Shell shock

I was thinking about the posts I wrote of recent this morning, in particular the Gohar Dashti entry. And I started thinking about war and a film I watched a while ago that unsettled me. "The Pianist" directed by Roman Polanski is an autobiography of a Polish Jewish pianist Wladyslaw Szpilman who struggles to survive in Warsaw, Poland during World War II. I'm not a great lover or war films but this one hit a nerve. One critical point in the film is when he and all of his family and many other Jewish people are being led to their unfortunate future, a friend who has turned and fights for the other side for survival rescues Szpilman. He lives but is distraught that he can't bring his family with him and the scene where he is trying to fight to get back to them is harrowing and distressing and very moving. He is alone. I can't imagine what I would do if I had to do that.

A scene from "The Pianist"

Throughout our childhoods we are taught continuously about the Wars and yet I am still shocked when I see films or documentaries or images like these. I wasn't even there and yet its as if it brings bad memories, a scar in my mind that has not yet healed. It is so unimaginable that these kinds of events happen that its almost unbelievable, I don't want to believe the cruelty. So imagine how someone who was there felt. My grandfather fought in the second World War in the Navy. And to this day he still won't talk about it. I've seen him get very emotional about it when me or my sister innocently have said what was it like. My father tells me that my grandfather had been to some of the concentration camps and freed some of the prisoners. Even writing about it I feel like I am betraying his wishes as it is so personal to him. He owns those memories and they are his. 

Both sides suffered of course, it wasn't so black and white. Below is an example though of the people fighting back.

Gestapo informer, Dessau,Germany, 1945

Both taken by Henri Cartier Bresson

In the first image, Cartier Bresson depicts the moment the tables turn on the Gestapo informer who would have previously been rounding up the Jewish community and sending them to concentration camps. Now that the war has ended the people have her in their hands. The informer's face against the woman that's holding on to her is painfully different. Her's is ashamed, disgusted, defeated where as the other woman is elated. The second image shows the people almost torturing her, throwing water and beating with sticks. Is this justice? I wasn't there so I can not say as to what the correct punishment would have been but I both understand and object to the treatment. If I had found the person that had sent my people to their death then I don't know what I would do. But this woman was caught up in a war and perhaps the only way she thought she could survive was for fighting for the other side. It does not excuse the actions and crimes committed. It's difficult trying not to offend each side because don't know how I would have reacted. All I know is that people today who saw the horrifying crimes committed can't speak about it, and my grandfather is a renowned storyteller but this is one he will not share. Until next time...