Escape from Germany

This film is beautifully made, moving, and remarkably revealing about events leading up to World War II. It is based on careful research about real events, yet at the same time tells an almost unbelievably powerful story. The closing credits were one of my favorite parts of the film: we see photos of the real people who are portrayed in the film, along with information that confirms the veracity of the story we have seen while extending that story beyond what the film portrays. The issues dealt with are thought provoking and chillingly relevant, including the plight of refugees, racial and religious prejudice, and the abuse of government power. But we also see the power of goodness in so many who are willing to risk their own safety to help and protect others.

I got a big kick out of this and qualifiedly recommend it over the streams of crappy films to be found on Freevee, Netflix, and Tubi. However it has to be said that a really interesting story has been poorly served by a somewhat careless script and intermittently inspired direction. The acting is all over the place. However if you can't get past all that you may be missing something fun and even important.

Mormons (LDS: Latter Day Saints) are an evangelical sect and LDS teenagers are sent abroad on a missionary year to proselytize while living with local Mormons. There have to be many amazing stories of culture shock and personal development, but this film somehow doesn't convey that, in spite of the fact that it's set in Nazi Germany in 1939.

Shortly before the German invasion of Poland, the president of the European LDS organization has a premonition that war is about to start and, despite the denials of the U. S. Embassy, orders the German mission to close and repatriate its missionaries. Chaos ensues since German Mormons are being drafted, the Nazis are requisitioning transportation and food for the military, and neighboring countries begin closing their borders. Mission personnel struggle to leave behind some kind of church structure, convince at-risk parishioners to leave the country, and account for nearly thirty young missionaries who are stranded somewhere in Germany. One young missionary, Norm Seibold (Paul Wuthrich), is given some cash and sent to go find the boys and help them out. Meanwhile the mission personnel try to escape the Kafkaesque Nazi maze. Inspiration, determination, and faith struggle against bureaucracy and inhumanity in the kind of story Hollywood can't seem to tell except as a children's movie.

This is not a bad movie and most of the english speaking world probably doesn't even notice that most of the acteurs in this movie that trie to speak German have terrible translated scripts. You could say that it is normal to have americans with poor german accents but even the Germans are not able to pronaunce a normal scentance. All the german soldiers behave like stereo type Nazis, like a loony toons cartoon from the '50. Sadly the movie leans in too much on to mormon faith with makes it monotonous. Given that the production quality is so high and the acteurs are pretty good this movie had more potentionel.

A good time for this movie which accurately represents the holy spirit and the goodness of those close to God. I am not a Mormon I'm a Christian and at times am concerned by those in the more cult like Mormon churches, however I felt this movie was well done and that God did reveal himself and provide protection to a group of good people doing good, it is at times of violence such as we have now that we all - Christian and those without faith must raise our heads and pray for peace and do what we can to do good. I believe all should watch this with an open mind and heart and see how God provides for us even in dark times.

As an old man who's been a movie buff for over 50 years, I have to say this film was painful to watch. Why? Because it was so poorly made in every aspect you can think of. The dialogue was ridiculous and the music was repetitive and annoying.

Although I am not "LDS" as they say in Utah, I did live in Salt Lake City for 3 years and I know from experience that members of "The Church" as they call it there, do NOT talk like the characters in the movie. It's obvious to me this is just a propaganda film to promote the Mormon faith. I found the local adherents of "The Church" to be very nice, polite people but at the same time, if you are not "one of them" -- you will never be fully accepted. At least, that was my experience there and one of the reasons why I came back to "America".