Three Years With the Nazi Beast (Sept. 23, 1987)
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8/4/2019 Three Years With the Nazi Beast (Sept. 23, 1987) http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/three-years-with-the-nazi-beast-sept-23-1987 1/2 Three Years With the Nazi Beast By KEITH EASTHOUSE For the past three years Pecos summer resident John Friedman ha s gazed deeply into th e face of evil—some of th e darkest evil th e world h as ever known. Under th e direction of renowned French-American film maker Marcel Ophu]p, he ha s served as producer of a new docu- mentary movie about Nazi w ar criminal Klaus Barbie, who was known in World War II as 'The Butcher of Lyons." T he film is titled "Hotel Terminus: T he Life an d Times of Klaus Barbie." after th e hotel in Lyons, France, that served as Gestapo headquarters an d provided Gestapo chief Barbie with h is torture chambers. From 1942-4'! Barbie led a reign of terror in Nazi-occupied Lyons an d it s environs, ordering the killing of thousands of -Jews and French Resistance fighters. Then after tin? w ar he fled to South America. Now a frail and ill man of 7:3. Barbie was convicted of "crimes against humanity" in an internationally public- ized trial that took place this summer in Lyons, where in 1983 he was returned as a prisoner after living for more than 30 years unpunished an d free—and unrepentant — in South America. He has been sentenced to spend th e rest of his life in prison. As Friedman tries to explain why he has thrown hi s heart an d soul into producing th e upcoming documen- tary film, which is expected to be ready fo r release into theaters around th e country late this year or early in 1988, he says he did it for the victims of the Butcher of Lyons. As Friedman puts it : "1 feel almost a duly toward them to have the story told." T he project. Friedman's first involvement in film, ha s turned i nto a three-year obsession for him. "Many have asked me, 'Why do this film?" 1 Friedman said recently at Santa Fe's Temple Beth Shalom Synagogue, where he w as invited to speak about the project. 'They say. 'Bar- bie's an old man now. why n ot leave him alone? Why spend three years of your life on such a project? Why not do comedy, something more pleasant?' The answ er is I can't. There is no issue more important (ban th e Holo- caust an d it.s aftermath." Commitment to a cause he deems worthy is nothing new for 44-year-old Friedman, a native N ew Yorker w ho as spend hi s summers at a family retreat in Pecos since oyhood. H is involvement in "Hotel Terminus" obviously ttests to his sense of loyalty to his Jewish heritage. So oes hi s stinl as a war correspondent for the Baltimore un during Israel's smashing victory over Fgypt in the ix-Day War of 1967. And when [h e Arabs attacked Israel on the Yom Kippur holiday in 1973, Friedman im- mediately left th e United States to help defend 1he ewish homeland. Friedman also has deep political convictions, and at varying times h as molded h is career around hi s admit- tedly loft-of-cemer leanings. In 197G, i'or example, when Jimmy Carter was on the road to the White House. Friedman joined hi s campaign as New Mexico coor- dinator. And later, after Carter's triumph. Friedman w as cting director of public affairs fo r I lie U.S. Office of Economic Opportunity {now called (he Community Ser- vices Administration), an agency that provided economic assistance to the poor. Throughout his professional life. Friedman has switched back and forth from the detachment of a journalist to the advocacy of a teacher or activist. With film making, he may have found a medium that will satisfy his need to both in- form and influence. 