Self-Confident, Autonomous, and Liberated? Politicized Gender Relations in Nazi Entertainment Movies, 1939-1945

The Nazis were masterful consumers of modern media, despite their aversion to what they considered the perilous trappings of modernity. German film industry blockbusters explicitly targeted a young public who craved entertainment, romance, adventure, and escapism from the realities of war. By situating these action films and romantic comedies with contemporaneous events, the movies showcased a “fun” and dynamic Nazi society while promoting highly politicized images of “modern” gender relations.