12 Movies That Introduced You To Nazism

Dramas, musicals, action flicks, comedies. Nazis are simply the best bad guys.

1. The Blues Brothers (1980)

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They only have a few scenes, but the "Illinois Nazis" are shown as racist, vengeful, cutthroat fools. If you ever give someone a fake address, pay homage to this film and your distaste for Neo-Nazism, and give 'em 1060 West Addison.

2. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

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Power-hungry, militaristic, with a flair for the occult; this movie showed us Nazism's pure creepiness.

3. Indiana Jones & The Last Crusade (1989)

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Nazis are proven even more power-hungry and militaristic, still with a flair for the occult. Even Hitler makes an appearance, signing Jones Sr.’s diary. Book burning, spies, zeppelins, swastikas, tanks; Spielberg does a great job exposing Nazi Germany without detracting from the story.

4. Casablanca (1942)

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Bogie played a classic American character: Rick was dry, gutsy, cynical but sentimental. Claude Rains, the French captain, was cautious, smarmy, charming, and crooked, but with a surprising sense of honor. The Nazis were deceitful, cruel, and cunning. This film introduced the term concentration camp to many. Casablanca told a great story and instilled hope while the war raged on.

5. The Great Escape (1963)

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This suspenseful and often funny John Sturges movie shows Nazism without caricature. The camp commandant, Luftwaffe Colonel von Luger, displays humanity and exasperation with his own militaristic party. But Nazis in general are shown to be ruthless killers. In the end, even von Luger is less likely to escape execution than Hilts, McQueen's brash, ultra-American flyer.

6. The Sound of Music (1965)

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Best Picture winner in 1965, this epic Rogers & Hammerstein musical has more than a few of our favorite bad guys. Fear, coercion, imperialism--this isn't just a story with choreographed countryside frolicking. Christopher Plummer summed up how most of the world feels about Nazism with a quick rip of the swastika.

7. The Longest Day (1962)

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The Longest Day deals with the strategy and execution of the Normandy invasion. It doesn't get into politics; rather, it shows Nazi generals and colonels debating, planning, and countering the invasion. It also shows not all Nazis were enamored with their Fuhrer.

8. Life is Beautiful (1997)

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A tearful movie showing what it takes to keep your heart and humor in the face of oppression.

9. Schindler's List (1993)

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While twisted and evil, the Nazis are still shown as humans; complex and corrupt, and taking advantage of a time ripe for hatred and aggression. Schindler--a member of the Nazi party who didn't fully buy in to their racism--showed compassion and saved over a thousand lives.

10. The Pianist (2002)

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Spielberg haters might say Schindler's List is overly sentimental, while Roman Polanski's biopic of pianist Wladek Szpilman is a truer statement on WWII. Indeed, this movie shows Nazis being both ruthless and kind. The Pianist inspires hope that even in the darkest times, there is still humanity within us.

11. Inglorious Basterds (2009)

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Crazy Hitler? Check. Ruthless officers? Check. Conniving spies? Check. Tarantino shows the Allies responded with brutality. But Tarantino is subtler than many think, and the best character is Christoph Waltz's Hans Landa of the SS. He demonstrated not only Nazism's cruelty but also its capacity to attract cowards and people with no loyalty. He was ready to give up his entire party and nation for a cozy life in Nantucket; luckily, the Basterds had other ideas.

12. Notorious (1946)

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Claude Rains played a manipulating, cold, cowardly Nazi in this classic. Many years before Inglorious Basterds, Hitchcock showed Nazis were quick to turn on their own.