'To Influence People' "I miss writing," Friedman confessed, "hut with film there is a whole other area of possibilities.' He described it as "faster" than print journalism and potentially more satisfying because of its wider audience and ability to make things come alive. "I like giving people informa- tion and knowledge." he said. "And with film 1 ran com- bine that desire witli a medium that moves people and makes them respond. I've realized that the main way to influence people is through film." "Hotel Terminus" figuresto lx' influential and moving. However, it will be solely the creation of the brilliant director Ophuls. renowned for politically controversial documentaries thai specialize in psychologicalrevelation an d unsettling moral questions, such as thrones raised by his 1970s classic "The Sorrow an d th e I'ily." a searing examination of the French collaboration with the Na/.i conquerors of World W ar II. In the upcoming film about Barbie. Uphills ha s "cortipletearlislic control." Friedman said. Nonetheless, "Hotel Terminus" is the kind of "impor- tant" film Friedman aspires to make himself some- day—though lie said h<> is leaning toward fiction films with political messages rather than documentaries. 'Butcher of Lyons': Barbie in Gestapo days Friedman: 'I will never be the same' because they ar e easier to make and finance. "1 like films that are not just tw o hours of entertain- ment that yo u forget as soon as you walk out of the theater." he said. "I want a film that is relevant on the broad human scale of things, an d changes people's lives." "Hole! Terminus" certainly seems to qualify. It s histor- ic value figures to lie in its adding one more appalling threat! to the inhum an tapestry of the Nazi Holocaust and its aftermath. And its artistic value seems certain. given Ophuls' involvement. It will inevitably be com- pared to Claude Lanzmann's nine-hour-long "Shoah," th e "definitive film on the Holocaust." according to Fried- man. Thai film, which was shown this year, interviewed several survivors of and participants in the Holocaust. B ut the contribution of "Hotel Terminus" will be it s focus on the career of one particularly sadistic an d fanatical Na/.i durin g and after the war. 'The Archetypal Nazi' "Barbie w as unlike some of the other Nazis." Friedman said. "Because he remains unrepentant and tacause he kept comm ittin g similar crimes for decades after Hitler's Germany had. been crushed. And he did it throughout with no moral compunctions or remorse." As such. Fried- man called Barbie "the archetypal symbol of Nazism." This evil figure, however, thought seriously of being n priest as n young man. Friedman said. And many people w ho know hi m found him charming and pleasant and couldn't believe thai he was a murderer and a torturer. Friedman said it is this complexity of character and the varying reactions to ii iliat Ophuls' considerable cinematic skills promise to bring out. Ophuls will-have to do without a filmed interview of Barbie himself, however. Barbie granted permission for on e from his prison cell in Lyons, but the French govern- ment refused to allow it for security reasons. Asa result. th e film must depend on footage from an early interview of Barbie done by a French jounralist. as well as a 19H3 Bolivian television interview of Barbie on board th e airplane (hat completed hi s extradition from Bolivia to France. Ophuls did manage l<> interview 50 other people, how- ever. During seven weeks of shooting, he traveled on a lean budget with a skeleton crew to five countries Barbie ha d lived in: Peru, Bolivia, th o United Stales, France and Germany. Friedman was with him in Latin America. where they spent two jittery weeks. "We were very ner- vous in Latin America," Friedm an said. "We didn't know w ho Barbie's friends were." "Hotel Terminus" will demonstrate that Barbie, d e- spite his crimes, had many friends in many places, Fried- m an said. Fo r example, th e film will raise difficult ques- tions about French collaboration with N'a/.is during th e war. There's also the murky matter of Barbie's four-year sti nl as a spy for I he U.S. government in the l;i!c 19-1()s— not :<> mention the deeply disturbing fact thai I'.S. intelligence made possible