MovieChat Forums > Hitler: The Rise of Evil (2003) Discussion > 7.1 ??? HA HA HA.... AWFUL!

7.1 ??? HA HA HA.... AWFUL!

posted 16 years ago by crayonzero
6 replies | jump to latest

How the hell does this goddamn joke of a film get a 7.1 rating??

I cringed throughout. Terrible, trite, distorted, riddled with outright lies and half truths. Bad acting, bad writing, and utterly wrong.

The famous Hitler biographer Ian Kershaw was originally to be a consultant for this film. However, he found it to be so historically inaccurate and ridiculous that he refused, and then demanded they stop using his name as a source (it embarrassed him to think people would think he was involved).

For example:
One scene shows Hitler beating his dog. There is not one source for this. Hitler loved animals above people. He brought in the strictest animal welfare laws in Europe, banned vivisection and animal experimentation. He was also a vegetarian.

The film turns his gaining of the Iron Cross into a farce, involving bribery. Utter bollocks. He was awarded it for repeated acts of bravery over a long period of time.

There are no historical documents showing that Hitler ever had a sexual relationship with his niece. Not one.

Hitler is portrayed as a rabid simpleton in this garbage flick.
If he was even half as ignorant, demented and thick as he is in this awful film as in real life you would not even know he had ever existed. Never mind become the leader of Germany.

Honestly, this film was utter, utter balls.

Go watch Downfall and give this a very wide berth.

stopchasingyourtail

[–] belerofont86 16 years ago

Agreed mate. This film was fcking ridiculous, with so many inaccuracies and simplifications. Actual history about Hitler and Nazism is far more interesting and engaging (and complex, of course) than this piece of crap pretends to be.

[–] crayonzero 16 years ago

Thank you for your sanity man.

stopchasingyourtail

[–] cdimdb 16 years ago

Completely agree. Not only is this film rubbish, it's dangerous rubbish. It propagates that fantastic notion that Hitlers are easily recognised, deranged, ranting lunatics.

In fact - as anyone who reads the accounts of those close to him will know - the man was charming, generous, intelligent and kind to animals. And a spectacular orator who did real good to a broken nation. He had admirers all over the world before the war.

This idiotic idea that he was Fred Phelps with a silly moustache may be comforting, but the frightening fact is that if another Hitler ever arises, he will be someone with near-universal support, well-liked and charismatic.

[–] bbgunpop 16 years ago

This movie is still enjoyable, you have to take what you can get these days as the alternatives are mindless "talent" shows or awful celebrity crap. But I agree this movie is set to completely undermine hitler and promote the popular charicature of a dark twisted loner with sexual perversions and utter lack of compassion. But really what did we expect? Hitler will never get a fair portrayal. The same with the HBO movie of Stalin.

[–] cdimdb 16 years ago

Hitler will never get a fair portrayal.

Mostly true, but other have pointed to 'Downfall', which to my mind is the exception. It's based on the testimonies of his secretary and his personal assistant, and depicts the man as accurately, I think, as it could be done.

There's little doubt that toward the end Hitler approached the degree of craziness that he's usually cast in. But then who wouldn't in that position? He was very sick with constant gastric pain from the poor vegetarian meals he was eating, and a severe tremor probably indicating Parkinsons; he was watching all his plans and dreams crumbling, with his enemies at the gate. The yes-men who had given him nothing but good news and agreement for years were now telling him of new disasters daily and expecting him to fix things. He knew the end was near, and he was terrified.

I have no sympathy for the bastard: he deserved every second of his anguish. But I can see how it would drive him nuts. 'Downfall' shows it very well, portrayed superbly by the brilliant Bruno Gantz.

But in his earlier days, when Traudl Humps (as she was then) was being interviewed for the position of his secretary, you see his other side. Gentle, forgiving, soft-spoken, devoted dog-lover - you can see how these characteristics together with his star status and spectacular oratory would have charmed people.

Perhaps most telling is a section of an interview Traudl gave - shown in 'Downfall' - in which she describes Hitler dictating his final Political Testament to her just before he killed himself. Even then, after all that had happened, she really expected that she was about to hear the true reasons for the war and the terrible suffering that this man had caused. She thought she would be the first to know the carefully-crafted and brilliant master plan that made it all worthwhile. Instead he just ranted about his enemies and betrayals, and she realised for the first time that this was just a mad old megalomaniac trying to conquer the world.

In contrast, 'Rise of Evil' gave no hint that a real person ever existed behind the raving monster.

[–] crayonzero 16 years ago

It came on TV and I masochistically watched about 20 mins of it... It was even worse than the first time.

I'm still upset at how terrible this is. I had to go out and stove a strangers head in with a shovel to calm down.
It should come with a health warning.

GOD-AWFUL.

stopchasingyourtail