Bachfeuer

The historical context of this durable vintage film will escape younger viewers. In the late 50s, there was an Amierican Nazi Party, with Cmdr. George Lincoln Rockwell as its self-styled Führer. Fear that he might gain traction undoubtedly played a part in getting this film made. Down through the years, there have been sundry tiny, quarreling splinter groups descended from ANP. But it resurged in Charlottesville, and occupies its secure niche in today's MAGA firmament.

While there is inevitable oversimplification, this film is essentially accurate as to events. Dr. Kelley was of a time when psychiatry had precious little scientific substance. One had to be a bit of a trickster and charlatain, as he was. The flagrance of the Hippocratic oath violations is cringeworthy.

This film certainly has something cogent to say about our time. For about 20 years after WWII, the most respected history books described a German national character set apart from the rest of humanity. Dr. Kelley was essentially cancelled for contravening that pervading conventional wisdom. Now, when the facists advance without the tipoff of scary uniforms just as he foresaw, he is vindicated. Important events do depend on flawed people. Important things do happen for fortuitous, inpredictable, foolish reasons. This film imparts that lesson well.

I watched Nuremberg (2000). The present film does cover important stuff that film left out. That one left Dr. Kelley out while including Dr. Gilbert. This one does the reverse. Just sayin'.

I knew Angel Films only by Bonhoeffer: Pastor. Spy. Assassin. (2024). As both that film and its subject are problematic, I approached this one skeptically. I am surprised to find myself such an endorser and enthusiast for this film.

Anti-Nazi protest was exceptionally rare in the Third Reich. Everyone who studies German in the USA reads of the White Rose group in Munich in 1943. Its story--long since told in The White Rose (1982) and the somewhat overwrought Sophie Scholl: The Final Days (2005)-- exactly parallels Helmuth Hübener's.

This film arrives just when there are too many Generation Z men, informed by TikTok and video games, hence very confused about Nazism. That makes this film timely.