Second World War films from a German perspective

[DaveCinzano]

It's rubbish - not as bad as edelweiss pirates but rubbish still.

Clearly you have no soul.

Christian Bale! Lindy hop! Lord Sir Ken 'Kenneth' O' Branagh of Stratford III as comedy Gestapo villain!

That covers three of the main film food groups already.

 

[goldenecitrone]

Die abenteuer des Werner Holt. I read the book when I lived in Germany. The film is okay, but the book is better.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057816/

 

[DaveCinzano]

The One That Got Away is about a German POW who escapes.

 

[butchersapron]

Good little film - not sure it's anything but a boys own adventure though.

 

[DaveCinzano]

Oh, and Holland's Europa Europa is about a (Jewish) German boy who masquerades as an aryan and becomes a Hitlerjunge to survive.

 

[DaveCinzano]

I've not yet seen it, but Costa-Gavras did a film about the connections between Nazi Germany and the Vatican, Amen.

 

[butchersapron]

There's a decent if very outdated film called Rotation from 1949 that looks back at one w/c family from 1925 to 45 with a particular eye on the political aspects - odd for the period in that the communist was the only one to come out of it with 100% integrity, even the hero was shown as joining the party when career advancement demanded it. Interesting historcial film, if not especially noteworthy on aesthetic grounds.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0041826/

 

[butchersapron]

I've not yet seen it, but Costa-Gavras did a film about the connections between Nazi Germany and the Vatican, Amen.

Beware Gavras in English! (if it is in english of course)

 

[smmudge]

Mephisto, about an actor/director set around the time the Nazis were getting powerful. It's alright, but better films have been mentioned.

 

[DaveCinzano]

Beware Gavras in English! (if it is in english of course)

Are you talking about dubs, or films like Missing?

 

[butchersapron]

Missing is his only decent english language film IMO. I mean ones in english.

 

[DaveCinzano]

I can't think of any more German perspective WW2 films at the moment, but what about some Polish ones?

Wajda's Pokolenie (A Generation), Kanał and Popiół I Diament (Ashes And Diamonds), and then later Katyń; and submarine melodrama Orzeł.

Or how about Czechoslovak/Czech/Slovak ones, like Obchod Na Korze (The Shop On Main Street), and Ostře Sledované Vlaky (Closely Observed Trains)? Or Kachyňa's Eastern front flicks Práče and Tenkrát O Vánocích? Or Atentát, about the Heydrich assassination?

On the Axis and associated side of things, Talvisota is a grim All Quiet-meets-Platoon (or 9-ya Rota etc) take on the Finnish Winter War; and Két Félidő A Pokolban is the Hungarian precursor to Escape To Victory.

 

[Leica]

The Seventh Cross

based on the Anna Seghers novel

 

[Leica]

The Marriage of Maria Braun

Lili Marleen

 

[butchersapron]

Two fantastic films

 

[ViolentPanda]

How about Swing Kids?

That film sucked leper dick.

 

[ViolentPanda]

Anonyma - A Woman in Berlin

based on an anonymous diary (A Woman in Berlin)

Saw it in Berlin last year (w/ English subtitles ). Couldn't make up my mind whether it was a bad adaptation, or was deliberately going for an "arthouse" approach.

 

[ViolentPanda]

Downfall is, sort of. From the secretary's (sp?) view.

If you found the film interesting, it's worth reading her (Truadl Junge's) book "Until the Final Hour".

 

[ViolentPanda]

"The Counterfeiters" is a good film, about a German Jewish camp inmate used by the Nazis to produce fake foreign currency so that the Allied powers can be destabilised.

 

[purplex]

thanks for the replies, the thread was inspired by watching a british war film dubbed into german last week (a proper headfuck). Thats a lot of video to watch. Much appreciated.

 

[Bakunin]

"The Counterfeiters" is a good film, about a German Jewish camp inmate used by the Nazis to produce fake foreign currency so that the Allied powers can be destabilised.

Based on the true story of 'Operation Bernhard' (named after it's commander SS captain Bernhard Kruger) which was intended to wreck the war economies of the Allied powers by flooding the global economy with fake money, yes.

A fascinating story and it's been the subject of a few good books, IIRC. The main effect of 'Operation Bernhard was to cause the UK Government to withdraw much of its old paper money (especially the old white fivers) because the Russians had captured the printing plates for the forged money and were thus in a position to do exactly what the Germans originally intended.

 

[DJ Squelch]

The Desert Fox : The Story Of Rommel
The Bridge at Remagen

 

[butchersapron]

Couple more i've i've enjoyed or had recommended to me:

Stalingrad: Dogs, Do You Want to Live Forever?
I Was Nineteen (Russian/german perspective really)
As Far As My Feet Will Carry Me (also a german mini-series of this)
Zero Hour
The Turning Point
Rosenstrasse
and of course The Golden Nazi Vampire of Absam - The Secret of Kottlitz Castle

 

[lobster]

Ive not seen it , its a East German war film ,Jakob, der Lügner aka Jacob the lier. It actually was nominated a oscar , only ever East German film to.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071688/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacob_the_Liar

 

[purplex]

Thanks for the replies, thats quite a lot to watch.

 

[pk]

I've never trolled anywhere

cough splutter hiccup giggle

 

[pk]

"The Counterfeiters" is a good film, about a German Jewish camp inmate used by the Nazis to produce fake foreign currency so that the Allied powers can be destabilised.

Yup, thats a good 'un.

"Conspiracy" with Kenneth Branagh is possibly the most accurate account of how arrogant and inhuman the top brass were, and likely still are, regardless of political slant.

Die Ehe der Maria Braun is indeed a good film too, well worth a look.

Downfall is bleak, but not accurate IMO, too many historical flaws.

 

[Spymaster]

Das Boot on BBC 2 now (12am-3.30am)

Still 2 hours to go.

Ace!

 

[DaveCinzano]

"Conspiracy" with Kenneth Branagh is possibly the most accurate account of how arrogant and inhuman the top brass were, and likely still are, regardless of political slant.

A very good HBO TVM, that, basically a real-time retread of the Wannsee Conference during which the 'final solution' was drawn up in perfunctory fashion and bureaucratic doublespeak.

For a film which is mostly a bunch of dull lawyers (albeit wearing spiffy uniforms) sitting in a room talking, it's pretty powerful stuff, with lots of good performances.

 

[DaveCinzano]

and of course The Golden Nazi Vampire of Absam - The Secret of Kottlitz Castle

This looks awesome.