Rise of the Nazis

Fantastic 3 part docu-drama showing the political rise to power of Hitler and the nazi party. The experts are informative but not preachy and the cut scenes actually help with showing what happened rather than feeling like showboating. Would be 10/10 except for some unusual choices of experts in particular Ash Sarkar who has no connection to what the show is about.

This is one of the best ever series on TV I have ever seen. If you want to know what really happened this is the one to watch. It's like "Nazism for Dummies". Not pretentious, not over academic and easily narrated with docudrama snippets with added "mini lectures" by historians. It really is compelling watching. The whole thing set to music that makes your hairs stand up. If there was a 12 stars this would get it.

Very good series covering the factual aspects of the period in great detail. However it could have been so much better were it not for the shameless promotion of some pointless commentators.

Often, as is the style with most BBC documentaries, there is an annoying repetition of detail we have just witnessed. There is an assumption that the viewer has no memory. Pointless waste of film time and quite frankly demeaning. Also irritating is the laughable, and deeply insulting, speculation as to the innermost thoughts of the Nazis and victims involved.

Most of this is obvious fantasy extrapolation from events, however many of the commentators are amazingly contradictory despite this. The worst error however is boring, banal and unsupported commentary parading as knowledge.

Commentary from vacuous individuals purporting special knowledge gains zero out of ten, the quality of the "run of the mill" documentary makers ensure it is so much better than the headline flops.

I really enjoyed this programme, despite the obvious subject matter. I did not know or had forgotten what actually happened in the lead up to Hitler being in power, so it was a very informative series and well done. The music was quite chilling in places and it made you think that had certain things happened or not happened, then the outcome could have been very different. Narrow opportunities that unfortunately did not happen and which could have saved many lives. It's hard sometimes, to see how things happened and how a lot of people had no moral compass, believing instead that what they were doing was right and in the interest of their country. Lessons that need to be carried into the future, no matter how many years have passed, to ensure that this never happens again, although there are countries around the world that are not so dissimilar in having a dictator in charge.

Unfortunately, the documentary starts 1930. To understand all the reasons for the "Rise of the Nazis" it should have started 12 years earlier. Even 'flashbacks' could have sufficed. But I did like the movie like approach.