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Nazi Film Festival
Posted on 7/24/12 at 5:15 am
Posted on 7/24/12 at 5:15 am
Watched some WWII-oriented docudramas:
The Bunker is a 1981 TV movie about the last months of Hitler, played by Anthony Hopkins.
Downfall is a German feature film from 2004 covering essentially the same events (it's where the viral footage of Hitler complaining about some current news story comes from
)
The Bunker is told to a great extent from the perspective of Hitler's architect Albert Speer. He is presented, if not quite heroically, at least quite sympathetically. Downfall is based on a memoir by Hitler's secretary, who is a major character.
As both films deal with many of the same incidents, it's interesting from a filmmaking standpoint to compare how each film handles them (especially note Speer's farewell to Hitler; the Hitler-Braun suicide pact; Mrs. Goebbels killing her children -- the latter event shown in considerably more detail in Downfall).
A few differences I noticed:
Martin Bormann is a major character in The Bunker. For some reason he barely appears in Downfall.
Fegelin (Eva Braun's brother in law) is executed by firing squad in Downfall (historically accurate according to Wikipedia). Curiously, The Bunker shows him as being hanged.
The Bunker has frequent references to Jews/The Final Solution. Downfall has very few -- this invariably makes the Germans less unsympathetic. Even if they weren't in different languages, you could still tell which one was made by Germans.
Downfall had a much bigger budget and contains many sequences taking place in the streets of Berlin and even at a hospital (run by Mohnke, presented as damn near a hero -- although his Wiki article claims he is suspected of killing 11,000 POWs, among other war crimes). Except for a few scenes directly above ground, The Bunker takes place entirely in said underground complex.
Downfall unfortunately has that brown-green tint so popular in films nowadays (to hide the CGI?).
Hopkins won an Emmy for his portrayal of Hitler; IMO he was a bit too mannered in many scenes.
I'd also like to discuss Hitler: The Last 10 Days (1973), starring Alec Guinness as Der Fuhrer, but I haven't seen that in 20+ years and it's not on YouTube.
The Bunker is a 1981 TV movie about the last months of Hitler, played by Anthony Hopkins.
Downfall is a German feature film from 2004 covering essentially the same events (it's where the viral footage of Hitler complaining about some current news story comes from
) The Bunker is told to a great extent from the perspective of Hitler's architect Albert Speer. He is presented, if not quite heroically, at least quite sympathetically. Downfall is based on a memoir by Hitler's secretary, who is a major character.
As both films deal with many of the same incidents, it's interesting from a filmmaking standpoint to compare how each film handles them (especially note Speer's farewell to Hitler; the Hitler-Braun suicide pact; Mrs. Goebbels killing her children -- the latter event shown in considerably more detail in Downfall).
A few differences I noticed:
Martin Bormann is a major character in The Bunker. For some reason he barely appears in Downfall.
Fegelin (Eva Braun's brother in law) is executed by firing squad in Downfall (historically accurate according to Wikipedia). Curiously, The Bunker shows him as being hanged.
The Bunker has frequent references to Jews/The Final Solution. Downfall has very few -- this invariably makes the Germans less unsympathetic. Even if they weren't in different languages, you could still tell which one was made by Germans.
Downfall had a much bigger budget and contains many sequences taking place in the streets of Berlin and even at a hospital (run by Mohnke, presented as damn near a hero -- although his Wiki article claims he is suspected of killing 11,000 POWs, among other war crimes). Except for a few scenes directly above ground, The Bunker takes place entirely in said underground complex.
Downfall unfortunately has that brown-green tint so popular in films nowadays (to hide the CGI?).
Hopkins won an Emmy for his portrayal of Hitler; IMO he was a bit too mannered in many scenes.
I'd also like to discuss Hitler: The Last 10 Days (1973), starring Alec Guinness as Der Fuhrer, but I haven't seen that in 20+ years and it's not on YouTube.
3
Posted on 7/24/12 at 10:20 am to Kafka
Haven't seen The Bunker but really enjoyed Downfall. I wish they'd make more German Nazi movies like this one. Also, if you get a chance watch Speer and Hitler the series. It's long but pretty neat.I believe it's on Youtube. The acting wasn't as good but it goes through Speer's beginning till Nuremberg. Also, has interviews with his kids. Pretty interesting.
Posted on 7/24/12 at 10:35 am to lsubkd
quote:
if you get a chance watch Speer and Hitler the series
Right now I just started this 1959 German film about Stalingrad, but Albert & Adolf are added to the list
Posted on 7/24/12 at 11:09 am to Kafka
Downfall was a great movie. Thought the guy that played Hitler did a wonderful job
Posted on 7/24/12 at 12:00 pm to HeadChange
quote:
Downfall was a great movie. Thought the guy that played Hitler did a wonderful job
Bruno Ganz. One of the better actor portrayals of anyone I've seen.
