westborough, Massachusetts.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
PERIOD 7 - THE GREY ZONE
This week you watched "The Grey Zone."The film chronicles the Sonderkommando's struggle to carry out the only armed revolt that would ever take place at Auschwitz.Please post your reflections about the film.
36 comments:
Amanda Hutchinson
said...
8:27 AM
I unfortunately was unable to see the end of the movie "The Grey Zone" but I believe that so far the film was truly unbelievable. There was so much to that film that I physically couldn’t watch. The story of the young girl who survived the gas chamber was the hardest part of the film for me to take in. Also the scene before the men, women, and children went into the gas chamber was hard to watch; the man who knew they were going to die was beaten to death by another Jew. I think he beat him up because he couldn’t handle lying to his own people. This movie showed how horrific the conditions of the Jews really were during the Holocaust and little clips of this movie will probably be etched in my memory forever.
The Grey Zone was one of the most disturbing films I have ever seen in my life. To know that the events that occured in the movie were absolutely real and happened on a regular basis during the Holocaust is truly sad. The conditions that the jews were forced to live with were terrible and horrifying. I can't even imagine what it must have been like to know that my fate was death and there was nothing that I could do about it once I got into the camp. Its hard to understand how any human being could put another human being under the conditions and torture that the Jews were forced to endure during these times.
I agree with Amanda that the scene of the girl surviving the gas chamber was extremely disturbing and hard to watch. I had mixed feelings about this part. I couldn't decide if it would have just been better for her to die because that is inevitably what is going to happen to herl, or if it was the right thing to revive her and keep her alive. Overall the movie was very difficult to take in.
The grey Zone was truly unbelievable. This movie was really hard to watch because you are seeing people die. The scence that was really hard to watch was when the guy got killed because he would not give up his to watch to the person. I agree with Amanda this movie was really hard to watch. But it shows us what kind conditions the jews really went through during Holocaust. I also agree with Amanda that I will not forget this movie
I agree with Amanda H on how there were many parts of this movie that were physically hard to watch and many scenes that I couldn’t. I also agree with her on the reasoning behind why the one man who was Jewish punched the other Jew to death. And how it related to him slowly realizing his fate and what he was doing to his own people.
I have never seen a movie as disturbing, informative, and astonishing as The Grey Zone. While watching the movie I was completely taken out of my comfort zone. Its one thing to read about the horrific events that took place but its another to actually watch it. There were multiple times that I found myself shuttering away from the scene that was being shown. One scene I found particularly difficult was the one where a Jewish man was beat to death before the gas chambers and the scream of his wife was unbearable and filled with despair. While watching the movie I attempted to put myself in the shoes of the different characters and failed to do so, I was unable to fathom what they were thinking and feeling. I am certain I will never forget this movie and many of its scenes will remain with me forever.
"the grey zone" was one of the saddest movies ive ever seen. i felt like it was a fictional movie, i couldnt believe sitting there watching what the nazi's did was real. it was like a horror film with no good ending. i never fully realized how severe the nazi's hated the jews. the last scene of the movie was heart breaking. the german promised the jewish doctor she would live but he shot her as she was running away. i liked this movie not because of happened in the movie but what i learned from this. i would recomend this movie to anyone who wanted to know more about the holocaust. i agree with stephen just knowing that these events occurred is terrible.
I too am in agreement with Amanda and Kelsey in that I found numerous scenes of the movie physically,emotionally, and mentally difficult to watch. I left the classroom today with an extreme respect for all of the Jews in the camp that sacrificed their lives for the destruction of the crematoriums.
I also agree with Stephen that this was one of the most graphic and physically trying films that I have ever seen in my life. One scene that stood out to me was when the old man was pushing the carts in the crematorium and he was responsible for pushing the cart that was to incinerate his wife, daughter, and two grand children. The fact that the other prisoners then had to smother him with his own pillow is something I can't even imagine. The mental trauma that these prisoners were put through is appalling and I truly struggled with comprehending how so many Jews dug deep within themselves and struggled to find even a drop of hope or will to survive another day, week, or month.
