Finally a movie about one of the most profound thinkers of the 20th century – Hannah Arrendt. I’ll have to dig up some of the old New Yorker and Partisan Review articles about this. While I agree that Adolph Eichman was much less “normal” than she acknowledged, it’s hard with the banality of evil theme – that occurences like Nazism don’t flourish simply because of exceptionally perverse public leadership, but because the mass of “normal” people allow it to happen, and even actively participate in it. Her thesis generated civil war among the NY intellectuals.
I hope this film does the history justice!
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September 18, 2012 at 5:31 pm
Anonymous
Who are the banal now?
September 25, 2012 at 10:47 am
Unk John
Eric – If you really want a deep conversation on Arendt, talk to your cousin, Barb. She has a wealth of information on her.
September 25, 2012 at 12:18 pm
Eric Kirk
Cool! I’ll do that.
I came across a slew of old articles debating her Eichman thesis in all the New York Intellectuals magazines. There are some legitimate criticisms of her research and coverage of the trial, but her basis thesis seems sound even with those shortcomings.