InfoAnda - 'The Reader' puts Holocaust back in Oscars spotlight

Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case
Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They

Taiwan denies boycotting Australian film festival
Thursday, August 6, 2009

AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e

Merkel's support dips, regional ally resigns International
Thursday, September 3, 2009

By Sarah Marsh and Noah Barkin

BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German

Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who

Asian markets mixed after Wall Street rally
Wednesday, March 18, 2009

By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an

U.S. to guarantee loans to help Tunisian transition | | 21 April 2012
Leonard Cohen to play first U.S. show in 15 years | Entertainment | | 14 January 2009
Wallace's pal Gromit was once a cat, creator says | | 11 July 2012

California Teen Sailor Nears Dangerous Cape Horn In Solo Circumnavigation Bid | 30 March 2010

">Forum Views () ">Forum Replies ()

Read more with google mobile : 'The Reader' puts Holocaust back in Oscars spotlight

Yahoo! My Yahoo! Mail Yahoo! Search Search: Sign InNew User? Sign Up News Home - Help Navigation Primary Navigation Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Top Stories Most Popular Secondary Navigation Asia Pacific World Search Search: 'The Reader' puts Holocaust back in Oscars spotlight AFP - Tuesday, February 17 HOLLYWOOD (AFP) - - The Oscars may have a history of honoring films set against the backdrop of the Holocaust but critics are questioning the timing of a fresh crop of films depicting the Nazi horrors of World War II. ADVERTISEMENT This year's awards season saw an unusually crowded field of movies dubbed "Holocaust films": "The Reader," "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas," "Good," "Valkyrie," "Adam Resurrected" and "Defiance." One of those films -- "The Reader" -- has been nominated for five Oscars, including best picture, best director and best actress for Kate Winslet, who plays a former prison guard from a Nazi death camp. The awards season success of "The Reader," and the fact that so many films set in the Nazi era have hit screens recently, has reinforced the notion that studios are guilty of mining the Holocaust for awards season gold. Ron Rosenbaum, a New York-based journalist and author of "Explaining Hitler: The Search for the Origins of His Evil," decried "The Reader" as "the worst Holocaust film ever made." "This is a film whose essential metaphorical thrust is to exculpate Nazi-era Germans from knowing complicity in the Final Solution," Rosenbaum commented in an essay on Slate.com. "The fact that it was recently nominated for a best picture Oscar offers stunning proof that Hollywood seems to believe that if it's a 'Holocaust film' it must be worthy of approbation, end of story." Meanwhile, Andrew Wallenstein, deputy editor of The Hollywood Reporter, suggested in a commentary on National Public Radio that some film-makers were "exploiting mass tragedy to earn the kind of gravitas the Holocaust confers." "While it would be nice to chalk up this trend to some grand artistic need to grapple with such a terrifying period of history, you have to note the timing of the release of these films," Wallenstein said. "Let's just say it: the real reason we see so many of these movies is that they're awards bait." Annette Insdorf, director of undergraduate film studies at Columbia University and author of "Indelible Shadows: Film and the