I'm so happy we've been able to learn about this. There's never any talk of any uprisings during the Holocaust and that's a shame. It's also shameful how the actual things that occurred at the death camps are being taken for granted. This information needs to be highlighted even though it's absolutely disgusting and at some points was very hard to watch in the film.
Stephen brings up the subject of trying to understand how a human could put another human in such torture. One of the SS officers did mentions in the film about his hatred towards the Jews and how it was fueled by their obedience to the Nazis. This was something that blew my mind. Of course these actions must have given the officers a sense of power and that's what kept them going, but I really don't understand how they could just keep on killing innocent people.
I thought that "The Grey Zone" was an incredibly difficult movie to watch. I had known what occurred in the concentration camps but to visually see what it would have been like was very disturbing. I thought the movie showed just how cruel the Nazis could be and it was unbelievable to think that a person could make another person suffer so much. I thought the ending in particular was very difficult to watch and my heart goes out to all the victims lost in Auschwitz.
I agree with Emily about how the bravery of the Jews in Auschwitz who formed the uprising should be commended. It showed unbelievable courage that they were willing to sacrifice themselves to destroy several of the crematoriums. I think this uprising should be more widely known because similarly to the Warsaw uprising, it showed how the Jews did fight back and tried to save themselves from the Nazis.
While I was unable to see the beginning and middle of the movie the Grey Zone, the end of the movie was incredibly disturbing and depressing for me to watch. Watching the Grey Zone made the horrific conditions and events of the Holocaust more real to me. I cannot begin to express how disgusted I was while watching this movie. I was fighting back tears the entire class. For me, while watching the Grey Zone I felt an intense amount of guilt and self-disgust. I know that I couldn't have done anything to prevent the Holocaust, but I still can't stand to think of the millions of people that to suffer such horrific deaths.
I agree with Amanda. For the majority of the period I was staring at my desk because I physically could not bring myself to watch the film. The cruelty with which the Nazis and workers treated the Jews is unfathomable to me. While I can't do anything to prevent the Holocaust because it has already occured, I'm determined to make a greater effort in the fight to stop genocide today.
i found this movie to be beyond disturbing to watch. The ending scenes where all of the jews that were captured were shot have been in my head for days. This movie was able to capture what really happened while the jewish people were prisoners in the death camps. - William Lariviere
The film was very disturbing, however I also found it to be very interesting as well. It is one thing to e told what happened at the death camps, but it is quite another thing to see it with your own eyes. It makes me wonder what is was like for the people at the death camps who witnessed these horrors firsthand. Its truly impossible to imagine how one group of people could do such horrible and disgusting things to other human beings.
Although "The Grey Zone" was disturbing and hard to watch at times, I am glad to have seen it. Up until watching the movie, I had no idea that some Jews were willing to take part in the slaughtering in exchange for a few months of life and more comfortable living quarters. I would like to say that I never would have done so, but never having been in that kind of situation, I don't really know what I would have done. The other day while I was at work, I had to empty out a bin full of ice water. I left my hands in the water for a few seconds until it became unbearably cold. I then remembered reading about the "experiments" that doctors in the camps would perform on the Jews, and imagined the torture they must have gone through when they were made to sit in such cold water until they lost consciousness and died. While watching this video, I thought about my own problems and how lucky I am that they were so trivial compared to what death camp victims experienced.
I agree with Amanda, the young girl's story of surviving the gas chambers was one of the most difficult parts of the film. She may have been better off succumbing to the gas chamber than having to deal with the horrible memories of what happened to everyone else, only to be shot dead in the end.
I agree with Amanda, the young girl's story of surviving the gas chambers was one of the most difficult parts of the film. She may have been better off succumbing to the gas chamber than having to deal with the horrible memories of what happened to everyone else, only to be shot dead in the end.
"The Grey Zone" was an extremely horrific movie. There were some parts that I couldn't watch and had to turn away. I've heard what the death camps were like but after seeing this film, I realize that my thouhts didn't compare to what actually happened. The way the Nazi's treat the Jews and just line them up to shoot them-just because; disgusts me beyonds. After watching these movies and learning more about the suffering of the Jews, I am so an so angry and want to punch the Nazi's. The one thing I was happy to see in this film, was that the Jews blew up a cremetorium and revolted. I wish more Nazi's were killed, as bad as that sounds, but I was proud of the Jews for defending themselves. Also, seeing how the gir; survived the gas chamber, it broke my heart that she was killed in the end. I think she was 'better' offbeing killed than to have to live with the horrific memories from what she saw/been through. After watching this film, what the Jews had to endure and go through, I will always remember.
