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The Last of the Unjust

The Last of the Unjust

2013

PG-13

Director

Claude Lanzmann

Runtime

219 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

Synopsis

A place: Theresienstadt. A unique place of propaganda which Adolf Eichmann called the "model ghetto", designed to mislead the world and Jewish people regarding its real nature, to be the last step before the gas chamber. A man: Benjamin Murmelstein, last president of the Theresienstadt Jewish Council, a fallen hero condemned to exile, who was forced to negotiate day after day from 1938 until the end of the war with Eichmann, to whose trial Murmelstein wasn't even called to testify. Even though he was without a doubt the one who knew the Nazi executioner best. More than twenty-five years after Shoah, Claude Lanzmann's new film reveals a little-known yet fundamental aspect of the Holocaust, and sheds light on the origins of the "Final Solution" like never before.

Where to Watch

Diversity & Representation

Overall Score

6.5/10

Good

Category Breakdown

LGBTQ+ Representation

Minimal

The film focuses on the Jewish experience within the Theresienstadt ghetto. It does not explicitly center or depict LGBTQ+ identities within its historical narrative.

Gender Representation

Fair

Archival footage shows men, women, and children within the ghetto system. However, the documentary focuses on political negotiation rather than subverting gender hierarchies or scripted dynamics.

Racial & Ethnic Diversity

Excellent

The film explores Jewish identity and the systemic erasure of an ethnic group. It highlights the political agency of Benjamin Murmelstein, disrupting the trope of the passive victim.

Religious & Cultural Diversity

Excellent

The narrative critiques the Nazi state's use of institutional corruption. It emphasizes the survival of a culture under the weight of state-sponsored dehumanization and systemic victimization.

Disability Representation

Fair

The documentary captures the physical toll of the Holocaust, including starvation and illness. These depictions serve as visceral documentation of the consequences of systemic violence.

Strengths

  • Provides a nuanced view of ethnic agency by centering a marginalized leader's political negotiations.
  • Offers a profound critique of how state institutions can be used to facilitate genocide.
  • Viscerally documents the physical consequences of systemic neglect and violence through archival footage.

Areas for Improvement

  • Does not explicitly depict or center LGBTQ+ identities within the historical context.
  • Lacks engagement with the subversion of gender hierarchies or scripted gender dynamics.
  • Does not address contemporary social tropes or modern identity politics.

AI Analysis

Claude Lanzmann’s documentary provides a rigorous interrogation of systemic power through the lens of the Holocaust. By centering Benjamin Murmelstein, the film moves beyond simple victimhood to explore the complex, morally ambiguous agency required to negotiate with the Nazi regime. The work excels in its portrayal of ethnic and cultural survival. It deconstructs how state institutions can be weaponized to dehumanize specific groups, offering a profound critique of institutional corruption and the mechanics of genocide. While the film lacks focus on modern identity politics or LGBTQ+ representation, it remains a vital piece of historical documentation. It captures the physical and psychological realities of a marginalized population facing existential threats.

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