AntijüdischeTendenzen im Jesusfilm

Abstract

Die Wirkungsgeschichte der Bibel ist voll der "Manifestationen des Antisemitismus", wie sie das Vaticanum II beklagt hat (Nostra Aetate 4). Bei ihrer intensiven Auseinandersetzung mit Bild- und Erzähltraditionen aus dem christlichen Raum interessierte sich die Antisemitismus-Forschung vorzüglich für die Literatur und die bildende Kunst (sowie das Kunsthandwerk) vergangener Jahrhunderte; hinsichtlich der darstellenden Künste - einschließlich ihrer volkstümlichen Spielarten - scheint sie dabei beim Passionsspiel stehengeblieben zu sein. (...) 

English

Reinhold Zwick: Anti-jewish tendencies in jesus films.

In this centruy the jesus film has been one of the most infuential agents in putting forward an image of the jews. Although many of them are covertly or openly biased against jews, research into anti-semitism has hardly taken the genre into consideration up until now. The first jesus films continued and extended the tradition of the older passion plays with their anti-jewish tendencies. The tradition gained a completely new quality through the new medium: big close ups which intensified the older physiognomic denunciation of the jews. This anti-judaism cannot be simply dismissed as an unconscious addition to the films because there were also tangible endeavours to exonerate the jews in the early years of the production of jesus films, endeavours against the trend. Taking as examples the forms of visual an narrative slander presented in the german silent movie, "The Galilean", 1921, the spectrum of libelous anti-semitic stereotypes is examined. The theme is further unfolded in a concise survey of example films from both before and after the holocaust. This is not only of historical interest but is also intended to make us aware of analogaus phenomena in the present day.