Hitler is a powerful figure of history, and movies about hitler attempt to create a portrait of his charisma and his psyche for the modern viewer. Perhaps you will be tempted to pity this madman; perhaps you will despise him even more.
Movies about Hitler
1. The Downfall
This “epic film” follows Hitler’s last days in power as his generals try to convince him that he has lost the war. It shows how Nazi Germany collapsed from both military and moral perspectives, and it shows how Hitler’s subordinates were increasingly nervous about their leader’s sanity. The movie was shot in a single large room like a stage play, which adds to the claustrophobic tone of the movie.
2. The Bunker
This 2003 film by Uwe Boll is ridiculously over the top, but it shows Hitler and Eva Braun as believably human characters. It focuses on their final days in power, and attempts to show the emotions of a couple about to die. The movie was made with a $5 million budget, but it looks like it cost $500 million – with huge sets and thousands of extras showing Berlin from above and below. This film is surprisingly dramatic for a Nazi movie. You’ll see Hitler at his most despicable… yet strangely sympathetic.
3. Dogville
This 2006 film by Lars von Trier is a bit of a polarizing film, as well. It portrays the town of Dogville as a monster who tears apart the lives of its inhabitants. The townspeople are portrayed as hateful and cruel to one another… but they are all just puppets in the hands of their evil leader. “Dogville” is particularly powerful because it is set in Nazi Germany, and Von Trier explores how ordinary people turn into monsters when they operate at that level.
4. Hitler’s Children
This 2008 film by Robert Young takes a different approach to exploring Hitler. It follows the lives of three selected children who were in Hitler’s care in the 1930s, and shows how they learned to cope with his power as they grew up. The film was made with the cooperation of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, which adds a credibility to this movie that many others lack. These young people were indoctrinated in the Nazi ideology, but they eventually learned to question Hitler and his policies. It’s a fascinating look at how Hitler molded German society into his own image.
Conclusion
Movies about Hitler show Hitler as either too evil to be likeable, or not evil enough; it may also depend on how well the movie is produced.