"Fatelessness" by Imre Kertesz

[comrade seinfeld]

About the closest you would come to a revisionist novel would be "Fatelessness" by Imre Kertesz. Kertesz, who, in the blurb, is said to have spent some time in Buchenwald, tells the totally fictional story of a Jewish teenager in German occupied Budapest called György Köves. There is a review of the book at http://www.complete-review.com/reviews/ ... rtesz5.htm.

From the perspective of revisionism, however, the important thing is that Gyorgy is first sent to Auschwitz, where he narrates that those Jews who, for some reason, cannot be used for slave labour, are sent to gas chambers, which are cunningly disguised as mass shower rooms, so that poison gas comes out of the showerheads, instead of water. No exterminationist would, of course, now maintain that was the method used in what they would believe to be the real gas chambers. If Kertesz was, in fact, consciously a revisionist, then that would be a good way to totally discredit the notion that there were homicidal gas chambers at Auschwitz. Also, when Gyorgy is questioned about whether there were actually gas chambers at Auschwitz, he says that he really does not know, since he is only repeating what he heard others say.

Gyorgy is next sent to Buchenwald, and from there to a satellite camp called Zeitz. It is not quite clear what he does at Zeitz, although it is something to do with mining, but, while there, he develops some near-fatal skin disease, mainly due to the general neglect and rough treatment from the German guards (although, unlike most anti-Nazi propaganda films, they are not interested in killing Jewish inmates). Gyorgy is then sent back to Buchenwald, where he is nursed back to health in an inmate run hospital, which the Germans take no part in. It is all somewhat of an anti-climax as the camp is simply taken over by the Americans, and Gyorgy is able to return to Budapest, where he has problems with the anti-Semitisn of the non-Jewish Hungarians. (Gyorgy does take part in one of the so-called death marches at one stage, but, like many others, he simply walks away from it, and is taken in by a German peasant. The Germans do shoot people on the march, but only when they are too sick to help themselves, which is not in accordance with a desire to kill as many Jews as possible.)

As far as Kertesz is concerned, moreover, most of the novel is taken up with the personal relations that Gyorgy has with all those he comes into contact with, and not specifically concerned with the historical background of the time. But, if it was the case that Kertesz was a revisionist then he paints a picture of the Germans which I think would be more in line with the perspective of a moderate revisionist, who, although the Jewish ethnic cleansing of the Nazis is recognised, does not make them out to be genocidal lunatics.

Why I sought to read this book is because I became aware that the movie "Fateless", based on the novel was going to be shown in all Australian cities, and there is reference to that at http://www.yourmovies.com.au/movies/?ac ... e_id=22971. However, I studied the course of this movie from the newspapers, and I found it was only shown for three days in one city. I contacted the chain that was said to be showing it and I was told that it was cancelled because of poor audiences. Well, being naturally paranoid, I would assume that Zionist pressure has really been brought to bear here, since the film (and the novel) does not present the "Holocaust" in accordance with the standard exterminationist perspective. As far as this arts film movie chain is concerned, poor audiences has never been a reason for their cancelling a showing, as I have been to films where I have been the only person in the audience. Anyway if there are any Australians reading this I wonder if they have any thoughts on the matter.

[TMoran]

Comrad Seinfeld:

However, I studied the course of this movie from the newspapers, and I found it was only shown for three days in one city. I contacted the chain that was said to be showing it and I was told that it was cancelled because of poor audiences.

You can see movies given rave reviews and fanfare and then they only make it out there for a few days before being withdrawn due to low attendence.

I have seen many references to 'Schindler's List' being a resounding box office success but noticed at the time we weren't given anything explicit.

I would say 'Schindler's List' wasn't as box office successful as it was and is aclaimed to have been.

Looking it in GOOGLE under - schindler's list box office receipts - I came across an account from Nizkor - http://www.nizkor.org/ftp.cgi/people/m/ ... indler-faq - which I wrote in 1994, with rebuttal, and recalls what I was observing then.

[Laurentz Dahl]

An article on Kertesz from The Revisionist:

http://www.vho.org/tr/2004/3/Springer297-300.html

[kk]

There was a time when german high-school classes were obligatory cinema
audiences for Spielbergs filth.

I would have been a victim too, but we have been spared the trip to the local movie theater and enjoyed
the VHS version after a year or so instead.

[Markion]

It was Austrian classes. But crazy nevertheless. The Socialists wanted that it will continue forever. That every pupil will have to see Schindler´s list once in his schooltime, forever! In eternity! Amen!

In germany it was "vountarily and only in the year it was in te cinema. I had to watc´h it. It is trivial and a nice fictive stry like every Spielberg movie - and just as brutal. Did you notice that he copied the scene from "Indiana Jones: Raiders of the lost ark" where Indiana Jones kills a group of germans by shooting through them in this film. Jut here it is the germans who "save ammunition" by killing Jews lined up. Spielberg is s sick...

[Markion]

Sorry, that spelling was terrible. Just this damn keyboard. I did not realize, I wanted to say, that in Germany it was obligatory. I just knew of Austria.