I thought that "The Grey Zone" was an extremely good movie, although it was disturbing and hard to watch at times I thought the film did a great job of showing what life in the camps was like. I thought the scene with the two women who refused to give up their source for the gun powder was very hard to watch.
I agree with Kelsey in that the scene where the Jew was beaten to death in front of his wife before being gassed was extremely hard to watch. They just continued on after she was shot in the face like nothing had happened. I found it very disturbing.
"The Grey Zone" was definitely the most unsettling and disturbing film I've seen. At times it was extremely hard to watch. I agree with Kelsey that one of the most upsetting parts of the movie was when the Jewish man was beaten to death before the gas chambers. I don't think I'll ever forget that scene especially because of the agonizing screams coming from his wife. That is not the only scene that will forever be in my memory, many parts of this film are significant scenes that I'll never forget.
The Grey Zone was an amazing movie. I really liked everything about it. I am a squeamish person, so some parts were hard to watch for me, but other than that it was very good. I never knew that there was an uprising in any of the death camps, and that it had been successful. I also felt terrible for the doctor, since instead of killing him, they made him do more experiments, which must of been to him like torture.I agree with Amanda when she said that this movie really showed the horrific events of the holocaust.
"The Grey Zone" was an interesting but tough movie to watch. It followed a group of Jewish people in the concentration camps and their struggle to survive. I never knew that Jews were forced into killing other Jews. This movie made me understand a little bit better the stress and some of the things that these people were forced to do.
I agree with Steve in that this movie was extremely disturbing. I cant even begin to understand how or why the Nazi people were capable of doing such things to other human beings. It was a difficult but an important movie to watch.
"Yhe Gey Zone" was a very sad movie from the begining to the end. but also is a greate movie because show us what kind of person the nazis were how they munipulate jews. i was sad at the end when the litle girl gets shot because she was to young to die she did not deserved to die like that. I agree with mike because of what he thinks about the girl and the power that nazis had at that time.
"Yhe Gey Zone" was a very sad movie from the begining to the end. but also is a greate movie because show us what kind of person the nazis were how they munipulate jews. i was sad at the end when the litle girl gets shot because she was to young to die she did not deserved to die like that. I agree with mike because of what he thinks about the girl and the power that nazis had at that time.
I was absent one of the days we watched The Grey Zone, but I was able to see some of the beginning and the end of the film. From what I saw The Grey Zone is one of the more disturbing films we have watched this year. To see what the Jews were forced to go through was just terrible. I completely agree with Amanda that some parts of the film became physically hard to watch. There were numerous times were I was just shocked by what I was seeing.
i have to agree with Amanda and Stephen on how disturbing it was to watch the young girl survive the gas chamber. like Stephen i wasnt really sure wether it would have been better for her to have survived the chamber or to have just died from the gas in he lungs. After i thought about it though and the reason why she was saved was for the workers sake not as much hers. they had been in the death camp cremating there own people for four months. When the man relised the girl was still alive, i think he felt it was is chance to right all the wrong he had been carrying out. Even though she was shot in the end, he was able to die, knowing that he was soaly responsible for saving her life even though it was only for a little while.
I was only able to see day one of the film and missed more than half of it. What I did see was many of the jews working in the camp and the basis of what the doctor did trying to save his people as much as he could while keeping himself in a safe position. When the man in the beginning smuggled the older gentleman I found it very disturbing because all though he was saving the man a lot of suffering seeing the old suffer and kick was very sad and made it seem like he may have had it in him to live.
From reading Amandas post I can see that this must have been a very traumatic and disturbing movie to watch. To see a girl survive the gas chamber must have been heart wrenching.
I understand what Kelsey was saying when she mentioned that she couldn't imagine what the Jewish people in the concentration camps were thinking or feeling. It's hard to imagine being in a situation as horrid as the one that they were involved in. I don't believe that one could truly understand the feeling unless they were there themselves.