Holocaust," acknowledged that while many Holocaust-related movies have been honored at the Oscars, it was as much a reflection of Hollywood's "fascination -- and golden recompense for -- stories of wartime evil, struggle and redemption." In comments emailed to AFP, Insdorf disagreed with criticisms leveled at "The Reader," saying the movie was not even a "Holocaust film" in the strictest sense of the meaning. "It's about a young man's rite of passage: the woman with a World War II secret is seen through the perspective of an enamored youth," Insdorf said. The film, like the Bernhard Schlink novel from which it was adapted, is about "very particular and compelling characters who meet after World War II," she added. Scott Feinberg, who writes for the Los Angeles Times's theenvelope.com, said movies about the Holocaust may benefit because Academy voters tended to favor films "which make some kind of important statement." "The movies that win are the ones where you leave the theater thinking about bigger questions," Feinberg told AFP. "Where Hollywood gets into hot water is with films like 'The Reader' this year. A lot of people are upset because they say it's just an obvious play at trying to win an Oscar. "I think people just get sensitive when they think that the Holocaust is being used for any reason other than a noble one. "That said, it's almost always the case that good movies float to the top. They're not going to reward junk just because it's about the Holocaust." Feinberg said the Academy's inclination to reward films which tackled weightier themes may explain why "The Reader" was able to muscle its way onto the list of best picture nominees when many pundits had expected Batman blockbuster "The Dark Knight" to get a nod. "Plenty of people this year are furious that 'The Reader' apparently knocked out 'The Dark Knight'," Feinberg said. "Fairly or unfairly there are genre biases against some kinds of films, like superhero movies such as 'The Dark Knight.' There are also genre biases in favor of some kinds of films, which gave 'The Reader' a boost." Email Story IM Story Printable View Blog This Recommend this article Average (0 votes) Sign in to recommend this article » Most Recommended Stories » Related Articles: Entertainment & Lifestyle US-ENTERTAINMENT SummaryReuters - 1 hour 14 minutes ago 3rd time's a charm: Met gives winning 'Trovatore'AP - 1 hour 26 minutes ago "American Idol" to take on "Lost"Reuters - 1 hour 43 minutes ago Nine Inch Nails to tour with Jane's AddictionReuters - 2 hours 36 minutes ago Justin Timberlake named most stylish man in AmericaReuters - 2 hours 38 minutes ago Enlarge Photo Actor Forest Whitaker (left) and Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences President Sid Ganis announce the nominations for Best Motion Picture of the Year, on January 22, in Beverly Hills, California. "The Reader" has been nominated for five Oscars, including best picture, best director and best actress for Kate Winslet, who plays a former prison guard from a Nazi death camp. Most Popular – Entertainment Viewed Earth-like planets in our galactic neighborhood Seductive chemicals hidden in sloppy kisses AIDS: 'Major advance' seen in revolutionary gene therapy Climate change could be even worse than feared Mexico wins new kissing record View Complete List » Search: Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Top Stories Most Popular Copyright © 2009 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy - Terms of Service - Community - Intellectual Property Rights Policy - Help