Barbie's escape (o Smith America at a time when he was being hunted by the Ftvnch government lor his war crimes. Finally. Friedman said, th e film will look a! th e -V 2 years Barbie spent in Bolivia an d Peru, where he trans- planted his torture, terror and interrogation methods. serving as an adviser to top military officials, as well as drug an d weapons dealers. As for Friedman himself, he became involved in "Hotel Terminus" through a film project of his own. "I was working on another film, on e about Django Keinhardl. a marvelous ja/.x. gypsy guilaris! who lived in Paris in the ";i()s an d '4()s. and a friend suggested I show it to Marcel Opluils." Friedman said. "Allwe had was a rough, rough script and he commented on it. But then he mentioned I hat he wanted in do a film on Klaus Barbie." One thing led to another, according to Friedman, an d soon he cast his own project aside and offered to produce Ophuls'. He joined forces with Hamilton Fish III. former publisher ol T he Naii«ui magir/ine. as an executive pro- ducer. As such, he assumed th e twin burdens of hiring an d supervising staff an d camera cre\\s MS well as financ- ing the film. $1 Million So Far Playing fund-miser \\ as ye t ar.oi.hi-r n.'\v role lor Fried- man- ,md nne il>,-i! proved a i li.illengf. "IVe ha d to learr. this as I go alon g, he -aid. "The secret ! 'v e discovered is il'.al yo u have to go alter :!i<- right people and you h.-i\e I" li e prepared and know uha! you're talking ahosr l:'s not enough to say llns i- a good cause. U'causc there ar e !ol< o! good causes Y ou also have In say why this par (Continued on 1'nge 8)
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Transcript of Three Years With the Nazi Beast (Sept. 23, 1987)
8/4/2019 Three Years With the Nazi Beast (Sept. 23, 1987)
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Three Years Withthe Nazi BeastB y K E I T H EASTHOUSE
For the past th ree years Pecos s u m m e r res iden t JohnFr iedma n ha s gazed deeply i n t o th e face of e v i l — s o m e ofth e darkes t ev i l th e world h as ever k n o w n . U n d e r th ed i rec t io n o f reno wned French -Amer ica n f i lm m a k e rMarcel Ophu]p, he ha s served as producer of a new docu-men ta ry mo vie a bo ut Na z i w ar c r i m i n a l K l a u s B a r b i e ,who was k n o w n in World War II as 'The B u t c h e r ofLyo ns . "
T he f i lm is t i t l ed "Ho te l Terminus : T he L i f e an d T i m e so f K la us Barb i e ." a f t e r th e h o te l in Lyons , France , t h a tserved as Gestapo h ea dqua r te rs an d pro v ided Gestapoch ie f Ba rb ie w i th h is t o r t u r e chambers . From 1942-4'!Ba rb ie led a reign of t e r ro r in Nazi-occupied Lyons an dit s env i ro ns , o rd er ing th e k i l l i ng o f th o usa nds o f - Jewsand French Res is tance f igh te rs . Then a f t e r t i n ? w ar hef led to South Amer ica .
Now a fra i l and i l l man of 7:3. Barbie was co nv ic ted of" c r i m e s a g a i n s t h u m a n i t y " in an i n t e r n a t i o n a l l y pub l ic -ized tria l that took place t h i s s u m m e r in Lyons , wh ere in1983 he was r e t u r n e d as a prisoner a f t e r l i v i n g for morethan 30 years u n p u n i s h e d an d f r e e — a n d u n r e p e n t a n t —i n So uth Amer ica . He has been sentenced to spend th erest of his l i fe in pr i so n .
A s F r i e d m an tries to e x p l a i n why he has t h r o w n hi shear t an d soul i n to p ro duc ing th e u p c o m i n g d o c u m e n -tary f i l m, w h i c h is expected to be rea dy fo r release i n t ot heat e rs a ro und th e co un t ry l a te th i s year or early in1988, he says he did it for the v i c t i m s of the B u t c h e r ofLyons. As Fr iedma n puts it : "1 feel a lmos t a d u l y t o w a r dth em to have the story to l d . "
T he project. F r i e d m an ' s f i r s t i n vo l vemen t in f i l m , ha sturned i n to a th ree -yea r obsession f o r h i m . " M a n y h a v easked m e, ' W h y d o th i s f i lm?"
