This television drama has an interesting premise, but unfortunately the execution of it is a little disappointing. Two brothers in pre-WWII Germany are both in military service, but when one gets drafted into the SS, their attitudes change.
While the whole movie obviously has an anti-German sentiment to it, it feels stereotypically American. The more American someone's accent is, the more of a good guy they are. It's no surprise that Bill Nighy was cast as the villainous brother, since he has a definite German look to his features. John Shea, with a very non-Aryan look, is the good brother, whose sentiments are shared with his very American mother, Carroll Baker. José Ferrer, capable of any number of accents, just speaks as an American; his character is a one-dimensional good guy. He plays an old Jewish man who doesn't want to leave Germany, his home, even when harassed by Nazis. The evil head Nazi soldiers are, naturally, David Warner, and others with thick English accents. Apparently, us Yankees aren't over the Revolutionary War yet and still believe British accents represent the enemy.
I wouldn't really recommend this one unless you want to see a young Bill Nighy or if the story really speaks to you. However, there are other stories about two brothers turning against one another during wartime, and you can also just find one of those.
While the whole movie obviously has an anti-German sentiment to it, it feels stereotypically American. The more American someone's accent is, the more of a good guy they are. It's no surprise that Bill Nighy was cast as the villainous brother, since he has a definite German look to his features. John Shea, with a very non-Aryan look, is the good brother, whose sentiments are shared with his very American mother, Carroll Baker. José Ferrer, capable of any number of accents, just speaks as an American; his character is a one-dimensional good guy. He plays an old Jewish man who doesn't want to leave Germany, his home, even when harassed by Nazis. The evil head Nazi soldiers are, naturally, David Warner, and others with thick English accents. Apparently, us Yankees aren't over the Revolutionary War yet and still believe British accents represent the enemy.
I wouldn't really recommend this one unless you want to see a young Bill Nighy or if the story really speaks to you. However, there are other stories about two brothers turning against one another during wartime, and you can also just find one of those.