Other News on Tuesday, 17 February 2009
Madonna, Guy Ritchie File Joint Custody In New York
Khmer Rouge torture chief regretful on eve of trial | International |
Online File Sharing Site Founders Face Trial Over Allegedly Breaking Swedish Copyright Laws
Israeli govt to consider Hamas prisoner swap, truce | International |
Hague tribunal accepts new Karadzic indictment | International |
Pirate Bay copyright test case begins in Sweden | Technology |
Mobile industry highlights positives amid gloom | Technology |
New York Gov. Paterson Under Fire For Staff Pay Raises
TRG Adds 550 Jobs To West Virginia Call Centers
Feb 16 Highlights Of Low Points In U.S. Economy
Hong Kong woman's airport hysterics an online hit | Technology |
Lawyer Shortage Hits Local Federal Prosecutors' Offices
Web-based program improves diabetics' self care | Technology |
Major Storm Brings Snow, Heavy Rain To Southern California
Chrysler President Forecasts 10 Million Auto Sales In The U.S. For 2009
Salma Hayek, Francois-Henri Pinault wed in France | Entertainment |
Italian Minister Pushes For Surgical Castration Of Rapists
Blood Pressure Medication May Reduce Symptoms Of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Japan finance minister to quit in blow to PM Aso | International |
Bottom-up approach needed in Afghanistan: report | International |
Sudan, Darfur rebel faction in first step to talks | International |
Killing Fields torturer on trial in Cambodia | International |
Court recognizes French role in deporting Jews | International |
Muslim TV Station Exec Charged, Detained For Beheading Wife
Three Texas Schools In Lockdown Before Suicidal Dad Could Say Goodbye To Student
Freescale aims to sell Google Android netbooks in Q2 | Technology |
Pakistani Militants Delay Execution Of American Hostage
Hillary Clinton's First State Trip To Asia Meets North Korean Defiance
SanDisk enlists mobile carriers in memory card drive | Technology |
Scientists Explore 1,300-Year-Old Pit Homes Near Las Vegas
Taiwan's Acer dials up smartphones for growth | Technology |
Justin Timberlake named most stylish man in America | Entertainment |
American Idol to take on Lost | Entertainment |
Nine Inch Nails to tour with Jane's Addiction | Entertainment |
Rap mogul Suge Knight injured in fracas | Entertainment |
British soldier killed in Afghanistan: ministry
Escaped French prisoners captured: ministry
Obama offers support for Turkey-Iraq relationship
Czech lawmakers prepare Lisbon Treaty vote
Israel cautions anew against a nuclear-armed Iran
British, French nuclear subs collide in Atlantic: officials
GM, Chrysler race to meet restructuring deadline
Livni: Give up parts of 'Land of Israel'
EU could move against budget deficits: commissioner
Israel to consider Hamas prisoner swap and truce
Oscars guessing game goes online
EU foiled in bid to force France, Greece to allow GM crop
Israel honours German officer from "The Pianist"
US-TECH Summary
Taiwan's Acer dials up smartphones for growth
Iran moves to boost its air defense capabilities
SanDisk enlists mobile carriers in memory card drive
Freescale aims to sell Google Android netbooks in Q2
Petraeus flies into Uzbekistan for talks: officials
Facebook reassures users in wake of service terms change
NY governor proposes Internet tax on downloads
iPhone application helps Blackjack cheaters
Taiwan's Acer moves into mobile phones
Mobile phone operators to boost 'chat' services
Clinton calls for coordinated economic response
Trade to top Obama agenda in first foreign trip
SanDisk enlists mobile carriers in memory card drive
Japanese PM to be first Obama guest
Crippled US auto firms to report on restructure plans
Khmer Rouge genocide trial opens in Cambodia
Taiwan's Acer moves into mobile phones
Mexico urges 'firm' US moves on trafficking
Clinton says US committed to ridding NKorea of nukes
First solar-powered phone goes on display
Japan finmin to quit over "drunk" claim
Pelosi says U.S. won't press allies on Guantanamo inmates
Microsoft, Nokia hit back at Apple with virtual stores
Malaysia: Woman legislator quits over nude photos
Three Texas Schools In Lockdown Before Suicidal Dad Could Say Goodbye To Student
Newest US troops in dangerous region near Kabul
Radio Signals Provide Evidence Of 1,300-Year-Old Pit Homes In Las Vegas
Clinton warns NKorea on missile launch
China tycoon's mistress contest ends in tragedy: report
Police maintain order in central China after clash
Chinese president says economic crisis deepening
South Korean won falls 1.9 pct vs dollar
Seoul shares close at 3-wk low; techs, banks fall
Young Hollywood hits Fashion Week amid tough times
S.Korea T-bond futures tumble on won, extra budget
Seoul shares extend falls, down 4 pct
Hyundai says claims made against IPIC units valid
South Korea dismisses talk of FX crisis
