Hitler's Hollywood (2017)

Hitler's Hollywood Poster
Original Title: Hitlers Hollywood

Film journalist and critic Rüdiger Suchsland examines German cinema from 1933, when the Nazis came into power, until 1945, when the Third Reich collapsed. (A sequel to From Caligari to Hitler, 2015.)

Summary:
"Hitler's Hollywood" is a well-known documentary that was released in 2017. Directed by Rüdiger Suchsland, the movie explores the world of German movie theater from 1933 to 1945, a duration when Adolf Hitler's Nazi regime controlled the German movie industry. Its main objective is to shed light on the function Nazi cinema played in propagating Hitler's ideologies and goals.

The Narrative:
The movie starts by mentioning 'Triumph of the Will', a popular propaganda film from the Nazi age. Told by Udo Kier, the film traces the Nazi's ingenious use of the movie theater as a tool for methodical propagation of their ideologies and ideals. It provides insightful commentary on numerous movies synonymous with this program, interspersed with incredibly efficient clips from them. It consists of a variety of categories - comedies, musicals, romance movies, and many propaganda movies - all crafted with a single-minded purpose by the routine: to influence and manage the hearts and minds of the German population.

Highlighting the Propaganda Machine:
The documentary suggests that the Nazi Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels, thought about cinema his biggest tool for mass ideological brainwashing. As a result, all these movies, despite genre or material, either directly or indirectly serve to glorify the Nazi routine and its concepts. The film also reveals how these films were used to propagate antisemitism and normalize the idea of a war.

Entertainers and Artists:
"Hitler's Hollywood" gives fore the participation of prominent German movie stars like Hans Albers, Heinz Rühmann, and Zarah Leander, and directors like Veit Harlan and Fritz Hippler in this propaganda machinery. The film explores the ethical and ethical predicaments these characters may have faced - a life of relative success and privilege under the regimented banner of Hitler's Germany, or an unsure fate opposing it.

Questioning Cinema's Power:
Through its critical expedition of the movies produced in the Nazi era, "Hitler's Hollywood" questions the power and responsibility of cinema as a medium of interaction. It explores the ability of movies to produce and perpetuate specific ideas, beliefs, and ideologies, and faces the darker undertones of cinema's role as a tool for mass-manipulation.

The Aesthetic Side of Evil:
One of the striking things the documentary does is to display how technically skilled a lot of these movies were. The Nazi regime had an understanding of the aesthetic power of movie theater and utilized that to enhance their cause. It highlights the ability of the Nazi filmmakers to integrate visual storytelling with their propaganda to hypnotize a whole nation, making them an active individual in their dark vision.

Crucial Approach:
Rüdiger Suchsland's technique to the source is crucial and analytical, and together with Udo Kier's advanced narration, forms a dreadful yet remarkable look in the mirror of Germany's past. The director's mindful selection of movie clips and effective usage of music, along with his informed and informative commentary, make "Hitler's Hollywood" an appealing, albeit troubling, documentary.

Conclusion:
In summary, "Hitler's Hollywood" uses an informative, vital, and thought-provoking look into the Nazi's use of German cinema as a propaganda device. Through its exploration of films produced throughout Hitler's regime, it exposes how movie theater was utilized to control mass belief, revealing a darker side to the power of movie and storytelling.

Top Cast

  • Rüdiger Suchsland (small)
    Rüdiger Suchsland
    Self - Narrator (voice)
  • Hans Henrik Wöhler (small)
    Hans Henrik Wöhler
    Self - Narrator (voice)
  • Rike Schmid (small)
    Rike Schmid
    Self - Narrator (voice)
  • Ingrid Bergman (small)
    Ingrid Bergman
    Self - Actress (archive footage)
  • Adolf Hitler (small)
    Adolf Hitler
    Self - Politician (archive footage)
  • Joseph Goebbels (small)
    Joseph Goebbels
    Self - Politician (archive footage)
  • Leni Riefenstahl (small)
    Leni Riefenstahl
    Self - Filmmaker (archive footage)
  • Brigitte Helm (small)
    Brigitte Helm
    Self - Actress (archive footage)
  • Emil Jannings (small)
    Emil Jannings
    Self - Actor (archive footage)
  • Hans Albers (small)
    Hans Albers
    Various Roles (archive footage)
  • Heinz Rühmann (small)
    Heinz Rühmann
    Various Roles (archive footage)