Review of Hitler's S.S.: Portrait in Evil

Directed by Jim Goddard, Hitler's SS: Portrait in Evil is a 1985 TV film about two German brothers, Helmut (Bill Nighy) and Karl Hoffmann (John Shea), whom forge their way into power, during the Nazi regime. I think the movie did a great job, in showing how most German felt about the Nazis. Most Germans did not become Nazis, because they were racist or anti-Semitism, but went along with the party because it promised them things that they wanted and needed. It provided for their livelihood. There was a great deal of pressure to join it. It was also very unthinkable to not join the party. The rise of the Nazis was all very logical and it shows here. A lot of people find that idea hard to swallow, but peoples' motives for supporting the Nazi Party, came to the fact, that it held the standard of living. While, the movie didn't do that good of a job, showing the severe economic depression AKA hyperinflation, which caused shortages in everything nor the very hard feelings over the Versailles Treaty. The movie does show how the Nazi program emphasized the protection of German industry and agriculture through tariffs and import quotas. Karl became enthusiastic by the Nazis, through this. I love the character arch of him and how he become disillusioned when things got worst. I have to say, John Shea is a very fine actor. It's too bad, he didn't get much roles, after this film. He's by far, the most realistic person on the film. The only thing, that I didn't like about his character, was the sub-plot romantic with a lounge singer, Mitzi Templer (Lucy Gutteridge). It remind me, too much of 1972's Cabaret. Tony Randall as Putzi, the German comedian who employs Mitzi as a singer seem a little similar to the Master of ceremonies of Cabaret fame. Everything about those scenes make it seem like they felt they were ripping off the Oscar Winner film. While, it's probably one of worst rip-offs, I have even witness, it's by far, one of the more entertaining parts of the film. Bill Nighy as Karl's brother, Helmut was alright for the most part, but he's gives such a robotic performance, even before his character show his coldness, when he join the Schutzstaffel (SS). It felt a bit underwhelming. The supporting cast was pretty good for the most part, but David Warner as Reinhard Heydrich was a bit odd. He looks nothing like him. The movie pacing is another fault. Its moves, way too slow in the beginning, and way too much fast, toward the end. The years preceding World War II were treated hurriedly and a lot of information wasn't explain, well. It got really confusing at times. I hate that historic events such like the Gleiwitz incident & Kristallnacht AKA Night of Broken Glass weren't shown, but mention off-screen. The whole World War 2 phrase was even worst. It move a little much fast, for my taste. It jump from the invasion of Poland in 1939, to the assassination of Heydrich in 1942, to 1944's July 20th Plot on Adolf Hitler's life, and finally the end of the war. I really disappoint that the whole July 20th Plot sub-plot wasn't given much time. It was play off-screen, and mention in one scene. Honestly, the movie could had more material if they work that, in, more. Honestly, the movie would had work better if it was just about the 1934's Night of the Long Knives, than the whole rise and fall of the SS. I love, the parts when brothers was pit against brother. The whole idea of the Sturmabteilung (SA) Vs the Schutzstaffel (SS) was the best part of the film. For the most part, the movie wasn't that entertaining. It didn't have that much action. Knowing that the movie has a low budget. I really didn't think, they could pull off, the whole World War 2 part of the story and I was mostly right. For history accuracies, the movie was alright for the most part. The movie does have some smart scenes that worth watching on its own. I love the whole discussion about author, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and his depiction of the human condition. Specifically, the work of "Elective Affinities", when they debate on, being the hammer or the anvil. The whole movie had this gloomy look to it, and the bitter ending, kinda left a sour feel to it. For the most part, the movie is pretty predictable and depressing. It didn't help that the movie slipped into the public domain due mainly to lapses in copyright registrations. Due to this, it means that virtually anyone could duplicate and sell a VHS/DVD copy of the film. Therefore, many of the versions of this film available on the market are either badly made or in extremely poor quality, having been duped from second- or third-generation copies of the film. So, the one that I got, was in horrible subservience. It was kinda grainy, dark and full of dirt, at times. It was still watchable, but could had been better. At least, it's not the original DVD version of the film, which cut the entire first half of the film, providing a brief summary in an introduction clip and then began with the invasion of Poland in 1939. That would have suck. The original version of Hitler's SS: Portrait in Evil was released in 1985 on network television and ran either as a single four hour program or as two two-hour installments. Both versions were edited for commercials, so it would be hard to find. The next significant broadcast of the film was on the History Channel during its "Movies in Time" series. That film was run for three hours with significant edits and cutting of several major scenes. Not worth it. Overall: I don't recommended watching, unless you're a history buff. Even with that, it might be hard to watch.