The documentary Criminal Doctors: Auschwitz presents a harrowing look into the atrocities of the Nazi regime during the Holocaust. The film brings to light excerpts from letters sent by Viktor Brack, a Nazi official who described in detail the processes of sterilization and castration inflicted upon Jewish prisoners in concentration camps.
In one such letter addressed to Heinrich Himmler, Brack laid out the procedures with clinical precision. In spite of its dispassionate tone, this letter is yet another tragic reminder of what man is capable of doing. And Criminal Doctors: Auschwitz serves as an unflinching reminder of this dark history.
The documentary uses dramatic readings from various communications between leading figures in the Nazi Party that detailed just how far these medical experiments went. From x-rays that severely burned intestines, to electrical currents being applied to subjects’ bodies and surgical procedures intended to remove sexual organs – it was an environment defined by mutilation, death and despair.
Viewers are also presented with written accounts of what was going on inside these camps; stories describing how each individual prisoner was separated and houses in an orderly manner, or how right next door there would be pleasant courtyards overshadowed by billowing stacks of ash rising from crematoriums, or even Mengele’s infamous twin experiment involving two 2-year olds.
Criminal Doctors: Auschwitz eschews additional framing devices like musical scores or narration for a more direct approach – allowing viewers to experience this tragic history with utmost immediacy and stark realism. By presenting this story with such restraint it makes the horrors even more palpable, bringing home a sense of urgency not felt elsewhere.
This powerful documentary is essential viewing for anyone who wants to understand the depths of human cruelty and courage during some of our darkest times – making it a must-watch for any history enthusiast looking for an insight into one small but significant corner of World War II history.
