Rats, Rats, Rats, Part Two

Send us Fan MailThis episode deals with rats - in Poe's The Pit and the Pendulum - and the possibly anti-Jewish rat-like vampire in Nosferatu.   The Nosferatu vampire is especially portrayed as vermin, and some scholars believe this was subtle propaganda towards viewing Jewish people as "less than human" - and rationalizing their extermination.  All in all - a very dark (and important) episode.Do you think Nosferatu is anti-Semitic?Why is dehumanization so dangerous?In which story does Edgar Allan Poe write about rats?What are some of the reasons that pre-Hitler Germany was in turmoil?Why is it highly unlikely that F.W. Murnau intended Nosferatu to be anti-Jewish?Did Murnau die in a German death camp?How did Hitler use propaganda?According to Ken Burns, what is the role of the artist?00:00 Intro01:37 Comparison of Dracula protrayals02:38 Rats in The Pit and the Pendulum09:15 Historical background in Germany14:36  F.W. Murnau’s intentions and actions20:32 The Eternal Jew "review"26:35 Dehumanization30:14 Concluding story33:52 Halloween episode34:32 Sources36:52 OutroSupport the showThank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.