Bismarck

The 1940 film 'Bismarck' was one of the Staatsauftragsfilme: the 'state-produced films' of the Third Reich which were clearly meant as Nazi propaganda. Rather than blatantly extolling Hitler, these films typically chose a powerful figure from German history and depicted him favourably, careful to stress similarities (real or invented) between this protagonist and Adolf Hitler, the founder of the Third Reich. In this particular film, the similarities are more obvious than elsewhere ... as the protagonist of 'Bismarck' is the diplomat who founded the Second Reich.

'Bismarck' is a selective recounting of the life story of Otto von Bismarck, the prime minister of Prussia who achieved military victory over Austria, humiliated the French government, and proclaimed Kaiser Wilhelm the First as the Emperor of Germany. Early on in this long movie, we get a feeling of what we're in for as Bismarck addresses the Landtag. Speaking directly into the camera, actor Paul Hartmann (as Bismarck) tells us: "The great questions of the present will not be solved by speeches and parliaments, but by iron and blood." He doesn't say "Sieg heil!", but you get the message, ja?

This film carefully sets up parallels between Bismarck and Hitler. As soon as Bismarck becomes prime minister, the next scene shows him building up the army that will create a German empire. (Hitler did much the same as soon as he became chancellor.) Figures in Bismarck's life are presented as equivalents of figures in Hitler's career. Although Bismarck installed Wilhelm as emperor, this movie shows Bismarck challenging the Kaiser's authority and urging him to form a military non-aggression pact with Russia to strengthen Prussia's eastern flank. Wilhelm is depicted as a man who has outlived his usefulness, who should step aside for a stronger and greater leader: in other words, he's the equivalent of Paul von Hindenburg, the president of the Weimar Republic who was displaced by the ambitious Hitler.

The period detail in 'Bismarck' is excellent, and the production values are impressive ... but then, Germany's UFA film studio was able to use cheap labour in wartime. In the central role, Paul Hartmann gives a lacklustre performance. Not much better is Friedrich Kayssler as Kaiser Wilhelm. (Kayßler was murdered for political reasons less than a week before Hitler committed suicide.) In the role of the Empress, Lil Dagover is darkly beautiful ... still looking remarkably like the pale heroine she depicted in 'The Cabinet of Dr Caligari' and 'Destiny'.

Many of Nazi Germany's propaganda films had some genuine artistic merit and interesting scripts, notwithstanding their political agenda. But 'Bismarck' is long on Nazi agitprop and short on redeeming features. The most interesting thing about this movie is its sequel: 'Bismarck' was a huge hit at the Third Reich's box office, reaping a profit of nearly two million reichsmarks. The propaganda office straight away commissioned a sequel: 'Die Entlassung'. This is a much better film than 'Bismarck', with the same director but with a much better actor taking over the role of Otto von Bismarck: the great Emil Jannings. I'll rate 'Bismarck' 2 points out of 10.

Blood and Iron may have been Otto Von Bismarck's trademark slogan in forging a united German nation, but as the film Bismarck shows he could be quite subtle when he had to be. The film is a propaganda homage from the Third Reich to the founding of the Second Reich.

As such we don't quite get the picture of the real Bismarck who was every inch part of the Prussian aristocracy. The domestic scenes with Paul Hartmann and Kathe Haack as the missus shows them almost middle class, a kind of Mr.&Mrs. Germany with the wife and three kids. All that was needed was a dog.

Freidrich Klaybler plays Wilhelm I the Prussian King who when Bismarck is finished is the Emperor of Germany, their first out of 3 Hohenzollern Kaisers. Klaybler doesn't always understand Bismarck's reasons, but he's real satisfied with the results.

The Nazi authoritarian state is very justified in Bismarck. The parliamentary politicians are shown as naive quibblers, it's Bismarck with his blood and iron that is building the German nation. With scenes of German military might just overrunning everything due to the policies of the far seeing Bismarck, what more could Joe Goebbels want for a propaganda justification for some of the current German military activities?

For a German audience schooled in this view of the world this was great stuff. Unless you've studied 19th century European and German histories a lot of this you won't understand.

Not one of Herr Goebbals better efforts, but I'm sure audiences in 1940 in the Third Reich ate this one up.

Aside from the fact that this was made at the height of the Third Reich - so it's underlying politic of the might of the German people and it's heroes it to be assumed, this is a rather dry and unremarkably sterile depiction of the eponymous statesman who worked with Wilhelm I of Prussia (Friedrich Kayßler) to create the German Imperial state. It tries to pack far too much over-simplified history into two hours and the portrayal of Bismarck himself by an underwhelming Paul Hartmann leaves us amidst a story of turbulent history told as if it were a child's "Janet and John" book. The complexities of the relationships between the Hapsburg Austro-Hungarian empire, Russians, French and British are all rather overlooked and certainly undercooked as we spend much of the film in audience chambers watching a vacillating king or in a prevaricating parliament where nothing seems to count for very much - until our hero arrives to convince and save the day. It's almost entirely confined to a sound-stage so what few opportunities offered us to experience the military tactics of Moltke against the Danes or the Austrians are largely confined to a map or to the inside of a tent. The ending justifies the dramatic means - and we know that there was a unified German Empire born in 1871. It's a watchable enough historical biopic, but no effort is made to develop the characters and the story is about as dry and processional as it can be. It's hard to imagine this as a successful piece of jingoism, to be honest. It's completely forgettable.