Mein Kampf - My Crimes

British Propaganda film made in 1940 telling the story of Hitler's rise to power. Not far from the truth its mixes real footage with re-enactments with a decidedly anti- Nazi stance to create a very serious, but now very silly film. Its an odd mix of "why we fight" propaganda mixed with information about the enemy with just a touch of dry, and not so dry, wit aimed at making fun of the enemy so he was less terrifying. The mixture probably did exactly what it was suppose to but now over sixty years after the fact the whole effect is more than just a bit cartoonish. Running some 55 minutes it was quite amusing for about half its running time, by which time it was "enough of this already, I get the point". If you're interested in the period and its propaganda this is must see viewing, however if you want a non partisan look at events prior to the start of the war look elsewhere.

One might wonder why that would have been necessary? Why would such an obvious evil need to be enlarged upon? Its important to remember that earlier on Hitler had much sympathy and support in the U.S. Ranging from a great many organizations of German immigrants, the "Bunds", to elected government officials like Sen. Joseph Kennedy, it took a long time for the U.S. to see Hitler for what he truly was. And that took a certain amount of what I'll call "shock therapy" by the U.S. press and movie industry. This, although it was produced in Britain, is a good example of that therapy. Its well done and hits, for that day and time, a needed mark. A very young Herbert Lom, who was born in Prague, makes a striking appearance as a Hitler Youth. This, one of his earliest roles, must have been a bitter sweet one for him. Well done and well put together, this remains worth watching. Lest we forget. Which is why history tends to repeat itself. We forget.

After Mein Kampf (1940)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Before WWII there were many documentaries, all from Germany, that showed Adolph Hitler as a great man doing great deeds to try and make a better world. Everyone knows TRIUMPH OF THE WILL but this British made documentary was actually one of the first to truly show Hitler for what he was and that was a madman and monster. At 53-minutes, this uses stock footage, news footage and re-enactments to tell the life story of Hitler from his early days to his WWI days and his eventual rise of the Nazi party. This documentary ends with the narrator asking if Hitler is going to pretty much be your ruler and it starts off with such strong words as "rape of Poland." There's no question that the men behind this documentary wanted to warn everyone of what Hitler was and what he was capable of doing. There's no question that this is a pretty entertaining documentary but the biggest problem is that like so many other "documentaries" of this era, propaganda is a major problem. I'm sure at the time it was a good move to preach and go so dramatic because many people might not have known what they were dealing with. When viewed today a lot of this stuff just seems so preachy that it's as if the filmmakers are beating you over the head with the information. That's pretty much the only weak spot as we get all sorts of good stuff. What I enjoyed most was being able to see some of the stuff passed out in Germany to try and make people trust Hitler. This included all sorts of posters and even Hitler's face on packs of cigarettes. Being able to see this stuff was rather fascinating as was hearing the backstory on what turned Hitler to what he became. Needless to say, time has given us more information and those wanting more detail on the subject are going to find it in other documentaries. With that said, this here still contains some good stuff that makes it worth watching.