dancarrison
Joined Mar 2022
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Reviews19
dancarrison's rating
If the goal of the director was to give us an accurate portrait of Adolf Hitler then this well acted film is a failure.
Nowhere in the movie is the true evil of Nazism presented. There is a mention or two from Hitler about cleansing Europe of the Jews, but that's it. We don't see Hitler the madman; we see Hitler as a delusional commander in chief who has occasional temper tantrums. The conflict is between contending armies, not of Good and Evil. Hitler is portrayed as a feeble leader compelled to accept the inevitable--not as the Satanic psychopath directly responsible for the deaths of tens of millions. A visitor from Mars (or one of our blissfully ignorant recent high school graduates) could watch this movies and never know about the willful murder of six million men, women and children.
Critics argued that this account of Hitler was too respectful, and they were correct. The death scene is a prime example: we are not shown the body of Hitler with the top of his head blown out "out of respect."
There is another flaw: too many anti-climaxes. Some are inexplicable. For example, at mid point of the film, Hitler says everything is lost and tells his advisors to "do what you want." He then is shown fondling the cyanide capsules and telling Eva the best way to point the pistol. But then a few scenes later, he is vigorously prosecuting the war and forbidding any talk of surrender.
Yes, well acted. But "realism" means more than gritty scenes of war mayhem. The true evil of Hitler and his followers does not come across. The film is NOT "realistic" in that sense.
Nowhere in the movie is the true evil of Nazism presented. There is a mention or two from Hitler about cleansing Europe of the Jews, but that's it. We don't see Hitler the madman; we see Hitler as a delusional commander in chief who has occasional temper tantrums. The conflict is between contending armies, not of Good and Evil. Hitler is portrayed as a feeble leader compelled to accept the inevitable--not as the Satanic psychopath directly responsible for the deaths of tens of millions. A visitor from Mars (or one of our blissfully ignorant recent high school graduates) could watch this movies and never know about the willful murder of six million men, women and children.
Critics argued that this account of Hitler was too respectful, and they were correct. The death scene is a prime example: we are not shown the body of Hitler with the top of his head blown out "out of respect."
There is another flaw: too many anti-climaxes. Some are inexplicable. For example, at mid point of the film, Hitler says everything is lost and tells his advisors to "do what you want." He then is shown fondling the cyanide capsules and telling Eva the best way to point the pistol. But then a few scenes later, he is vigorously prosecuting the war and forbidding any talk of surrender.
Yes, well acted. But "realism" means more than gritty scenes of war mayhem. The true evil of Hitler and his followers does not come across. The film is NOT "realistic" in that sense.
Picture the paperback covers of all the Gothic mysteries you've seen: a young lady in the windswept moonlight fleeing a looming mansion, pursued by a dark handsome figure....
This film is almost a parody. It checks all the boxes of a soap opera. The reason it's not a parody or a soaper is the acting. You've got to hand it to Taylor who was unafraid, perhaps eager, to take on dark, villainous roles. He's very good in. This because he also shows vulnerability and mental confusion in an appealing way--appealing enough to keep Katherine Hepburn loyal until the silly ending. Taylor constrains his guilt in such an effective way that you almost get the impression it's possible to live a normal life after having murdered your benefactor.
Hepburn, too, is quite good in this chick-flick (no offense meant) until the melodramatic end.
Mitchum's character is insipid, but that's the director's fault.
Great camera-work; Gothic perspectives.
The first 2/3 of the film is captivating; the final third is formulaic hogwash, but by then you're hooked.
This film is almost a parody. It checks all the boxes of a soap opera. The reason it's not a parody or a soaper is the acting. You've got to hand it to Taylor who was unafraid, perhaps eager, to take on dark, villainous roles. He's very good in. This because he also shows vulnerability and mental confusion in an appealing way--appealing enough to keep Katherine Hepburn loyal until the silly ending. Taylor constrains his guilt in such an effective way that you almost get the impression it's possible to live a normal life after having murdered your benefactor.
Hepburn, too, is quite good in this chick-flick (no offense meant) until the melodramatic end.
Mitchum's character is insipid, but that's the director's fault.
Great camera-work; Gothic perspectives.
The first 2/3 of the film is captivating; the final third is formulaic hogwash, but by then you're hooked.
