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Speer and Hitler: The Devil's Architect AKA Speer und er (mini-series)
R2 - United Kingdom - Second Sight Review written by and copyright: Jon Meakin (5th July 2011). |
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The Film
 You may not be aware of Albert Speer. An architect, personal friend of Hitler and a Reich Minister, he was nevertheless not a military man with a notorious reputation that brought his name to the fore. So you might reasonably question if this effectively four part documentary is merely an overlong exaggeration of a minor Nazi, stretching for something new to say. Actually, it transpires that Albert Speer was incredibly important, instrumental even, to Hitler’s plans. For instance, we all know the dreadful story of the Berlin Jews being forced into ghettos, even before the terrible “Kristallnacht”, but this was instigated by Speer’s ambitious plans for the city. They needed room for the German citizens displaced by the construction work and they needed labourers for the stone. And the question this comprehensive and thorough story repeatedly asks through drama, archive footage and interviews with his family is how aware was Speer of the consequences of those decisions or even of Hitler’s true nature? It’s clear that as a Nazi, he shared the absurd vision of the Third Reich (if anything he could realise it better than Hitler) and would have considered Jews a lesser race, but did he know or care what happened to the people following their removal from Berlin? At the Nuremberg trials he successfully argued that despite being made Arms Minister in 1942, Hitler never involved him directly. As the only high-ranking Nazi to show shame, admit he could have found out if he tried and to recant his former associations (he would come to call Hitler a “criminal” and claim he took part in an assassination attempt), he escaped the death penalty and was imprisoned instead. So just who was Speer? Was he the manipulative liar, thirsty for power; or a naïve artist, seduced by an enigmatic and visionary leader? This fascinating DVD thoroughly explores his legacy through three 90 minute instalments, plus an 88 minute epilogue (listed as an extra, but essential viewing to complete the story). Cleverly, it takes the masses of evidence and reverses it, to tell the story from Speer’s perspective without committing to a conclusion, at least for parts 1 to 3. He’s right at the heart of Hitler’s power-base, but we never see military action or the horrors of the camps (at least not until the Nuremberg section). As such, you may feel it sympathises with his claims, as you are effectively inside a bubble, but it’s a fascinating and contradictory view of Hitler, while any typical retrospective attempt to review the evidence would be impossible to follow. At first I wasn’t sure about the decision to dramatise the story and certainly in the first two parts, I wanted to see more of the real, archive footage, but I still quickly warmed to the reconstructions. Sebastian Koch (The Lives of Others) is superb as Speer, giving a measured and reserved performance of a likeable man who may yet turn out to be as twisted as his new best friend, Adolf. Watch the archive footage of Hitler playing with Speer’s young children and you’ll see how tough that role was for Tobias Moretti. Consider the difference between the happy scenes at the mountain retreat and those in the bunker. Those in particular bring comparisons of Moretti with the incredible Bruno Ganz (Downfall), but unlike Ganz, Moretti also has to convince us of the calm, even brilliant, leader who so entranced Speer (and it seems the feeling was mutual). Again because of the restricted atmosphere, Moretti rarely gets to cut loose, but his delivery of authentic dialogue occasionally simmers with menace and you can still understand the evil of the man, despite his playful nature. Part one introduces Speer as the architect, commissioned to design the stage from which Hitler would make his historic speech in 1933. It is his extravagant vision that brings him to the leaders attention and plans are soon underway for a new Berlin. The two men are soon very close friends. The plans for the city have to be abandoned as the war takes its toll, and Speer is made Arms Minister (“you must order me”, he tells Hitler). It ends with the Nazi high command awaiting trial at Nuremberg, which is where part two picks up. How much of Speer’s testimony was fabricated to save his own neck (literally), his revelation of attempting an assassination, or his truthful shock at what was happening in the camps is detailed in the second part, as is his friends trying to gather evidence to help him and his family struggling to keep safe in a Berlin that was becoming a political mess already as the Allies and the Russians take control. The third part is possibly the most interesting one for reconstructions, which surprised me. Speer is now in prison for 20 years, with several other high ranking Nazi’s including Hess. Their playful dialogue (such as arguments between the Navy Minister and the Admiral) run really well and alongside Speer’s illegal letters that would form his memoirs, his flashback memories of conversations with Hitler and his imaginative walk around the world (counting the kilometres around the prison yard), a proper and inventive narrative is formed. It could easily form the basis of a play in its own right. Meanwhile his family struggle to cope, as supported by their interviews. As they grow older, his daughter tries to negotiate his release. Included as an extra on the DVD is an Epilogue. Running almost as long as the other three parts, it is a true epilogue in that it is a traditional documentary, no longer from Speer’s perspective with no reconstructions (except repeats for context) and the interviewers are a more aggressive in their revealing of evidence. It is essential viewing, occasionally moving (Speer’s nephew, Wolf in particular) and brings the story to a proper close. I find it odd that it should be considered a Special Feature! The film flows well, supporting the sometimes limited production of the reconstructions with the archive material, so it never feels over-done. It has an ironic sense of humour, especially in part three (a flashback of Hitler exercising his arm so he can salute for hours during parades!). Add into that clips of the interviews that offer perspective, especially from Speer’s children, and this ambitious piece of work that never loses focus on Speer offers a wide and illuminating perspective on Nazi Germany and Hitler’s motivation. A six hour film can be daunting, so it may only appeal to those already interested, but it’s absolutely worth the effort.
Video
This isn’t a huge production, so there is no exceptional photography to comment on in the reconstructions. It’s a decent anamorphic 1.85:1 presentation, consistent with a TV play. The archive material varies as you would expect, but the transfer is I suspect as good as possible in all those cases. The colour footage of Hitler playing with the Speer children is excellent. The interview segments are the best quality, typical of modern TV journalism. There are only English subtitles and they are selectable.
Audio
The German Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo audio is absolutely fine throughout. As with the video, it varies between sources, but dialogue is very clear (of course, I needed the subtitles, but it can still be appreciated!). Unfortunately, the music is the weakest element of the drama and can be occasionally off-putting.
Extras
The DVD has a typical menu with scene selection, but otherwise the notion of extras is hard to rate. According to the case and menu, the Epilogue, running at 88 minutes, is a Special Feature. Yet I believe it is essential as part of the main presentation, especially as it makes an effort to be more confrontational. There are no features on the production in general, which would have been interesting.
Overall
The idea of a “docu-drama” can be off-putting and open to criticism, but Speer & Hitler is based on a huge amount of evidence and the result is a clever and well produced study of the Nazi regime. A total of six hours means it’s a daunting prospect, but it is thorough, intelligent and occasionally audacious.
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