Final Account
A depiction of the last living generation of German participants in Adolf Hitler’s Third Reich.
- Released: 2021-05-21
- Runtime: 94 minutes
- Genre: Documentaries
- Stars:
- Director: Luke Holland
Comments
- evilwillhunting-633-904681 - 8 March 2022
Haunting, very much a different kind of documentary
World War II was one of the most impactful wars in history, and as such, there have been countless documentaries about the leadup, the war itself, and the fallout.
But this one is different: it tracks down people who were alive and involved in pre-war Germany around Kristallnacht and asks them how they felt about the times and how they feel about those times now.
One would instantly expect they would all express remorse that they were led astray by a deceitful demagogue, that it was horrible and evil in retrospect. And to be sure, some of them do. But a surprising number of them do not.
None of those outright say the Holocaust was a GOOD thing, but they are evasive: they keep claiming that they had no idea it was going on. While they wax nostalgic about the excitement of being part of Nazism, which they saw as a nationwide movement that empowered their nation, they also often make asides showing their bigotry towards Jews is still very much alive 70 years later. While few of them saw the war as a happy memory, almost all of them see the pre-war Germany as a golden age and Hitler as a fine leader. It's disturbing.
The teens and young adults involved WWII will not be around much longer. That is why it is important to capture these kind of interviews to show that not only did the Holocaust happen, but the complicity with it was as well. - donaldricco - 26 August 2021
"Most dangerous are the common men,..."
"Monsters exist, but they are too few in number to be truly dangerous. More dangerous are the common men, the functionaries ready to believe and to act without asking questions." Primo Levi
This film is so difficult to watch, but so very important. The interviewees are senior citizens that were German citizens, soldiers, and other workers during the Nazi regime that murdered nearly 7 million Jewish people. Their responses and opinions are eye opening, and in many cases, difficult to hear. Quite a bit of deflecting responsibility and using hyperbole and other rationalizations for what happened, and what was allowed to happen. And a few actually recognize their responsibilities for their role in the events that were perpetuated. Others still have pride in their roles, claim that things aren't as bad as reported, and in one case, still claim allegiance to Hitler and the SS. It makes for gut wrenching viewing. Especially the images at the end. The terrible horror of it all...
