In the second half of the film, Hannah explicitly denies the overwhelming criticism of her, explaining that she has no intention of excusing or defending Eichmann, and that she has never blamed some sort of Jewish "cooperation". She just forced herself to try to understand Eichmann, emphasizing that "trying to understand does not equal forgiveness". In fact, in my opinion, the reason why she forced herself to think rationally and tried to explain the relationship between Eichmann's extreme mediocrity and his heinous crimes should be to explain the source of human "evil". Some of the explanations of Hannah's powerful speech in the film were really helpful for me to understand her theory. For example, "crimes against humanity", the key point is that this is not just a feud between Nazis and Jews, but a crime that can happen between any people and any human group, even in our every There may be a shadow of extreme evil in every individual.
In this film, there are many details that confirm the terrible consequences of "no thinking". For example, Hannah's report is only published in a small part, and many people have not yet read what she wants to express. , can't wait to accuse Hannah of being a "Nazi bitch" and curse her to die quickly.
If we think of the major events that happened in our country in the last century, we can also see the shadow of "banality and evil" everywhere. We cannot deny this. If we lack the will to think independently, lack the ability to distinguish right from wrong, as an ordinary person , everyone is likely to be unconsciously involved in a heinous crime of such magnitude.
It's really chilling, but the possibility is there, and it reminds me of an experience I have. Last year I went to Jiabiangou with a few friends, and someone in the car asked a question, if you were in that era and that situation, which character would be more pathetic? To be a person with restricted freedom, or to be a jailer?
Therefore, to think and understand the evil of mediocrity, the most important thing is to examine yourself. Whether persecuted Jews, Nazis, or Eichmanns, they are all human beings.
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