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I've always
been fascinated by history, especially the
subject of Hitler and the Nazis. Now, let
me make it clear that my interest isn’t
that of a neo-Nazi bent on world domination
(I'm leaving that to our current administration),
but only that of someone who has a hard
time understanding how these idiots gained
so much power, destroyed so any lives, and
still have followers to this day.
Generally, anytime I have the opportunity
to see documentaries that include original
film footage I jump at the chance. (Can
you guess that I love the History Channel?)
So when I read about an upcoming DVD release
for a documentary feature called The Goebbels
Experiment, I knew immediately I was going
to have to set aside some time to watch
it. Clocking in at a little under 2 hours,
The Goebbels Experiment utilizes the talents
of actor Kenneth Branagh, who takes on the
persona of Hitler's right hand man as he
reads from his personal diaries. His readings
are played over an amazing collection of
archival footage.
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What makes this particular documentary so fascinating
is that the creators chose to leave out any kind
of commentary, which would only serve to deliver
their own opinions, and instead uses his diaries
to let Goebbels speak for himself. The original
diaries were written between 1924 and 1945 and
offer an intriguing look at a man who was clearly
as insane as he was intelligent… a dangerous
combination to be sure.
Because of it format The Goebbels Experiment also
gives us a perspective of the rise and fall of
the Third Reich that is unlike any I had ever
seen before. Being that there was extensive film
footage available for many of the topics that
Goebbels mentions in his diaries, we not only
see these events as they unfold, but hear first
hand the thoughts and feelings he experienced
through and about them. And again, it is not from
some historian's translation, but from the man
himself.
But as good as it is, there is still a little
something missing. As I mentioned, the documentary
is only a little under 2 hours. It feels like
there is so much more left unsaid. We get bits
and pieces, many of them to be sure, but they
only cover a short span of time. A subject this
all-encompassing might have been served better
by making it a multi-part series. It would have
allowed the filmmakers to go back further and
perhaps include many more passages. I for one
would have been compelled to watch it in its entirety
if it were ever produced in this format. I'm sure
that the filmmakers were hampered by budget, so
it is a minor nitpick.
It is also interesting to note while watching
this, that the art of political 'spin' and the
power of propaganda were not products of that
era alone. I could actually point out many of
the styles of propaganda used by the Nazis that
are eerily reflective of the styles used by our
own government today. It actually helps to clear
up some of my misunderstandings of how the Nazis
came into power to see how some of the same tactics
actually work now. People are just too easily
snowed, and in spite of the current wave of technology,
we unfortunately haven't gotten any smarter. The
wider spread the dissemination of information
is nowadays just means more people can be fooled.
The Goebbels Experiment is a must watch for any
fan of insightful historical documentaries.
Directed by: Lutz Hachmeister & Michael Kloft
Starring (the voice of): Kenneth Branagh
Extras: Film notes, Filmmaker biographies, World
War II film collection preview
Specifications: Black & White
Studio: First Run Features
Release Date: 5/23/2006
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
Website
We'll give The Goebbels Experiment a B.
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