Des Teufels General

This has been called the best German film ever made, and that might very well be the case. The play is Carl Zuckmayer's, but the film is a masterpiece in itself and offers a different aspect on this major dilemma of conscience among leading officers in Nazi Germany at the crucial time of the German invasion of Russia and the American involvement in the war - Germany was the one who declared war on the US. Above all the direction (by Helmut Käutner) brings the film on a universal level in its intensity and deep empathy with many besides the general, especially some of the women, and this drama could and should engage anyone, since it highlights the eternal problem of a human standing in relation with politics, political necessity and political pressure. One man in this film spites the system and does what he does because he feels ashamed of being a German because of what Germany is doing to the world, and that brings the drama to critical extremes with inevitable consequences, and generel Harras is perfectly logic in his ensuing action.

In spite of lack of action and dramatic effects, the film is invaluable for its sustained human drama involving many relationships and persons with highly engaging and pregnant dialogue all the way, presented by brilliant acting, so this is a film never to forget and always keep at hand for immediate access and reference.

He'd already been making movies for ten years, but The Devil's General was Curd Jurgens's breakthrough leading role. After this tour-de-force, he rocketed to stardom and commanded top billing for nearly ten years. And it's no wonder! I always refer to him as "the man who should have played Captain Von Trapp", not only because of his strong presence and singing ability, but also because of his personal life. Had Hollywood wanted to, it could have compiled a huge ad campaign about how the man portraying Captain Von Trapp himself was targeted by the Nazis and escaped to freedom during the war.

I digress, as I usually do when discussing the great German actor. In any case, it's clear Curd's personal feelings showed through his performance in The Devil's General. His character is a general in charge of test pilots, but he hates the Nazi party and the Fuhrer himself. He's vocal in his criticism, believing that his high rank and respected reputation will protect him from punishment. However, during a dinner party, a well-placed microphone captures some dangerous conversation and makes him a target. So, while Curd often played soldiers during his film career, he also often got the opportunity to show his real-life contempt for the direction his country took during the war. There are some incredible scenes in this movie where he explodes with emotion and energy; America didn't know it yet (and arguably never did), but Germany had just produced a major movie star. If you like movies with subtitles, find a copy of this interesting drama. It has great characters, an intriguing story, and doesn't have that "old European" feeling. Next up, check out the similar story of Brainwashed, also starring Curd.

The epic of Goethe's "Faust" replayed in real life (Ernst Udet, Generalluftzeugmeister, was the source for Zuckmayer's General Harras), and in a play by Carl Zuckmayer. Displays excellently how Germans were suckered into following the modern day "Pied Piper from Austria": Adolf Hitler; and how you have to pay the piper if you follow him. "Denn wer auf Erden des Teufels General gewesen ist und ihm die Bahn gebombt hat, der muss ihm auch in der Hoelle Quartier machen!" - "For whoever was the Devil's General on this Earth, and who bombed the path for him, also has to be his quartermaster in hell!"

Curd Juergens, Germany´s famous actor of the fifties and sixties, here playing a part that made him a star: The Devil´s General is an airforce general with extraordinary success in building new warplanes for the luftwaffe in ww2. At the same time, he is definitely not a nazi, not a bureaucrat but a party animal and a human being with a certain sense that everybody should be treated as human beings. This makes him an enemy to the high ranks of the SS and at the same a potential partner for people of the german resistance. In the end, he pays the bill for being part of a system, he never really said "no" to. A great movie with one great actor.

This is a tranquil but disturbing film about a disputatious general trying to get along with the Nazi system. And even though the film does not live on action but on good dialogues, its appeal is quite different to that of the theatrical play. The movie is a classic.