36 comments:
8:27 AM
I unfortunately was unable to see the end of the movie "The Grey Zone" but I believe that so far the film was truly unbelievable. There was so much to that film that I physically couldn’t watch. The story of the young girl who survived the gas chamber was the hardest part of the film for me to take in. Also the scene before the men, women, and children went into the gas chamber was hard to watch; the man who knew they were going to die was beaten to death by another Jew. I think he beat him up because he couldn’t handle lying to his own people. This movie showed how horrific the conditions of the Jews really were during the Holocaust and little clips of this movie will probably be etched in my memory forever.
The Grey Zone was one of the most disturbing films I have ever seen in my life. To know that the events that occured in the movie were absolutely real and happened on a regular basis during the Holocaust is truly sad. The conditions that the jews were forced to live with were terrible and horrifying. I can't even imagine what it must have been like to know that my fate was death and there was nothing that I could do about it once I got into the camp. Its hard to understand how any human being could put another human being under the conditions and torture that the Jews were forced to endure during these times.
I agree with Amanda that the scene of the girl surviving the gas chamber was extremely disturbing and hard to watch. I had mixed feelings about this part. I couldn't decide if it would have just been better for her to die because that is inevitably what is going to happen to herl, or if it was the right thing to revive her and keep her alive. Overall the movie was very difficult to take in.
The grey Zone was truly unbelievable. This movie was really hard to watch because you are seeing people die. The scence that was really hard to watch was when the guy got killed because he would not give up his to watch to the person. I agree with Amanda this movie was really hard to watch. But it shows us what kind conditions the jews really went through during Holocaust. I also agree with Amanda that I will not forget this movie
I agree with Amanda H on how there were many parts of this movie that were physically hard to watch and many scenes that I couldn’t. I also agree with her on the reasoning behind why the one man who was Jewish punched the other Jew to death. And how it related to him slowly realizing his fate and what he was doing to his own people.
I have never seen a movie as disturbing, informative, and astonishing as The Grey Zone. While watching the movie I was completely taken out of my comfort zone. Its one thing to read about the horrific events that took place but its another to actually watch it. There were multiple times that I found myself shuttering away from the scene that was being shown. One scene I found particularly difficult was the one where a Jewish man was beat to death before the gas chambers and the scream of his wife was unbearable and filled with despair. While watching the movie I attempted to put myself in the shoes of the different characters and failed to do so, I was unable to fathom what they were thinking and feeling. I am certain I will never forget this movie and many of its scenes will remain with me forever.
"the grey zone" was one of the saddest movies ive ever seen. i felt like it was a fictional movie, i couldnt believe sitting there watching what the nazi's did was real. it was like a horror film with no good ending. i never fully realized how severe the nazi's hated the jews. the last scene of the movie was heart breaking. the german promised the jewish doctor she would live but he shot her as she was running away. i liked this movie not because of happened in the movie but what i learned from this. i would recomend this movie to anyone who wanted to know more about the holocaust. i agree with stephen just knowing that these events occurred is terrible.
I too am in agreement with Amanda and Kelsey in that I found numerous scenes of the movie physically,emotionally, and mentally difficult to watch. I left the classroom today with an extreme respect for all of the Jews in the camp that sacrificed their lives for the destruction of the crematoriums.
I also agree with Stephen that this was one of the most graphic and physically trying films that I have ever seen in my life. One scene that stood out to me was when the old man was pushing the carts in the crematorium and he was responsible for pushing the cart that was to incinerate his wife, daughter, and two grand children. The fact that the other prisoners then had to smother him with his own pillow is something I can't even imagine. The mental trauma that these prisoners were put through is appalling and I truly struggled with comprehending how so many Jews dug deep within themselves and struggled to find even a drop of hope or will to survive another day, week, or month.
I'm so happy we've been able to learn about this. There's never any talk of any uprisings during the Holocaust and that's a shame. It's also shameful how the actual things that occurred at the death camps are being taken for granted. This information needs to be highlighted even though it's absolutely disgusting and at some points was very hard to watch in the film.
