Conspiracy
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Movie Reviews of Conspiracy
Movie Review: Evil as banal as a business meeting led by a bully and his detail man
Summary: 5 Stars
This movie is a depiction of the now famous Wannsee conference at which high ranking Nazi and German government leaders met to coordinate and implement the genocide of the Jewish people within the borders of the lands they controlled. We know about the conference from an eight page summary of the meeting that was in the papers of one of those officials, Martin Luther, from what other attendees said about it before they died, and also from what we know was actually done to implement this "Final Solution". None of the gassings, shootings, executions of all types, forced labor, or medical experimentation happened by chance, well maybe some did, but the majority of the effort were the carryout of the direction began at this meeting in 1942 in a wealthy suburb of Berlin in a villa by a lake.
What a chilling film! It is so bureaucratic that they could be talking about munitions for the war, or supplying soldiers with boots and blankets. Yet, they are talking about their noxious racial theories and the problems they are having removing the Jews from civil society, housing them, and even killing them in volume.
The interpersonal dynamics and especially the techniques of dominance and manipulation used by the leader of the meeting, Reinhard Heydrich, is a stunning depiction of a monster pushing and prodding others into implementing his nightmare by "choice". Everyone has to sign off, but he masterfully anticipates and suppresses any public objection. This should be used in b-schools everywhere to stimulate discussions in interpersonal dynamics and groupthink. Of course, the horrible subject matter would probably prevent it being used, because it would be almost impossible to separate the discussion of the interpersonal dynamics from the chilling goal of the meeting.
Evil looks so banal and here we see monstrous evil as common as a business meeting at a luxury resort led by a bully and his detail man. And this led to the mass extermination of millions.
A should see. The cast is brilliant and the screenplay is excellent.
Movie Review: The blind leading...the vicious
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm not certain what I can add that hasn't already been said -- so eloquently -- about this film. After seeing a film with someone, you might be tempted to ask that person, "Did you enjoy the movie?" This isn't a movie to be enjoyed; rather, it is an experience to be remembered and talked about. Needless to say, the acting is superb, as is the script. For me, I take note of what is said non-verbally...
When Heydrich tells Kritzinger that the Fuhrer will "continue to deny" any planning or intent to commit genocide no matter how many times Kritzinger broaches the subject with Hitler -- the look on Kritzinger's face is one of a man who has just had his rose-colored glasses ripped torn off and crushed in front of him. There could be no more rationalizations, no more putting on blinders. They weren't there to discuss anything. Kritzinger was there to listen...and obey.
A scene near the end -- mentioned by other reviewers -- where Heydrich gives Kritzinger his, "Oh, you'll answer now or you'll answer...later" ultimatum, you can see that the latter is totally deflated. He has become useless as a voice of reason. And his previously role as such a "statesman" was perfectly described by Heydrich when he told him, "And your philosophy is what -- hound them, improverish them, exploit them, imprison them, but do not kill them. And you are God's noblest of men. I find that very remarkable." Although Kritzinger murmured a feeble objection, he had to realize that he had been an instrument in the Nazis finally descending to the point of industrial age barbarism, complete with busload-sized ovens.
Finally, Klopfer's reaction to Eichmann's revelation that their latest version of "evacuating the Jews" would kill 2,500 defenseless men, women, and children per hour was...riveting. You could almost see in that pig's expression his attempt to visualize the slaughter.
The symbolic act of knocking on wood took on a whole new meaning for me after watching this movie.
And watch it, you should.