1Fr iedma n sa id recen t ly a t
Santa Fe's Temple Beth Shalom Synagogue , w h e r e h ew as i n v i t e d to speak a b o u t th e project. 'They say. 'Bar-bie 's an old man n ow . why n ot leave him alone? Whyspend th ree years of your l i fe on such a project? Why notdo co medy , so me th in g mo re p l ea sa n t ? ' The a nsw er i s Ica n ' t . There is no issue more i m p o r t a n t ( b a n th e Holo-caust an d i t . s a f t e r m a t h . "
C o m m i t m e n t to a cause he d e e m s w o r t h y is n o t h i n gnew for 44-year-old F r i e d m an , a n a t i v e N ew Y o r k e r w hoa s spend hi s s u m m e r s at a fa mi ly re t rea t in Pecos sinceoyhood. H is i n v o l v e m e n t in "Ho te l T e r m i n u s " o bv io us lyt t es t s to his sense of loyal ty to his Jewi sh h er i t a ge . Sooes hi s s t i n l as a war cor re spondent for the B a l t i m o r eu n d u r i n g Israel's smash ing v ic to ry o ver Fgypt in thei x -Da y War of 1967. A n d w h e n [h e Arabs a t t a c k e d
Israel on the Yom Kippur h o l ida y in 1973, Fr iedma n i m -
media te ly lef t th e U n i t e d Stat es to h e lp de fend 1h eewish h o m e l a n d .Fr iedma n a l so h a s deep p ol i t i ca l c o n v i c t i o n s , a nd a t
v a r y i n g t i m e s h as mo lded h is career a ro und hi s a d m i t -
tedly loft-of-cemer l ea n ings . I n 197G, i'or exa mple , wh enJ i m m y C a r t e r was on the road to the W h i t e H o u s e .Fr iedma n jo ined hi s ca mpa ign as New M exico co o r-d i n a t o r . A n d l a t e r , a f t e r Ca r te r ' s t r i u m p h . F r i e d m a n w as
c t i n g d i recto r of pub l ic a f fa i rs fo r I lie U.S . Of f ic e ofEco no mic Oppo r tun i ty {now ca ll ed (h e Co mm uni ty Ser -v ices Admin i s t ra t io n ) , a n a gency t h a t pro v ided eco no micassistance to t h e poor.
Throughout h is professional l i f e . Fr iedman has switchedback and forth from the detachment of a journal ist to theadvocacy of a teacher or a c t iv i s t . W i th f i l m ma king , he mayhave found a medium t h a t will sat is fy his need to both in-form and influence.
'To Influence People'
"I miss wr i t i ng , " F r iedm a n co n fessed , "h u t w i t h f i l m
t h e r e is a wh o le other area of p o s s i b i l i t i e s . ' H e describedi t a s " fa s te r" th a n p r i n t j o u r n a l i s m a n d p o t e n t i a l l y moresa t i s fy i n g because of i t s w i d e r a u d i e n c e a n d a b i l i t y toma ke th i ngs co me a l i ve . " I l i ke g i v i n g people i n f o r m a -
t i on an d k n o w l e d g e . " he s a i d . " A n d w i t h f i lm 1 ran co m-b i n e t h a t des i re w i t l i a m e d i u m t h a t moves people andm a k e s t h e m respo nd . I 've rea l i zed t h a t t h e m a i n w a y t oi n f l uen ce people is t h r o u g h f i lm. "
"Ho te l T e r m i n u s " f i g u r e s to lx ' i n f l u e n t i a l a n d m o v i n g .H o w e v e r , it w i l l b e solely t h e c rea t io n of t h e b r i l l i a n t
d i r e c t o r Oph ul s . reno wned f or po l i t i c a l ly co n t ro vers ia ld o c u m e n t a r i e s t h a i special ize in psychological r e v e l a t i o nan d u n s e t t l i n g mo ra l ques t io ns , such a s t h r o n e s ra isedby his 1970s classic "The Sorrow an d th e I ' i l y . " a sear inge x a m i n a t i o n of t he French co l l a bo ra t io n w i t h t h e Na/ . i
conque ror s o f W o rld W ar I I . In t h e u p c o m i n g f i l m a b o u tBa rb ie . Uph i l l s ha s "co r t ip l e tea r l i s l i c co n t ro l . " F r iedma nsa id .
N o n e t h e l e s s , " H o t e l T e r m i n u s " i s t h e k i n d o f " impo r-t a n t " f i l m F r i e d m a n asp i res t o m a k e h i m s e l f some-d a y — t h o u g h lie said h < > is l e a n i n g t o w a r d f i c t i o n f i lm s
w i t h po l i t i c a l messages r a t h e r t h a n d o c u m e n t a r i e s .
