Introduction & Summary"Genghis Cohn" is a British-made dark funny film directed by Elijah Moshinsky and released in 1994, based upon the unique by Stanley Cohen, "The Dance of Genghis Cohn". This distinct movie integrates elements of the supernatural, funny, history and drama, bringing to life a story that's fixated the not likely pairing of a departed Jewish comic and a living German police officer.
The Setup & StorylineThe story focuses on Moritz (Moishe) Cohen, also known as Genghis Cohn, a Jewish funnyman from Dusseldorf, who is played by famous comic star Anton Lesser. He becomes the victim of the Holocaust during World War II, sent to Auschwitz where he experiences Schatz, a harsh SS officer played by Robert Lindsay. Schatz executes Cohn, marking a turning point for the occasions to follow.
Twenty years later on, in a post-war Peacetime setting, Schatz is now a police chief in Bavaria, having actually successfully hidden his Nazi past. He's leading an examination into a series of strange murders of previous SS officers, seemingly committed by a serial killer with no discernible intention. On the very same night the first murder takes place, Cohn's spirit returns, picking Schatz as his host.
The Haunting & IronyThe film uses irony and humor to explore the characteristics in between the haunted and the ghost. Cohn ends up being an impetuous ghost, haunting Schatz by imposing Jewish routines upon him, taking part in Yiddish conversations, and requiring Schatz to engage with the Jewish neighborhood, something he has a hard time to comprehend offered his previous ideologies.
Climax & ClosureSimultaneously, the baffling murders continue with Schatz failing to solve them. As the horror of his haunted presence increases, Schatz's life unwinds, leading to odd and entertaining incidents. Under Cohn's relentless and relentless presence, Schatz finally confesses to his culpability in the deaths of lots of Jews throughout World War II.
In the climax, it is revealed that the serial killer is none other than the young man who Cohn had actually when helped by giving him an alibi, whose moms and dads were also killed by Schatz and his fellow Nazis. With Schatz admitting his past sins and Cohn's thirst for revenge quenched, the comic's spirit lastly leaves Schatz, concluding the haunting.
Conclusion & ThemesAdorned with a dose of humor, "Genghis Cohn" offers an extensive expedition of styles like guilt, retribution, identity and the acceptance of one's past. By adding supernatural elements and a somewhat light-hearted technique to such major topics, this film provides a special viewpoint on the haunting echoes of WW II history.
While the funny might appear unconventional provided the topic, the poignant depiction of historical pain and contemporary regret is moving. Comic Genghis Cohn, even in the afterlife, remains the amusing joker who not only haunts his tormentor but also makes him face his past atrocities, delivering a sort of justice in the process.
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