Movie Review: Brilliant retelling of the Wannsee Conference
Summary: 5 Stars
A brilliant made for TV movie about the Wannsee Conference, where Nazi bigwig Reynhard Heydrich informed about a dozen mid level Nazi bureaucrats of Hitler's decision to annihilate all the Jews living in Germany and under its occupation. The meeting itself lasted about an hour and a half and took place in a cold day of January 1942 on a pretty lake side mansion on the suburbs of Berlin. The movie follows the conference in real time. As the bureaucrats begin to realize, this was not a conference arranged to discuss the issue of extermination but to inform about it, and to bring to the line of the genocidal goals of the top Nazi leaders all the relevant ministries. As the last part of the film makes clear, the issue of the gas chambers was already decided before the conference. Heydrich can be a charming and persuasive host, and at the same time, as a brilliant manipulator of men, will not be swayed at all by any objection, and he will get all the other bureaucrats into line. I came to see this with some trepidation, because I have read and have some interest in the era, I am distrustful of movies set in Nazi Germany spoken in English. Kenneth Branagh is not one of my favorite actors, but here he portrays Heydrich superbly. Also good is Colin Firth, as Wilhelm Stuckart, a Nazi lawyer who devised the racial laws in the 1930s, but who realizes the monstrosity of what is being proposed here. Yet he knows he has no power to object, and only ends up putting legalistic arguments against the plan, not ethical. There was a previous film about the Wannsee Conference, made in Germany in 1984. You can watch it in Youtube, and is clear that this movie follows it very closely. Any objection to this movie is necessarily minor: Stanley Tucci is brilliant as Eichmann, but he doesn't resemble very much the Nazi criminal. And one wonders if Dr. Kritzinger (great performance by David Threlfall) did really initially object so much to Heydrich in the conference. But these objections are very minor: this film is flat out excellent.Movie Review: Low Budget Genius
Summary: 5 Stars
I know it's been said before, but I have to say that it's amazing what you can do when you get an outstanding cast of actors together with an outstanding script. This film is basically like a one act play. Very simple, no scene changes, no special effects, but boy does it work!
This film is a dramatization of the meeting where Hitler's leading men decided the fate of six million jews. Probably, the most disturbing thing about the film is that everything seems so commonplace, like an ordinary business meeting. These men, apart from their politics, seem like ordinary men that you meet and work with everyday and yet their plans resulted in the death of six million people.
Dr. Stuckart is an interesting character. He objects to the plan because it goes against the established laws which he devised. He favors sterilization as opposed to death because he believes, perhaps rightly, that the world would not condemn such milder measures.
Dr. Kritzinger is perhaps the one person at the meeting who had courage enough to object on humanitarian grounds. At the Nuremberg trials he was the only one who openly showed regret and remorse over the mass killings. But when the SS General Heydrich threatens him he grudgingly gives approval at the meeting.
The movie serves as a sharp warning to us. If we do not fight to preserve the principles that our society was founded on such as the inherent value of each individual, the rights outlined in the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, and loving your neighbor as yourself then these principles probably will not be preserved. It would be to easy for some megalomaniac to come along and lead people down the wrong path.
My only wish is that the writers and director might have aimed for a PG or PG-13 rating and thus make the film more accessible to a wider audience.
Movie Review: Should be mandatory
Summary: 5 Stars
I can only say that anyone who sees this and is not affected by it is not human-- it is a terrifying masterpeice. This is the most horrific and nightmarish programme i think i have ever watched-- and should be mandatory viewing for everyone. You will be glued to the screen, not because of the special effects (none --excluding the fake snow and suspect mud sprays on the cars -- mud in winter? hmmm) but watch the scene where the waiter breaks a plate and tell me your did not tighten every muscle in total fear...If you want to see a film of perhaps the most catastrophic 90 minute meeting in history -- HERE IT IS.Watch the manipulation and discussion on the 'legality' of murder, the business discussion and statistics where they 'prove' how many they can kill per hour....awful, so terribly awful.
I have since watched this film several times and it never ceases to make me feel uneasy and remind me that the world is full on monsters and we need to be watchful, that everything is not guaranteed -- and we OWE a debt to people who fought for us.
I can honestly say i think if i met Keneth Branagh -- i would now be afraid of him!! Incidently -- the interview with him about the character was almost as disturbing -- you can see that Branagh finds this character a disgusting vile man with absolutely no morals at all..
THe final sequence where we find out what happened the people at the conference was equally nightmarish-- but perhaps on a brighter note, that is why we are different...
my recommendation -- get this