Hôtel Terminus: The Life and Times of Klaus Barbie

This Oscar winning documentary tells the story of Klaus Barbie through many interviews, some very emotional, a few level headed (which carry just as much weight simply by being factual). At a running time of about 4,5 hours this is not only a massive undertaking in itself, but also quite challenging to sit through. Obviously, this is not easy viewing.

The name Barbie itself does not necessarily spring to mind right away when one considers the biggest names in the Nazi organisation. It is telling, that a man known as the Butcher of Lyon easily faded from public memory.

I believe the first time I came across that name when he was the punchline of a joke in the film Rat Race (the Barbie museum turning out something very different than the family expected), which is astounding, really. Especially for someone who grew up in a country that used to be part of the German Reich. Barbie was simply never much of a topic. This was probably in part of his involvement (and protection that comes with that) with the US government.

As this was made during a time when documentaries did not have the aspirations of entertaining people, it may feel a little dated today. Documentaries have for the longest time been made for the sake of information. Sensationalism and bite sized conversation bits are a rather recent developments, I believe. So, sadly, however interesting and important, this will probably remain little seen.

Well worth it, though.

7/10

The Twilight Zone: Deaths-Head Revisited

One Mr. 'Schmidt' (formerly an SS officer operating under the name Lutze) revisits the town of Dachau and the remains of one of the most infamous concentration camps. He goes through all the buildings, regarding everything with a happy sense of nostalgia.

What he does not expect is to meet the prisoners that have died there some 17 years earlier. The first of these is named Becker and Lutze assumes that he is a sort of caretaker of the site. Only briefly he wonders why the man hasn't changed since they last met.

It's the sound of what seems to be the wind that makes him nervous and he cannot seem to open the door again. Becker then informs him that he has to stand trial for crimes against humanity, the court entirely made up of the former inmates of 'Compound 6' of the camp Dachau. The verdict, of course, can only be 'guilty' and his punishment is insanity.

6/10

Amen. aka Der Stellvertreter

The film Amen. is about an officer of the SS, aided by a priest, trying to alert the catholic church, opposing nations, anyone of the atrocities commited on the Jews in WWII Germany. It is based on true events, although the accuracy of the portrayal of the catholic church is under some scrutiny.

The film does spare out the actual gassing of Jews and is generelly very sparse on grisly imagery. Instead, it shows German military officials, well off people and religious figures having lavish meals as well as hurried meetings.

The cast is from across Europe, heavy on the German side (and it is always strange to hear Germans talking to other Germans in heavily accented English). The SS officer is played by Ulrich Tukur (wonderfully so) and the priest is portrayed by Mathieu Kassovitz (handsome, so handsome). The evil side is represented by the late, and always brilliant, Ulrich Mühe.

The most impressive images, for me anyway, are shots of trains going through scenery with empty cattle cars, followed by closed - and supposedly full - cars a few minutes later. This is repeated throughout the whole film to represent the incomprehensible numbers of people being transported to the concentration camps and - for most - to their deaths.

6/10

Voyage of the Damned

I have been giving you the impression that all I watch are crappy horror films, haven't I?

Well, I don't. I give you Voyage of the Damned.

This is a wonderfully made, very dense two-and-a-half drama starring, well, everyone. You have Faye Dunaway, Oskar Werner, Malcolm McDowell, Max von Sydow, Maria Schell, Ben Gazzara, James Mason, and - in a minor role - Orson Fucking Welles.

The story is based on an actual (very lavish) journey of the SS St. Louis that carried more than 900 Jewish passengers to Cuba, visas and all, where they were hoping to escape the terror of the Nazis and WW II. When arriving at Havana, they were suddenly refused entry - seemingly on the president's whim. After hovering a few hundred feet off shore, the ship was instructed to leave and the passengers were subsequently also refused entry to the US and started to return towards Germany.

During what appeared to be a happy ending, a handful of other European countries agreed to take the refugees in. The sad truth of the individual stories were given in one of the classic "what happened to ---- after the film ended" we learned of a few survival stories. Ultimately, about 600 of them didn't make it through WW II.

Sad, so sad.

8/10