Photos from the Front

German filmmaker Martin Luksan approaches the well-worn subject of World War II from an unusual angle: amateur photography created by German soldiers on the front lines. Inexpensive cameras coupled with do-it-yourself photo-developing kits enabled soldiers to capture their own distinctively human view of life during wartime. Many of the images illustrate the camaraderie of the troops—good-natured clowning for the cameras that seems far removed from the master race propaganda spewed by the official Nazi media. Other photographs offer a surprisingly positive portrait of how some German troops displayed kindness to people in the occupied villages of France and Russia. In contrast are the startlingly graphic shots showing the destructive nature of war, including gruesome pictures of dead civilians and images of once-grand buildings reduced to rubble. In interviews, surviving soldiers speak freely about life at the front and how their photos helped them stay connected to loved ones, while newsreel clips and historical analyses are used to supplement their commentary. One could argue that the film is too sympathetic to the German troops (their reputation in occupied Europe rarely suggested the jolly community relations emphasized here), but Photos from the Front nevertheless provides a glimpse of humanity in the midst of war's cruelty and horror. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)