Nazi films

[kerry]

Watched some interesting documentaries related to Nazism recently. The Flat, Inheritance and Hitler's Children. All available on Netflix. Also saw Hannah Arendt at the cinema last week which got me reading Eichmann in Jerusalem. If you have an interest in this dark side of human history, you should find these films interesting. The Flat especially will put your mind into a spin.

[Jorn]

Watched "Hitler's Children" very interesting film. I haven't watched "The Flat" yet, I have it in my queue, I can only take so much about the holocaust. I did watch "The Unknown Soldier" a documentary about the roll of the Whernacht during the holocaust and the denial of many Germans of the roll it played. A disturbing film but worth watching.

[kerry]

Originally Posted by Jorn

Watched "Hitler's Children" very interesting film. I haven't watched "The Flat" yet, I have it in my queue, I can only take so much about the holocaust. I did watch "The Unknown Soldier" a documentary about the roll of the Whernacht during the holocaust and the denial of many Germans of the roll it played. A disturbing film but worth watching.

I'll put that in my queue. Inheritance focuses on Amon Goeth's daughter who appears in Hitler's Children.

[pj67coll]

Originally Posted by kerry

Watched some interesting documentaries related to Nazism recently. The Flat, Inheritance and Hitler's Children. All available on Netflix. Also saw Hannah Arendt at the cinema last week which got me reading Eichmann in Jerusalem. If you have an interest in this dark side of human history, you should find these films interesting. The Flat especially will put your mind into a spin.

Is "The Flat" a real documentary or fictional?

Have you ever seen the two main Nazi propaganda films? "Triumph of the Will" and "Olympia"?

- Peter.

[kerry]

The Flat is a documentary. I've seen Triumph of the Will but not Olympia.

[pj67coll]

Originally Posted by kerry

The Flat is a documentary. I've seen Triumph of the Will but not Olympia.

The flat sounds interesting. I might try to get it. Olympia is pretty good too. Neat film techniques for 1935 with the special effects of the Olympic torch being carried thru various countries on its way to Germany and the huge spectacles in the stadium. Also interesting how many athletes gave the Nazi salute. Perhaps the most gripping event was the Equestrian one with horses jumping obstacles. Lot more dangerous than would be allowed today I think. Several riders had bad falls and one German officer broke his arm but had to get back up and finish it anyway. The event was won by an American Cavalry officer from Los Angeles.

- Peter.

[Hatterasguy]

I have seen most of them except for the Flat.

Not really surprising if you read enough first person accounts and not condensed stuff from historians.

[pj67coll]

The flat looks interesting indeed. I shall try to see it.

- Peter.

[Pooka]

Originally Posted by kerry

The Flat is a documentary. I've seen Triumph of the Will but not Olympia.

'Triumph of the Will' moves a bit slow for todays tastes. If edited today it would lose about ten minutes or more.

And... I shared that opinion with a few professional film makers once and they agreed, but one of them pointed out that at that time the Director of the film was told to deliver a film of so many minutes, so that's what they did.

[MS Fowler]

One to add to your list is the Nazi Titanic. History Channel, or Military Channel has a documentary by the same title that is about the Nazi Titanic movie, but there is also the movie, itself. It portrays the reason for the sinking was capitalistic greed, and the hero, is the sole German member of the crew, whom no one would believe. Some of you will like the anti-capitalistic spin.

[Pooka]

Originally Posted by MS Fowler

One to add to your list is the Nazi Titanic. History Channel, or Military Channel has a documentary by the same title that is about the Nazi Titanic movie, but there is also the movie, itself. It portrays the reason for the sinking was capitalistic greed, and the hero, is the sole German member of the crew, whom no one would believe. Some of you will like the anti-capitalistic spin.

At one time this film was available on YouTube.

It is really well put together, but then given the talent and money behind it....

You can also see why it was never released in Germany. While the Capitalistic greed thing is pushed since it reflected poorly on the Allies anyone who was alive at the time could see the whole sinking of the Titanic, at least the way it was presented in this film, was a great metaphor for Nazi Germany.

The Capitalistic thing is presented as having no regard for human life is OK as long as you get what you want. By the end of the war it was no secret this was considered one of the Nazi's defining traits, so Gobbles decided that releasing a film that reflected poorly on Nazi's was not a good thing.

By the way... Some of the scenes are so well done that they were lifted for 'A Night to Remember' by Roy Barker.

And.... This film did have a 'Premier' in Prague after the war. The film people in Prague hated the Nazi's for destroying their industry and also for killing one of the Stars of Czech film making, Karel Hasler, just because Hasler liked to tell Hitler jokes. Anyway, the film had a big premier where everyone got to see Nazi Germany sink into the deep.

But that's how you succeed in Show Biz. You just give the people what they want!