Stephen brings up the subject of trying to understand how a human could put another human in such torture. One of the SS officers did mentions in the film about his hatred towards the Jews and how it was fueled by their obedience to the Nazis. This was something that blew my mind. Of course these actions must have given the officers a sense of power and that's what kept them going, but I really don't understand how they could just keep on killing innocent people.
I thought that "The Grey Zone" was an incredibly difficult movie to watch. I had known what occurred in the concentration camps but to visually see what it would have been like was very disturbing. I thought the movie showed just how cruel the Nazis could be and it was unbelievable to think that a person could make another person suffer so much. I thought the ending in particular was very difficult to watch and my heart goes out to all the victims lost in Auschwitz.
I agree with Emily about how the bravery of the Jews in Auschwitz who formed the uprising should be commended. It showed unbelievable courage that they were willing to sacrifice themselves to destroy several of the crematoriums. I think this uprising should be more widely known because similarly to the Warsaw uprising, it showed how the Jews did fight back and tried to save themselves from the Nazis.
While I was unable to see the beginning and middle of the movie the Grey Zone, the end of the movie was incredibly disturbing and depressing for me to watch. Watching the Grey Zone made the horrific conditions and events of the Holocaust more real to me. I cannot begin to express how disgusted I was while watching this movie. I was fighting back tears the entire class. For me, while watching the Grey Zone I felt an intense amount of guilt and self-disgust. I know that I couldn't have done anything to prevent the Holocaust, but I still can't stand to think of the millions of people that to suffer such horrific deaths.
I agree with Amanda. For the majority of the period I was staring at my desk because I physically could not bring myself to watch the film. The cruelty with which the Nazis and workers treated the Jews is unfathomable to me. While I can't do anything to prevent the Holocaust because it has already occured, I'm determined to make a greater effort in the fight to stop genocide today.
i found this movie to be beyond disturbing to watch. The ending scenes where all of the jews that were captured were shot have been in my head for days. This movie was able to capture what really happened while the jewish people were prisoners in the death camps. - William Lariviere
The film was very disturbing, however I also found it to be very interesting as well. It is one thing to e told what happened at the death camps, but it is quite another thing to see it with your own eyes. It makes me wonder what is was like for the people at the death camps who witnessed these horrors firsthand. Its truly impossible to imagine how one group of people could do such horrible and disgusting things to other human beings.
Although "The Grey Zone" was disturbing and hard to watch at times, I am glad to have seen it. Up until watching the movie, I had no idea that some Jews were willing to take part in the slaughtering in exchange for a few months of life and more comfortable living quarters. I would like to say that I never would have done so, but never having been in that kind of situation, I don't really know what I would have done. The other day while I was at work, I had to empty out a bin full of ice water. I left my hands in the water for a few seconds until it became unbearably cold. I then remembered reading about the "experiments" that doctors in the camps would perform on the Jews, and imagined the torture they must have gone through when they were made to sit in such cold water until they lost consciousness and died. While watching this video, I thought about my own problems and how lucky I am that they were so trivial compared to what death camp victims experienced.
I agree with Amanda, the young girl's story of surviving the gas chambers was one of the most difficult parts of the film. She may have been better off succumbing to the gas chamber than having to deal with the horrible memories of what happened to everyone else, only to be shot dead in the end.
I agree with Amanda, the young girl's story of surviving the gas chambers was one of the most difficult parts of the film. She may have been better off succumbing to the gas chamber than having to deal with the horrible memories of what happened to everyone else, only to be shot dead in the end.
"The Grey Zone" was an extremely horrific movie. There were some parts that I couldn't watch and had to turn away. I've heard what the death camps were like but after seeing this film, I realize that my thouhts didn't compare to what actually happened. The way the Nazi's treat the Jews and just line them up to shoot them-just because; disgusts me beyonds. After watching these movies and learning more about the suffering of the Jews, I am so an so angry and want to punch the Nazi's. The one thing I was happy to see in this film, was that the Jews blew up a cremetorium and revolted. I wish more Nazi's were killed, as bad as that sounds, but I was proud of the Jews for defending themselves. Also, seeing how the gir; survived the gas chamber, it broke my heart that she was killed in the end. I think she was 'better' offbeing killed than to have to live with the horrific memories from what she saw/been through. After watching this film, what the Jews had to endure and go through, I will always remember.