'Butcher of Lyons': Barbie in Gestapo days
F r i e d m a n : ' I w i l l n e v e r be the same'
because they ar e easier to make and f i n a n c e ."1 l ike fi lms that are not j u s t tw o hours of ente r ta in-
ment th a t yo u fo rge t as soon as you w a l k out of thet heat e r . " he sa id. "I want a f i lm t h a t i s re l eva n t o n th ebroad h um a n scal e of t h i n g s , an d chang es people's l ives."
"Hole ! Terminus" cer ta in ly seems to q ua l i fy . It s h is to r -ic va lue f igures to l ie in i ts a d d i n g on e more a p p a l l i n gth rea t ! to th e inh um a n ta pes t ry o f th e Na z i Ho lo ca us ta nd i t s a f t e r m a t h . A n d i t s a r t i s t i c v a l u e seems cer ta in .
given Ophu ls ' i n v o l v e m e n t . It w i l l i n e v i t a b l y b e co m-pared to C l a u d e L a n z m a n n ' s n in e -hou r - l on g "Shoah," th e" d e f i n i t i v e f i lm o n th e Ho lo ca us t . " a cco rd ing to Fr ied -m a n . T h a i f i lm , wh ich wa s sh o wn t h i s year , i n t e r v i e w e dseveral su rv ivor s o f and p a r t i c i p a n t s in the Ho lo ca us t .B ut t h e c o n t r i b u t i o n o f " H o t e l T e r m i n u s " w i l l be it sfocus on the career of one pa r t i cu l a r ly sadist ic an df a n a t i c a l N a / . i d u r i n g an d a f t e r t h e w a r .
'The Archetypal Nazi'
"Ba rb ie w as un l i ke some of th e o th er Nazis . " F r i e d m a nsaid. "Because he r e m a i n s u n r e p e n t a n t and tacause hek e p t c o m m i t t i n g s i m i l a r c r i m e s f o r decades a f t e r H i t l e r ' sGerma ny h a d . been c rush ed . And he d id it t h r o u g h o u tw i t h n o mo ra l c o m p u n c t i o n s or remorse." A s such . Fr ied -ma n ca l l ed Ba rb ie " t h e a rch e t ypa l symbo l o f Na z i sm."
T h i s ev i l f igur e , ho wever , t h o u g h t seriously of b e i n g n
priest as n y o u n g m a n . F r i e d m a n s ai d . A n d ma n y peo plew ho k n o w hi m foun d h im ch a rming a nd p l ea sa n t a nd
co uldn ' t be l ieve t h a i he wa s a murderer a nd a to r tu re r .F r iedma n sa id it is th i s co mplex i ty o f charac te r a nd th ev a r y i n g r e a c t i o n s to i i i l i a t O p h u l s ' co ns idera b l ec inem a t ic sk i l l s p ro mise to b r i n g o u t .
O p h u l s wi l l -have t o d o w i t h o u t a f i l med i n t e rv i ew o fB a r b i e h i m se l f , h o w e v e r . B a r b i e g r a n t e d pe rmis s ion f oron e from hi s prison cel l in Lyons , but the French go vern -m e n t refused to a l lo w i t f o r s ecu r i t y reasons. A s a r e s u l t .th e f i l m mu st depend o n footage from an early i n t e r v i e wof B a r b i e d o n e by a French j o u n r a l i s t . as w e l l as a 19H3Bol i v i an t e l ev i s ion i n t e r v i e w of B a r b i e on bo a rd th ea i r p l a n e ( h a t co mple ted hi s e x t r a d i t i o n f r o m B o l i v i a t oFrance .
O p h u l s d i d m a n a g e l < > i n t e r v i e w 5 0 o t h e r people , h o w -ever . Dur ing seven weeks o f sh o o t ing , h e t ra ve l ed o n al ea n budge t w i t h a ske l e to n crew to f i ve co un t r i es Ba rb ieha d l i v ed in : P eru , Bo l i v i a , th o U n i t e d S t al e s , F r a n c ea n d G e r m a n y . F r i e d m a n w a s w i t h h i m i n L a t i n A m e r i c a .wh ere th ey spen t two j i t t e r y weeks . "W e w e r e very ner -vo us in L a t i n Am er ica , " F r iedm a n said . "W e d id n ' t kno ww ho Ba rb ie ' s f r i ends were."
