Yes, it is one obscure documentary among many on the holocaust, yet it still serves an important and often-neglected aspect of the holocaust - the U.S. response to it. More specifically, this fully black-and-white documentary (unique, especially since it predates the same photographic style of "Schindler's List" by 10 years) offers something of a counter-factual approach by asking "Could the U.S. have done more to save the Jews?" Following this film and other works of scholarship in the past 30 years, the well-accepted answer by historians is a resounding "Yes." However, at the time (1982) the answer was probably still a bit muddled, with many from the WWII era still alive, focused instead on the fight against Soviet communism, and not enthusiastic in re-opening painful mistakes from the past.
Indeed, the film covers some very eye-opening topics probably not even known by those familiar with the topic, such as: the failed attempt to re-settle Jewish refugees in the Dominican Republic, and the laissez-faire attitude of the Israeli Zionist movement at the time to the plight of European refugees. Director Jarvik obtains interviews from a wide-variety of important historical figures, including even aging former officials from the Roosevelt administration. Yet, he shows proper restraint in directly implicating FDR as negligent (as many others have done in recent years), understanding that the political climate of the times would not allow a more forceful response. The first-person interviews from people like this make the film worthy viewing by themselves.
Indeed, the film covers some very eye-opening topics probably not even known by those familiar with the topic, such as: the failed attempt to re-settle Jewish refugees in the Dominican Republic, and the laissez-faire attitude of the Israeli Zionist movement at the time to the plight of European refugees. Director Jarvik obtains interviews from a wide-variety of important historical figures, including even aging former officials from the Roosevelt administration. Yet, he shows proper restraint in directly implicating FDR as negligent (as many others have done in recent years), understanding that the political climate of the times would not allow a more forceful response. The first-person interviews from people like this make the film worthy viewing by themselves.
