- Joined
- Dec 8, 2004
This weekend I went to see the German film about the last days of Hitler. It was nominated for best foreign language film last year, and there has been some controversy because some people felt it gave a sympathetic portrayal of his demise. I thought the film was engrossing, even though I felt indifferent to the fate of the characters. The main story is seen through the eyes of Hitler’s young secretary, who transcribes Hitler’s last letters from his bunker in Berlin as the Russian army closes in on all sides. She witnesses his rantings, wild parties, and finally suicide.
If anything, this film gave a sympathetic portrayal of Hitler’s enablers. There is a scene where one top official reveals that he has not carried out all of his orders because of his moral convictions. Hitler is shown holding the German population in contempt, seemingly in an attempt to erase the average citizen’s culpability for his rise to power. The last scene of the film is a 2002 interview with the real secretary, who states that she has regrets about her role. She says she knew nothing about the deaths of 6 million Jews at the time she was working for Hitler, but that youth and ignorance are no excuse not to take action.
There is a subplot about a young boy who is part of the Nazi army. His father pleads with his commander to release the boy from duty so the family can flee the city, but the boy is required to continue to serve. He moves around the city, seeing the fate of Berlin’s remaining residents as lawlessness takes over. Watching these scenes, I thought of Pope Benedict’s mandatory involvement with the Nazi army at a young age, and his subsequent statements denouncing the party.
The film was 2 and a half hours long, but it moved at a fast pace, and addressed many questions left unanswered by other great films of the period that focus on the holocaust and other victims of Hitler’s oppression. Other than some liberties taken with the dialogue and supposed exchanges during the final hours, the film was a faithful recreation of the facts of what happened. I was glad I went to see it, and I appreciated its message about the dangers of nationalism.
If anything, this film gave a sympathetic portrayal of Hitler’s enablers. There is a scene where one top official reveals that he has not carried out all of his orders because of his moral convictions. Hitler is shown holding the German population in contempt, seemingly in an attempt to erase the average citizen’s culpability for his rise to power. The last scene of the film is a 2002 interview with the real secretary, who states that she has regrets about her role. She says she knew nothing about the deaths of 6 million Jews at the time she was working for Hitler, but that youth and ignorance are no excuse not to take action.
There is a subplot about a young boy who is part of the Nazi army. His father pleads with his commander to release the boy from duty so the family can flee the city, but the boy is required to continue to serve. He moves around the city, seeing the fate of Berlin’s remaining residents as lawlessness takes over. Watching these scenes, I thought of Pope Benedict’s mandatory involvement with the Nazi army at a young age, and his subsequent statements denouncing the party.
The film was 2 and a half hours long, but it moved at a fast pace, and addressed many questions left unanswered by other great films of the period that focus on the holocaust and other victims of Hitler’s oppression. Other than some liberties taken with the dialogue and supposed exchanges during the final hours, the film was a faithful recreation of the facts of what happened. I was glad I went to see it, and I appreciated its message about the dangers of nationalism.