MovieChat Forums > Taking Sides (2002) Discussion > Preposterous 'war crimes' charges

Preposterous 'war crimes' charges

posted 12 years ago by Edward_de_Vere
2 replies | jump to latest

Watching the film with the realization that most of the events portrayed actually took place, the first thing that came to mind was how preposterous the interrogation of and trumped-up charges against Furtwaengler were.

His alleged "crimes" amounted to conducting a symphony orchestra that Adolf Hitler and other Nazi higher-ups attended. I suppose the the US Officer should have also arrested and interrogated a baker for making bread and pastries that Nazi officials enjoyed eating.

The idea that there was some great moral dilemma involved is equally laughable.

[–] chrissso 9 years ago

I totally agree ... I kept muttering just what did he do besides lie down with dogs?

[–] henrimaine 8 years ago

I generally agree that the war crimes charges are often very stretched. Especially if these charges are directed against people not directly involved in political or military system. I can easily sympathize with the so called Nazi collaborators - they lived in Germany, it was their home, their life, most of them probably didn't actively support the Nazis, but obeyed their laws as much as it was necessary to continue with their lives, in some cases they might have used the Nazi system for their benefit (such as taking a job vacated by a Jew), they probably didn't have full knowledge of concentration camps and such things, etc. To accuse people of doing all that is a winners privilege. The side which won the war can always easily blame everybody who didn't fight on the "right side".