This post was edited on 7/24/12 at 12:01 pm
Posted on 7/24/12 at 2:12 pm to lsubkd
I've been watching some of George Pal's short subjects. Here's an intriguing little anti-Nazi piece:
Tulips Shall Grow
ETA: Stop-motion legend Ray Harryhausen (Jason & The Argonauts) apparently worked on this
Tulips Shall Grow
ETA: Stop-motion legend Ray Harryhausen (Jason & The Argonauts) apparently worked on this
This post was edited on 7/24/12 at 2:20 pm
Posted on 7/24/12 at 2:14 pm to Celery
quote:He was recently in Unknown with Liam Neeson
Thought the guy that played Hitler did a wonderful job
Bruno Ganz. One of the better actor portrayals of anyone I've seen.
the hugely popular nazi propaganda film Triumph of the Will is on NetFlix Instant
Posted on 7/27/12 at 8:36 pm to Kafka
Stalingrad (1959), aka Hunde, wollt ihr ewig leben; also aka Dogs, Do You Want To Live forever?
Apparently, this was the first German film made about the Battle of Stalingrad (also seen in Enemy At The Gates). In many ways it's a standard Hollywood formula war movie, with the initially gung-ho hero gradually coming to question his superiors and make a lot of speeches about the futility of war.
This film being German the Germans are of course quite sympathetic, aside from the token villainy of our Aryan hero's superior officer. Much more interesting is the fact that Russians are fairly sympathetic as well (remember, this was a West German film). Perhaps the most intriguing scenes show General Paulus, so little-known in the US, trying to make sense of Hitler's orders to attack at all costs.
This certainly isn't a must see film, but it's entertaining; those interested in WWII should enjoy it most, as it shows one of the most important battles of the 20th century -- a battle which was almost completely ignored by Hollywood, since 1) No Americans were involved, and 2) The Commies won.
Anybody watching should know the subtitles are a bit screwed up. Although the hero is clearly a Lieutenant, he is constantly referred to in the titles as a Lt. Col (do they even have those in the German army?)
Apparently, this was the first German film made about the Battle of Stalingrad (also seen in Enemy At The Gates). In many ways it's a standard Hollywood formula war movie, with the initially gung-ho hero gradually coming to question his superiors and make a lot of speeches about the futility of war.
This film being German the Germans are of course quite sympathetic, aside from the token villainy of our Aryan hero's superior officer. Much more interesting is the fact that Russians are fairly sympathetic as well (remember, this was a West German film). Perhaps the most intriguing scenes show General Paulus, so little-known in the US, trying to make sense of Hitler's orders to attack at all costs.
This certainly isn't a must see film, but it's entertaining; those interested in WWII should enjoy it most, as it shows one of the most important battles of the 20th century -- a battle which was almost completely ignored by Hollywood, since 1) No Americans were involved, and 2) The Commies won.
Anybody watching should know the subtitles are a bit screwed up. Although the hero is clearly a Lieutenant, he is constantly referred to in the titles as a Lt. Col (do they even have those in the German army?)
Posted on 7/27/12 at 9:24 pm to Kafka
Das Boot is long but fricking awesome.
Posted on 7/27/12 at 9:33 pm to Me4Heisman
I saw this doc about 10 years ago...some parts are very interesting.
Here's the synopsis:
Late in the 1980s, two documentary film makers found six German men, all in their 60s and 70s, who had been soldiers in the German invasion of the USSR in 1942. Each carried an 8mm camera into battle and they still had their film. "Mein Kreig" alternates between interviews with these older men, now apologetic, philosophical, or defiant about their participation, and the footage they shot. It's chronological: basic training, the train trip East, roof-top vistas of war-torn Warsaw, peasants in Belarus, the downing with carbine volleys of a Russian plane, winter, a holiday at the Black Sea, mud, impassable roads, death, destruction and retreat. "Home, that was the front," one says.
Some of the video footage isn't that interesting...just the soldiers hanging out or vacationing.
But worth a look.
ETA: I found a screening online if anyone is interested.
LINK
This post was edited on 7/27/12 at 9:42 pm
Posted on 7/27/12 at 10:27 pm to Celery
quote:
Bruno Ganz. One of the better actor portrayals of anyone I've seen.
Wasn't he of Austrian decent, like Hitler? My German friend said he pulled off the German accent with the Austrian influence perfectly
Posted on 7/28/12 at 12:54 am to Kafka
Don't forget to watch Ilsa, She-Wolf of the SS.
Posted on 7/28/12 at 7:09 am to shutterspeed
quote:
Don't forget to watch Ilsa, She-Wolf of the SS
been there, watched that
FWIW it was filmed on the set of Hogan's Heroes
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