Rent Goebbels and the Führer (2024)

Watchable WellMade German Biopic on PR Pioneer Goebbels which Weaves Archive WWII Footage with Drama - Goebbels and the Führer review by PV

This is a Slovak-made movie which weaves drama with documentary - real footage from 1930s and 1940s, various stages of WWII of which much, but not all, is familiar to me.

The bar was set high with DOWNFALL (2004) - a classic German film which should have won the Best Foreign language Oscar. That is a must-watch. 5 stars all day long.

This is a decent addition, especially with the archive footage of the time.

Especially interesting is the focus on German public opinion - anti-war at fist which PR pioneer Goebbels (a failed playwright as Hitler was a failed artist) managed to bring round with very clever use of radio and film. After the German defeat at Stalingrad early 1943, Adolf H hardly ever spoke to his people again - it was Goebbels who became the voice of the Third Reich.

A great scene here with Hitler and Magda Goebbels having lunch - and Adolf nagging her about her smoking and meat-eating, Teetotal vegetarian Adolf Hitler was virtue-signalling before the word was invented. Nice to hear Magda's older son mentioned - her first marriage was to owner of BMA Herr Quandt. Most German industry tainted with Nazi connections, all the big brands, and US car company Ford - Henry decided in 1930s to base his European Ford factories in Germany NOT the UK and, almost unbelievably, in the late 60s Ford got millions in compensation for Allied bombing in WWII.

So, despite some flaws I enjoyed and appreciated this addition to the Nazi/WWII film club. The movie may be of less interest to those not much interested in WWII.

It is in German, but with English writing on screen before and after the film. It is actually a prefect educational aid - to show to students Year 9 and up, or older. Kids will experience subttitles for the first time maybe too so that;d be a good learning curve to conquer.

4 stars