If a single frozen moment can force someone to shield their eyes, make fists of their hands, or gape in utter enchantment then it has changed the life of not only the people who personally resonate with the image but also, each person that happens upon it no matter how far away they seem.
The Warsaw Uprising took place during World War II and was an effort of The Polish Resistant Home Army to get Warsaw, Poland’s capital, out of Nazi control. These six men refused to condone the sick behavior of the Nazis in their city, so they stand united in resistance. Roughly two seconds after this photo was taken they were all shot.
Dehumanization is the first thought I have seeing this image but not because these men were dehumanized by the Nazis, they were, but in some strange way I feel like I am dehumanizing them. I am looking at the last seconds of their life, something that is usually a personal affair made completely public. Their public imminent death doesn’t need to be explain, it can be seen. Each man is looking death right in the face with a surprising array of emotions: anguish, acceptance, grief, and some we can’t possibly comprehend.
There is no question in my mind that these men died too soon at the hands of despicable people, but here we all are thinking, learning, and empathizing because of these unfortunate men. So, it gives us hope that these men didn’t meet the end in vain, and sometimes that’s all you can do. Hope for the future while you look at the past.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.