Dr. Hans Mertens In The Film Murderers Are Among Us
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The 1946 film, Murderers are Among Us, depicts the story Dr. Hans Mertens, a former military surgeon, living in Berlin after the end of WWII. Since the end of the war, he has become an alcoholic and has struggled to overcome many of the challenges of post-war Germany as well as war memories from the last few years. Because most of Berlin was in ruins, in an effort to find shelter, Dr. Mertens begins to live in an abandoned apartment. The beginning of the movie introduces Susanne Wallner, the previous tenant of the apartment. Susanne and Dr. Mertens begin living together, and thus begin to impact each other’s lives. The title, Murderers are Among Us, can be addressed towards many different characters in the film, and among them are: former Nazi officials who hid after the war and were never prosecuted for crimes, individuals who never defended the innocent who died during the war, and Dr. Mertens, the man seeking revenge for traumatic situations he was forced to take part of by his former officials. Throughout this…show more content… This film is a clear promotion of anti-Semitic propaganda. The character, Joseph Süß Oppenheimer, as a Jew who is self-seeking, manipulative, and willing to do anything to be in power. This Jewish man is an opportunist who is very convincing. Because of his influence on Duke Alexander, Württemberg is a political battleground. Süß has been able to gain power and trust from Duke Alexander and with that power he has instituted hurtful taxes, unethical dealings, and has challenged the authority of all. Above all, he convinced Duke Alexander to repeal the laws prohibiting Jews from living in Württemberg. These Jews begin to gain wealth while everyone else continue to struggle. These examples of how destructive Jewish people can be is political propaganda. During the 1940s, the Third Reich was gaining popularity in Germany and film was used as an outlet for placing blame on economic and political