The Longest Hatred (Documentary)
Picture: C
Sound: C+ Extras: D Documentary: A-
With anti-Semitism on the rise yet again, some programs
about the subject will endure better than others. The amazing thing about the three-part TV documentary mini-series
The Longest Hatred (1991) is one of the best of its kind to date,
beginning with the origins of the oppression and hatred of Jewish people in
Europe and how it has spread worldwide.
Going back thousands of years ago in how certain Christian forces
created anti-Jewish propaganda in the first place, including the stripping of
civil rights, ownership rights and dignity.
The explicitly intentional desecration of the religion and its people is
a movement that has sadly just grown and grown.
One of the great things this program does so well is
unleash all the facts, all the hidden ways pseudo-apologists and revisionists
try to cover up the extremely vulgar past of Jew-bashing by trying to cleverly
cover up their hatred with carefully calculated words. The early ideas of Jews being murderers of
Jesus when Jesus was a Jew, the Catholic Pope whop made Jew wear yellow badges
back in 1215, Martin Luther’s rabid anti-Jewish words in 1519, the creation of
“scientifically justified” racism with strata that put Jews at the bottom in
1879 and the new era of Jews being hunted and bashed with the revival of
anti-Semitism by Hitler is just the very beginning.
This series runs all the way to the fall of The Soviet
Union and the parts are broken down into the following:
1) From The
Cross To The Swastika
2) Enemies
Of The People
3) Between
Moses & Muhammed
From Communism being blamed on Jews, to the paranoid ideas
of a world Jewish conspiracy, this series relentlessly chronicles as much as it
can fit into its non-stop, intense 150 minutes. Another chapter or two could have been shot since then. In another great mini-series hosted by the
late, great Abba Eben, which discusses how Jewish people built civilization
itself, it forever amazes me how all anti-Semites complain about what Jews (or
anyone else who has what they do not, who they then label Jewish even if they
are not) never even consider trying to do anything positive or progressive
themselves. Instead, the hate is about
a lack of pride and education on the part of the hater, a person who cannot
ever admit they are wrong or have not done enough with their life.
The explicit hatemongers are on automatic pilot (more than
ever) and are just interested in projecting their real intents on anyone they
see as Jewish. That includes the ideas
of any people being thieves or sneaks or up to no good. The success and innovations of Jewish people
just prove what happens to anyone of any faith, ethnicity, color, national
origin, etc. has any kind of success, happiness or achievement. Those who do well will always have those who
never cared to try hate them. A book is
quoted in the program (paraphrased here) that Germans will never forgive Jews
for The Holocaust. It is one of the
most profound statements in a show full of them. The Longest Hatred reminds us that things are going to get
unfortunately worse before they get better.
The 1.33 X 1 image originated on professional NTSC
videotape and looks a little soft, but this was produced in 1991. With that said, The Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
may not have surrounds, but sounds very good for such a production its
age. There are no extras, but the three
parts are more than enough to catch (or re-catch) this impressive mini-series. WGBH Boston Video has issued it none too
soon.
- Nicholas Sheffo
