Hitler, un film d'Allemagne

Exhausting and ridiculously long, and almost impossible to explain. It's incredibly unique, for better or worse, and something I'm impressed with but would struggle to rewatch, and also would hesitate to recommend to just about everyone.

It's something like a fusion of documentary and biographical film, all filmed on a stage (so almost like a play, too), with tons of voiceover - both by actors and through real historical speeches - all of it aiming to unpack who Hitler was, what he did, how he rose to power, how he affected the world, and the implications the existence of such an individual has on the psyche of the world's population. The presentation is strange, sometimes repetitive, surreal, dreamlike, minimalist, and often eerie.

As broad as that sounds, it's also only scratching the surface. It's so dense and filled with so many ideas- some clear, most philosophical, and some presented in a very obscure way. It's the kind of movie you feel like you're drowning in sometimes. But I know it's sort of meant to be this way. It has some degree of power this way, but it renders the film all but impossible to fully digest.

But maybe that's okay. Maybe scratching the surface and still gaining a lot is significant. Maybe anyone brave enough to watch it more than once would have it all made clear.

I don't think I'll ever watch it again. But I don't regret watching/being almost suffocated by it once.

Most of this movie consists of people addressing the camera, while surrounded by ugly puppets and other pieces of junk. I'm astounded by the positive reviews. I'm left with only a slightly better knowledge as to why many Germans followed Hitler. This film would have made a much better book, with footnotes, citations of sources, and suggestions for further reading. But perhaps that was impossible. As I believe George Harrison once said, "Avant-garde means haven't got a clue." What is the difference between someone talking to you while he sits next to a candelabra and your reading what he has to say in a book? The same goes for speakers with old war film clips as background. I suppose one could argue that watching this film is a more visceral experience than reading a book on the same subject. However, this argument is undercut if the visceral experience is nausea.

I came across this film by accident whilst trying to locate another German made film and on discovering that the entire 7 hours is available free in real-time I began to watch. Those seven hours flew by and by the end I was left feeling stunned and somehow very insignificant. This is not a film to invite a few pals round for and throw pizza and beer in for good measure. This is a film to watch alone or maybe with someone who is interested in cinema as a means of transcending time and place. The images and audio presentations you will see and hear may well change your perceptions on life itself. Why this film is so little known is a mystery and perhaps it is only for the few and not the masses. It hits a spot somewhere deep inside and nestles in there and will never be entirely removed. See it and understand why 80 million Germans believed Hitler, a maniac, became for many, a god.

Susan Sontag called this film "the most extraordinary film I've ever seen". This may seem like a hyperbolic statement, but after seeing this film, I see where Susan was coming from. This really is an extraordinary film, and I completely understand Sontag's adoration of it. This is a brilliant film, one that has had me thinking for days about it. I watched it over 2 nights, and there's so much in it and so much to take in that I'm planning on renting it again or perhaps purchasing it. Despite its 7 1/2 hour length, there isn't one dull moment in it. I only watched it over 2 nights because I had to go to sleep. If I had had the time to watch the whole thing in one sitting, I would have done so without thinking. I haven't felt this glued to the screen in I don't know how long.

The film is absolutely mesmerizing. This film has been unavailable for many, many years, and this is the first time it's been offered on home video. The director, Hans Jurgen Syberberg, had posted the film on his website, but watching it on a TV or projected is the best way to see it. The film is operatic, theatrical, mind bending, sad, haunting, angry, depressing, and just about everything else you can think of. The 4th part is a little boring (the first 30 minutes of part four is one long monologue), but after this monologue is concluded, the film takes off again to a stunning conclusion. Never does the film feel padded. Like in Wagner's great operas (Wagner figures prominently here), a film like this needs to be long to tell its story, and that should be respected. The actors throughout the film give excellent performances, and the film is one of the most thought provoking films that I've seen in recent memory. This is a filmic masterpiece.

My Rating : 8/10

Surreal, trance-like fairytale nightmare about the little man who wanted to be the most supreme.

Intelligent doesn't cut it for this masterpiece - it is way beyond that. An abstract, eccentric and caricature-ish depiction of the rise and fall of the madness and sickness that is Hitler.

Seek it out if you can.