tobydale

"The Meaning of Hitler" tries to do a lot of things. It broadly succeeds in some of them. But what was this documentary actually trying to do?

Well, let's first look at what it does succeed with:

It draws our attention to the fact that Hitler was initially just a regular guy. However, Hitler was very unusual for the fact that he had no friends, no family, had no children, was socially "outside". These would seem to be the symptoms, not causes, of his delusional megalomaniac rise. Also apparent through the documentary, is the observation that Nazism and its monstrous crimes are things that really happened because humans are capable of it.

Where "The Meaning of Hitler" loses its message a little is (perhaps) in looking at the recent return of the hard-right ultra-nationalist movements. These dangerous developments should give us cause for concern that the lessons of history have not been learned. Today's younger generations know nothing of war. We need to work to make sure they never do.

"The Meaning...." deals summarily, severely and correctly with anti-Semitic Holocaust deniers.

Overall, this documentary does succeed in pointing out and attempting to rectify and remove the strangely attractive characterisations that Hitler has been given in some parts of modern culture. We must learn the lessons of history and not repeat the mistakes. A little incoherent, but necessary watching.

40 years ago, the "Brinks Mat" job was just about the biggest heist in UK history. The two seasons of The Gold manage to show quite well what happened. I thought it was alright TV.

As The Gold points out, the story of the people involved is still running more than 40 years after the event. This TV presentation packs 20+ years of action and police investigation into about 12 hours of screen time. That's quite an achievement! But it could have done with some time markers.

Some creative licensing was employed to make sense of some of the characters and their actions. It's a really complex story. Far more complex than could be re-imagined for TV.

Unlike some TV criminal recreations or drama, we absolutely do not identify with the bad guys here. They are nasty, greedy and they suffer. We see this especially in season 2.

I liked the dialogue, and the way the bad guys are shown as truly fallen and ruined by their own avarice.

I liked The Gold. It held my attention. It's pretty good.

A Hard Day's Night doesn't seem to age! It's 60 years old, portrays another age entirely, but the film seems to me to be timeless.

This is because the film so good!

It's beautifully filmed, thoughtfully directed by Dick Lester, has some special moments and really has a hook. It's a film that shows the early 1960s very well.

A Hard Day's Night obviously showcases The Beatles, and it does this brilliantly - in a natural and wholly relatable way. I quite like the story too, even though some might say it's a bit thin and silly. That doesn't really matter. This film is about The Beatles - showing those who could not get their concerts another side of their heroes talents.

I really like A Hard Day's Night. It's a minor classic.