" H o t e l T e r m i n u s " w i l l d e m o n s t r a t e t h a t Ba rb ie , d e-sp i t e h i s c r i m e s , ha d m a n y f r i en d s i n m a n y places , F r i e d -m an sa id . Fo r exa mple , th e f i l m w i l l ra i se d i f f i c u l t q ues -t i o n s ab ou t French co l l ab ora t i on w i t h N'a/.is d u r i n g th ew a r . There ' s also t h e m u r k y m a t t e r of Barbie ' s fou r -y earsti nl as a spy for I he U . S . g o v e r n m e n t in the l ; i ! c
1 9 - 1 ( ) s — n ot : < > m e n t i o n t h e d e e p l y d i s t u r b i n g f a c t t h a iI ' .S . i n t e l l i gen ce m a d e possible Barbie 's escape (o S m i t hA m e r i c a at a t i m e w h e n he was b e i n g h u n t e d by t h eF t v n c h g o v e r n m e n t lo r h i s wa r c r imes .
F i n a l l y . F r i e d m a n sa id , th e f i l m w i l l look a! th e -V 2
years Ba rb ie spen t i n Bo l i v i a an d Peru , wh ere h e t r a n s -
p l a n t e d h i s t o r t u r e , t e r r o r a n d i n t e r r o g a t i o n m e t h o d s .s e r v i n g as an a d v i s e r to top m i l i t a r y o f f i c i a l s , as w el l asd r u g an d wea po ns dea l e rs .
As fo r F r i e d m a n h imse l f , he beca me i n v o l v e d in " H o t e lT e r m i n u s " t h r o u g h a f i l m project of his o w n . "I wasw o r k i n g o n a n o t h e r f i l m , on e a b o u t D j a n g o K e i n h a r d l . am a r v e l o u s j a / . x . gypsy gu i l a r i s ! wh o l i ved in P a r i s in the" ; i ( ) s an d ' 4 ( )s . and a f r iend sugges ted I show i t to Marcel
Oplu i l s . " F r i e d m a n s a i d . " A l l we had was a rough, rough
scr ip t an d he c o m m e n t e d on i t . Bu t t h e n h e m e n t i o n e dI hat he w a n t e d in do a f i l m on K l a u s Barbie . "
O n e t h i n g l e d t o a n o t h e r , a c c o r d i n g to F r i e d m a n , an dsoon he cast h is own project a s ide a nd of fe red to p ro duceO p h u l s ' . H e jo ined forces w i t h H a m i l t o n F i s h I I I . f o r m e rp u b l i s h e r ol T he N a i i « u i m a g i r / i n e . as an e x e c u t i v e pro-d u c e r . A s such , h e a ssumed th e t w i n b u r d e n s of h i r i n gan d s u p e r v i s i n g s t a f f an d c a m e r a c r e \ \ s M S w e l l as f i n a n c -
i n g t h e f i l m .
$1 Mill ion So Far
P l a y i n g f u n d - m i s e r \\ a s ye t ar .o i .h i - r n. ' \v ro le lor F r i e d -
m a n - ,md n n e i l > , - i ! p r o v e d a i l i . i l l e n g f . " I V e ha d t o l e a r r .
