Overrated overlong nazi epic. This was more like a pulp ww2 era paperback than the Critrerion-ish thing I was expecting. It starts off well enough, I particularly like the opening shot of the blast furnace at the steel works. We meet the von essenbecks who are trying to figure out how to run their company in the midst of what are big bold in many ways shocking changes in German society, namely the rise of the Nazis. "Company first" decides Pa, to the chagrin of Herbert, the only one in the family who isn't a lurid one dimensional german stereotype. Here's my issue with this film: The germans made propaganda depicting jews as stereotypes, do two wrongs make a right? Don't get me wrong, I hate the nazis as much as anyone but this is an aryan minstel show. and one that could easily have been about half as long for what they were going for. I'm not a big war / espionage movie guy but Ill say I liked this better than Ice Station Zebra and not as much as The Sand Pebbles. moments in history such as the reichstag fire and the night of the ong knives are depicted, the latter quite bloodily and sordidly. freudian soap opera esque shenangins are at once revolting and laughableon the part of Herr Visconti
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFRZZ2k2iGk
Quote from: lester1/2jr on January 26, 2009, 10:52:24 AM
Overrated overlong nazi epic. This was more like a pulp ww2 era paperback than the Critrerion-ish thing I was expecting. It starts off well enough, I particularly like the opening shot of the blast furnace at the steel works. We meet the von essenbecks who are trying to figure out how to run their company in the midst of what are big bold in many ways shocking changes in German society, namely the rise of the Nazis. "Company first" decides Pa, to the chagrin of Herbert, the only one in the family who isn't a lurid one dimensional german stereotype. Here's my issue with this film: The germans made propaganda depicting jews as stereotypes, do two wrongs make a right? Don't get me wrong, I hate the nazis as much as anyone but this is an aryan minstel show. and one that could easily have been about half as long for what they were going for. I'm not a big war / espionage movie guy but Ill say I liked this better than Ice Station Zebra and not as much as The Sand Pebbles. moments in history such as the reichstag fire and the night of the ong knives are depicted, the latter quite bloodily and sordidly. freudian soap opera esque shenangins are at once revolting and laughableon the part of Herr Visconti
Well, Lester, at this late date I respond because I don't think I could agree with you more: I liked this better than
Ice Station Zebra and not as much as
The Sand Pebbles. I am a huge fan of a few of
LUCHINO VISCONTI's films, but not this one.
LA CADUTA DEGLI DEI
I'm not all that knowledgable about this genre so that is reassuring. I've read good things about his other films