Teaching About Fascism With Films

The further removed we are from World War II the more difficult it is to teach about fascism. It is difficult enough for those who· went through the war to understand the rise of fascism, its appeal to the masses and to the business community, the ideology behind it and what conditions may have led to its rise. But now we face students born after · World War II whose knowledge of fascism may be limited to the caricatures presented in "B" war movies.

In fact, today's students probably know more about fascism through films than all other learning sources. combined. But is this film image accurate? And, how might we better teach about fascism by using films?

There are several characteristics of fascism which .can be brought out to students through film. For example, we can examine how contemporary views of fascism developed and. what the student thinks fascism is (a socialization perspective). We can also examine the roots of fascism, who was attracted to it and why, what fascism was and is, and how the fascist ideology was manifested in Europe and elsewhere.