I thought that "The Grey Zone" was an extremely good movie, although it was disturbing and hard to watch at times I thought the film did a great job of showing what life in the camps was like. I thought the scene with the two women who refused to give up their source for the gun powder was very hard to watch.
I agree with Kelsey in that the scene where the Jew was beaten to death in front of his wife before being gassed was extremely hard to watch. They just continued on after she was shot in the face like nothing had happened. I found it very disturbing.
"The Grey Zone" was definitely the most unsettling and disturbing film I've seen. At times it was extremely hard to watch. I agree with Kelsey that one of the most upsetting parts of the movie was when the Jewish man was beaten to death before the gas chambers. I don't think I'll ever forget that scene especially because of the agonizing screams coming from his wife. That is not the only scene that will forever be in my memory, many parts of this film are significant scenes that I'll never forget.
The Grey Zone was an amazing movie. I really liked everything about it. I am a squeamish person, so some parts were hard to watch for me, but other than that it was very good. I never knew that there was an uprising in any of the death camps, and that it had been successful. I also felt terrible for the doctor, since instead of killing him, they made him do more experiments, which must of been to him like torture.I agree with Amanda when she said that this movie really showed the horrific events of the holocaust.
"The Grey Zone" was an interesting but tough movie to watch. It followed a group of Jewish people in the concentration camps and their struggle to survive. I never knew that Jews were forced into killing other Jews. This movie made me understand a little bit better the stress and some of the things that these people were forced to do.
I agree with Steve in that this movie was extremely disturbing. I cant even begin to understand how or why the Nazi people were capable of doing such things to other human beings. It was a difficult but an important movie to watch.
"Yhe Gey Zone" was a very sad movie from the begining to the end. but also is a greate movie because show us what kind of person the nazis were how they munipulate jews. i was sad at the end when the litle girl gets shot because she was to young to die she did not deserved to die like that. I agree with mike because of what he thinks about the girl and the power that nazis had at that time.
"Yhe Gey Zone" was a very sad movie from the begining to the end. but also is a greate movie because show us what kind of person the nazis were how they munipulate jews. i was sad at the end when the litle girl gets shot because she was to young to die she did not deserved to die like that. I agree with mike because of what he thinks about the girl and the power that nazis had at that time.
I was absent one of the days we watched The Grey Zone, but I was able to see some of the beginning and the end of the film. From what I saw The Grey Zone is one of the more disturbing films we have watched this year. To see what the Jews were forced to go through was just terrible. I completely agree with Amanda that some parts of the film became physically hard to watch. There were numerous times were I was just shocked by what I was seeing.
It was very difficult to watch this movie. The graphic and disturbing nature really stuck with me. It was scary seeing the hopelessness of prisoners.
i have to agree with Amanda and Stephen on how disturbing it was to watch the young girl survive the gas chamber.
like Stephen i wasnt really sure wether it would have been better for her to have survived the chamber or to have just died from the gas in he lungs. After i thought about it though and the reason why she was saved was for the workers sake not as much hers.
they had been in the death camp cremating there own people for four months. When the man relised the girl was still alive, i think he felt it was is chance to right all the wrong he had been carrying out. Even though she was shot in the end, he was able to die, knowing that he was soaly responsible for saving her life even though it was only for a little while.
I was only able to see day one of the film and missed more than half of it. What I did see was many of the jews working in the camp and the basis of what the doctor did trying to save his people as much as he could while keeping himself in a safe position. When the man in the beginning smuggled the older gentleman I found it very disturbing because all though he was saving the man a lot of suffering seeing the old suffer and kick was very sad and made it seem like he may have had it in him to live.
From reading Amandas post I can see that this must have been a very traumatic and disturbing movie to watch. To see a girl survive the gas chamber must have been heart wrenching.
I understand what Kelsey was saying when she mentioned that she couldn't imagine what the Jewish people in the concentration camps were thinking or feeling. It's hard to imagine being in a situation as horrid as the one that they were involved in. I don't believe that one could truly understand the feeling unless they were there themselves.
Stinky weiners
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