t h i s as I g o a l o n g , h e - a i d . "The se cre t ! 'v e d i s c o v e r e d is
i l ' . a l yo u h a v e t o g o a l t e r : ! i < - r i g h t p e o p l e a n d y o u h . - i \ e
I" li e p r e p a r e d a n d k n o w uha! you're t a l k i n g a h o s r l : ' s
n o t e n o u g h t o s a y l l n s i- a good cause. U'causc t h e r e ar e
! o l < o ! good causes Y ou a l s o h a v e I n s a y wh y t h i s p a r
( C o n t i n u e d on 1'nge 8 )
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A L T E R N A T I V E SURPLUS C OBehind Burger King
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The Nazi Beast( C o n t i n u e d from Fage 5 )
t i c u h i r cause i s p a r t i c u l a r l y i m p o r t i m l . "
'l\i d a t e . F r i e d m a n h a s r a i s e d $ 1 m i l l i o n f o r I h e fc o m i n g p r i m a r i l y f r o m fo u r m a i n s ou r c e s . O r i o n t u r e s , t h e i n t e r n a t i o n a l d i s t r i b u t o r : H a m u a l G o l d wth e A m e r i c a n d i s t r i b u t o r : f o u n d a t i o n s : an d p r i v a td i v i d u a l s . Tha t l eaves h im s o m e $ 25U ,00 ( ) below ' . h i . -
b u d g e t . "We ' r e s t i l l l o o k i n g f o r m o n e y , " h e s a i d .Th e f i l m , w h i c h i s s c h e d u l e d f o r r e l eas e by t h e en
i h e y e a r , l ias e n d e d u p c o s t i n g t w i c e w h a t F r i e d m a na n t i c i p a t e d . He b l a m e d th e f a i l i n g v a l u e o f t h e d oa n d t h e t i m e - c o n s u m i n g p r o c e s s o f e d i t i n g f o o t a gG e r m a n . F r e n c h . S p a n i s h a n d E n g l i s h , as w e l l as d eb y t h e F r e n c h c o u r t s i n b r i n g i n g B a r b i e t o t r i a l .
W h e n th e t r i a l f ina l ly b egan o n May 11 o f t h i s yF r i e d m a n w a s t h e r e . B a r b i e , h o w e v e r w a s g o ne a l mbef o r e th e p r o c e e d i n g s g o t u n d e r w a y . F r e n c h l a wm i t s t h e a c cu sed to b e ab sen t f r om t r i a l , and Ba rb i ea d v a n t a g e o f t h i s p r o v i s i o n , c l a i m i n g t h a t h e h a d b e el e g a l l y k i d n a p p e d b y t h e F r e n c h g o v e r n m e n t . S o m oth e t e s t i m o n y w as g i v e n w i t h o u t h i m t h e r e t o h e aN o n e t h e l e s s . F r i e d m a n sa i d " y o u c o u l d f e e l B ar b i e 'sp r e s e n c e . "
Horror and Heroism
F r i e d m a n a n d h i s w i f e , K a t h l e e n M c C a f f r e y , c o v e r e d t h e t r i a l f o r C o m m o n w e a l m a g a z i n e a n d wa b o u t i t i n th e N e w Y o r k T i m e s , sat day a f t e r d a y i n
c o u r t r o o m n e a r th e v i c t i m s w h o s u r v i v e d and t h et i v e s a n d f r i e n d s o f t h o s e w h o d i d n ' t , h e a r i n g t a leh o r r o r a n d h e r o i s m .
" W e sa t nea r th e w i tn e s s e s , an d a f t e r a w h i lw a n t e d t o sp e a k t o p e o p l e , " F r i e d m a n s ai d . " W e f e ln e e d f o r c o m p a n i o n s h i p w i t h e a c h o t h e r b e c a u s e s h a r e d e x p e r i e n c e . It w a s l i k e b e i n g i n a w a r , h a vsense o f 'Yes . w e w e r e t h e r e t o g e t h e r . ' "
O ne wi tness saw an 11-year-o ld J e w i s h bo y d raggeof o ne o f B a r b i e ' s p r i s o n c e l ls l a t e at n i g h t b y d r uNaz i g u a r d s an d k i c k e d to d e a t h , F r i e d m a n s a i d .o t h e r w a s b r u t a l l y t o r t u r e d a s a te e n - a g e r b y B a r b i et h e n b r o u g h t b lo o d ie d b e fo r e h e r m o t h e r , w h o m Bb l a m e d f o r h e r a g o n y b e c a u s e h e r d a u g h t e r w o ut a l k . P e r h a p s m o s t m e m o r a b le , ac c o r d i n g t o F r i e dw a s L e a h F e l d h l u m . a P o l i sh - b o r n J e w . w h o r i s k e dO W H l i f e i n a c o u r a g e o u s b ut f u t i l e a t t e m p t to savl i v e s o f 4 4 Je w i s h c h i l d r e n w h o m B a r b i e s h i p p e d to v e n s o f A u s c h w i t z .
