War Crimes of the Liberators
During the height of World War II, as many as 40 million people perished in order to defend the cause of global freedom and democracy, an insidious outbreak of criminal warfare was occurring without concern. During the insanity of war, many brave young men committed heinous deeds that would be considered abnormal in a more civilized society. Not surprisingly, most of these incidents were never investigated or prosecuted; they were generally portrayed as one of the regrettable side effects of an ugly conflict. War Crimes of the Liberators investigates the murky boundary between honorable and criminal behavior associated with this line.
On June 6th, 1944, a slow progression up a French beach was one of the most remarkable and heroic attempts at warfare, it was considered one of the most significant in history. D-Day is considered to be a pivotal moment in World War II, and a notable example of military valor in military history. Historians who are featured in the movie say that atrocities like war were already taking place almost from the time the allied forces began to occupy the beach. In violation of international agreements, many German prisoners were not detained as is customary, but instead killed on sight. Sexual assaults were also frequent. These instances of mass executions and other atrocities were documented across the conflict.
Narrated comments and newsreel footage are absorbed into the film, the film delves into the psychology of war and the decaying morality that results from prolonged exposure to blood and violence. Some of these actions were motivated by the pressure of conformity, while other actions were motivated by a human desire for revenge. War is a catalyst that can expose the best or the worst in its participants.
One of the film’s primary themes is the military’s culpability in the atrocities, and their apparent indifference to the issue. Because they refused to report, investigate or prosecute the majority of these incidents, military institutions failed to prevent them from occurring.
War Crimes of the Liberators calls for previously unpublished documents, testimonies from soldiers who fought on the battlefield, and insights from a variety of scholars and historians to inform its troubling and tragic narrative.
Directed by: Annette Harlfinger, Michael Renz
