Imaginary Witness: Hollywood and the Holocaust

Imaginary Witness: Hollywood and the Holocaust (2004)

  • 88% of critics liked it
    (16 reviews)

  • 77% of users liked it
    (749 ratings)

The American film industry took it upon itself to act as a cheerleader for United States and Allied military interests during World War II, but Hollywood was initially reluctant to directly condemn Nazi anti-Semitism, and it wasn't until years after the war ended that American filmmakers began… More

Unrated, 1 hr. 32 min.
Directed By
Daniel Anker
Written By
Daniel Anker
Genres
Documentary, Television, Musical & Performing Arts
In Theaters
May 6, 2004 Limited
On DVD
May 6, 2008
Shadow Distribution

Critic Reviews

  • Richard Nilsen, Arizona Republic

    Imaginary Witness is powerful and complex, and few will manage to make it through to the end without gasping, weeping or covering their eyes.

  • Ty Burr, Boston Globe

    Daniel Anker's film faults Hollywood both for ignoring the Holocaust during the war years and for trivializing it later. It's a mixed message that coheres largely thanks to Anker's archival spadework and his luck in securing interviews.

  • Nick Pinkerton, Village Voice

    Anker's excavated some remarkable stuff here...

  • Phil Hall, Film Threat

    Deserves merit for detailing a painful subject with maturity and intelligence

  • Nora Lee Mandel, Film-Forward.com

    Noteworthy for clips from less familiar films and newsreels, and interviews with creative participants in groundbreaking films.

Read all 16 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

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Featured Audience Ratings

  • Cynthia S


    This is an excellent documentary, which depicts the Holocaust through Hollywood movies and television. Especially interesting is Hollywood's anemic reaction to Hitler's rise to power during the 30s, which shows how afraid Hollywood moguls were to offend Nazi Germany before… More

  • Randy T


    An in-depth look at how Hollywood has portrayed the Holocaust, from <i>Confessions of a Nazi Spy</i> and <i>Black Legion</i> to <i>Schindler's List</i> and <i>The Pianist</i>. Insightful and revealing.

  • Walter M


    [font=Century Gothic]Narrated by Gene Hackman in an accusatory tone, "Imaginary Witness" is a frustrating documentary whose intention is to explore the history of the Holocaust in Hollywood films. What it inadvertantly does is explore the evolving level of content in these… More

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