Th e s e t t i n g f o r t h e t r i a l w as a p p r o p r i a t e l y s U i rc o r d i n g l o F r i e d m a n . " L y o ns i s an a t y p i c a l F r e n c h tI t
i s no t P a r i s . I t i s a d e p r e s s i n g , g r i m c i t y . D u r i nt r i a l , t h e r e was a f i r e at an oil storage f a c i l i t yp o l l u t e d th e t o w n . A c l o u d h u n g o v e r i t fo r d a y s . Is y m b o l i c . "
W h e n t h e t r i a l e n d e d o n J u l y 4 w i t h a s e n t e n c e oi m p r i s o n m e n t f o r B ar b i e ( F r a n c e h a s n o d e a t h p e nF r i e d m a n f e l t t h a t " j us t ic e h a d b e e n s e r v e d . " H e alst h a t h e h ad b een " c h anged f o r e ve r . " " I was exposeds id e o f h u m a n e x p e r ie n c e t h a t I r e a l l y had no t c o m ec o n t a c t w i t h b e f o r e . It o p e n e d m y e y e s t o t h e w a y par e b e f o r e th e c o n f u s i o n an d c a m o u f l a g e o f e v i l , td e p t h s a n d h e i g h t s t o w h i c h one c an s ink and r i se . n e v e r b e t h e s a me . "
The end o f th e t r i a l a lso m eant th e e nd o f f i l m i n" H o t e l T e r m i n u s . " a l t h o u g h n o t m u c h o f t h a t h adposs ib le in L yon s , s i n c e o n l y a g o v e r n m e n t c a m e r aa l lowed ins id e th e c o u r t r o o m ( t h e f i l m f r o m w h i cno t b e r e l ea sed f o r 20 y e a r s ) . W h a t r e m a i n s now m o n u m e n t a l t a sk o f r e d u c i n g 1 0 0 h o u r s o f f o o t a g e to 2 V . i h o u r s o f f ina l p r i n t — a H e r c u l e a n p r o j e c t tb e i n g u n d e r t a k e n b y O p h u l s al o n e .
F r i e d m a n , f o r h i s p a r t , v o w e d t h a t h e w o u l d w o r k o n a d o c u m e n t a r y a g a i n b e ca us e o f th e d i f f i c uo b t a i n i n g m o n e y . " D o c u m e n t a r i e s t e n d t o n o t b ec i a l successes . " h e e x p l a i n e d , " s o m o n e y i s a c o nh e a d a c h e . "
A l so a h e a d a c h e , a p p a r e n t l y , w a s O p h u l s h i m sn o t o r i o us l y t e m p e r a m e n t a l m a n t o w o r k w i t h . F r i ed esc r ib ed Op hu ls a s " ab so lu te ly b r i l l i a n t , h i g h l y o r ian d i m p o s s i b l y d i f f i c u l t . " He a d d e d t h a t th e f i l m mw as " o b s t i n a t e , p a r a n o i d an d h o s t i l e . " as w e l l as " ci n g " i n h i s o w n w a y . M o st o f a l l , t h o u g h , O p h u l s ir i b l y i n v o l v e d i n h i s su b j e c t , " a c c o r d i n g to F r i e d m
W h a t e v e r t r o u b l e s t h e r e h a v e b e e n . F r i e d m a n hd o u b t t h a t i t h a s a l l b e e n w o r t h i t . "The me s s a g eHo lo caus t and o f B a r b i e i s t h a t n o n e o f I h i s s h o uf o r g o t t e n , " F r i e d m a n sa id . "We h o p e i h e f i l m e d up e o p l e an d s e r v es m e m o r y w e l l . T h e r e i s s t i l lS e m i t i sm i n t h e w o r l d t o d a y , i n F r a n c e , a m o n gN a z i s i n ( h e U . S ., a m o n g o ld N a z i s s t i l l l i v i n g i nm a n y t o d ay . W e h a v e t o r e m a i n v i g i l a n t , and voww i l l n e v e r h a p p e n a g a i n . "