Korea Hot Stocks
US-ENTERTAINMENT Summary
Japan's finance minister to resign over slurred speech
3rd time's a charm: Met gives winning 'Trovatore'
"American Idol" to take on "Lost"
China to boost graduate migration in jobs drive: state media
Nine Inch Nails to tour with Jane's Addiction
Justin Timberlake named most stylish man in America
India's multiplex boom could be The End for single screens
'The Reader' puts Holocaust back in Oscars spotlight
Rap mogul "Suge" Knight injured in fracas
Young Hollywood hits Fashion Week amid tough times
Salma Hayek, Francois-Henri Pinault wed in France
Complaints will not affect Iraq election result
Sudan and Darfur rebels agree to hold peace talks
Israel engaged in covert war inside Iran: report | International |
Lady GaGa To Give Her "Raunchiest" Ever Performance On Wednesday's BRIT Awards
German FM in Iraq as Europe joins rebuilding effort
Sudan, Darfur rebels agree to hold peace talks | International |
Lil Wayne Faces $1.3 Million Lawsuit For Cancelled Gig
German foreign minister arrives in Baghdad
Darfur rebel group signs accord
NATO says Pakistan deal with militants a concern | International |
Rap Music Mogul Suge Knight Hospitalized After Early Morning Brawl
Israel seen engaged in covert war inside Iran
Michael Phelps Dodges Bong Charges Over Lack Of Evidence
Seaborne gunmen attack Equatorial Guinea capital | International |
Iraqi women get posts, but want power and respect
Kosovo leader marks anniversary with Serbia warning | International |
British soldier killed in Afghanistan
Zimbabwe court charges MDC official for plot | International |
Britons on trial over airliner bomb plot | International |
French 'spider-man' scales skyscraper in HK
US backs Japan on NKorea, invites PM to White House
Nokia to sell phones with Skype software | Technology |
Iraqi shoe-thrower goes on trial Thursday
Nokia and Qualcomm tie up after years in court | Technology |
Microsoft in talks to buy Israel's 3DV: report | Technology |
Bill Gates grant to extend mobile banking to poor
NASA Looking For A New Administrator
The Economic Stimulus And How It May Affect Americans
New products show rivals playing catch-up with Apple
Acco Brands Reduce Employee Pay To Avoid Lay Offs
Nokia to sell phones with Skype software
Low-Income Housing Project Designed To Reduce Energy Costs By 30% Opens In Bronx
Mobile phone makers agree to create standard charger
Large Inventories Hobble Businesses, Particularly Carmakers
Cyberattacks On U.S. Government Computer Networks Up 40 Percent In 2008
Report: Justice Department Removes Prosecutors In Ted Stevens Corruption Case
Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso To Be Obama's First Foreign Guest At White House
Coleman Asks Court To Reconsider Ruling; Franken Meets With Mayors As 'Senator-Elect'
Nokia to sell phones with Skype software
GM Seeks Cut In Retiree Health Care To Ensure Financial Lifeline With Federal Government
Oscar voters wrestle with best actor choice | Entertainment |
Coldplay and Duffy lead field on eve of BRITs | Entertainment |
Afghan TV set to unveil model contest | Entertainment |
UN: Afghan civilian deaths rose 40 percent in 2008
"Killing Fields" torturer on trial in Cambodia
Japan finance chief quits over alleged drunkenness
Swiss hostage: Philippines ordeal now "difficult"
Khmer Rouge genocide trial opens in Cambodia
China bans actors from medical shows
Pakistani stocks end 1 pct higher; rupee weakens
Coldplay and Duffy lead field on eve of BRITs
Tamil MPs say Sri Lanka ignoring civilian safety
Japan's finance minister quits over G7 debacle
Police: Rap producer injured in Ariz. hotel fight
Mobile phone makers promise standardised charger
Australia wildfire death toll reaches 200
"Withnail and I" farmhouse sells at auction
ADB blacklists 41 firms, 38 people for corruption
Race, class fuel social conflict on French Caribbean islands
US fund withdraws bid for bigger Sapporo stake
Islamic TV founder charged with beheading wife: reports
Taiwan regulator to ease rules on fundraising
A rebellious Marc Jacobs smirks at economic crisis
Thailand approves fund to help tourism operators
Ice boating: extreme speed sport in Poland's lake district
Taiwan dlr at 5-1/2-yr low on econ outlook, c.bnk
Ticket to flirt: Germans aim to get love life 'on track'
China shares fall back on profit-taking
Muslim TV Station Exec Arrested, Charged With Beheading Wife
Beaver Found Living In Detroit River For First Time In Almost 100 Years
"Smash-Me Bernie" Doll A Hit At New York Toy Fair
Chinese Man With 5 Mistresses Loses Big After Staging Mistress Elimination Contest
Woman Hospitalized In Critical Condition After Chimp Attack At Friend's House
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights

USD EUR - 1 year graph	VPN on MacOSX	BlogMeter 1.01