Rent Hindenburg: The Last Flight (2013)
2.9 of 5 from 54 ratings
3h 0min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
An awe-inspiring airship...a murderous conspiracy...and a devastating catastrophe. Frankfurt, May 1937. The Hindenburg, the world's largest airship, is getting ready to fly to New York. A vehicle of staggering dimensions, it is the pride of Nazi Germany. However it has one serious flaw: due to an American embargo preventing the sale of helium to Germany, the Hindenburg is filled with highly combustible hydrogen gas instead. To Merten Kroger (Maximilian Simonischek), an engineer who helped design the Hindenburg, the snip is a stick of dynamite waiting for a spark. The young man of great charm but modest means has fallen in love with the wealthy Jennifer van Zandt (Lauren Lee Smith), the daughter of an American industrialist who wants to sell helium to the Germans. Just before the ship takes off, Merten learns how far the industrialist will go: he has had a bomb placed on the airship. What van Zandt didn't know is that his wife and daughter would be amongst the passengers on board the Hindenburg. Merten manages to sneak aboard the fated airship without a minute to spare. No one will initially believe his story about the bomb and there are forces onboard who will try to stop him at any cost. There begins a race-against-time to search and find the hidden bomb - a search for the needle in a haystack. Awaiting on the arrival of the airship are festive crowds, photographers and radio reporters, as the Hindenburg majestically approaches Lakehurst airdrome...to witness what will become one of the world's greatest disasters sending shock waves that would impact on the world. - Actors:
- Hannes Jaenicke, Maximilian Simonischek, Lauren Lee Smith, Stacy Keach, Greta Scacchi, Hinnerk Schönemann, Justus von Dohnányi, Christiane Paul, Pierre Besson, Alicia von Rittberg, Marvin Bockers, Wotan Wilke Möhring, Sönke Möhring, Heiner Lauterbach, Michael Schenk, Megan Gay, Ulrich Noethen, Jürgen Schornagel, Martin Armknecht, Robert Seeliger
- Directors:
- Philipp Kadelbach
- Producers:
- Nico Hofmann, Sascha Mürl, Jürgen Schuster, Sascha Schwingel
- Writers:
- Johannes W. Betz, Philip Lazebnik, Martin Pristl
- Aka:
- Hindenburg
- Studio:
- IMC Vision
- Genres:
- TV Action & Adventure, TV Dramas, TV Thrillers
- Countries:
- Germany
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Reviews (2) of Hindenburg: The Last Flight
Watchable - Hindenburg: The Last Flight review by SB
The cause of the fire which engulfed the Hindenberg upon its arrival in the US in 1936 has never been properly established. This film (which, irritatingly for something 3 hours long, is on two DVDS rather than a single double-sided disk) quite cleverly overlays onto the basic story a fictional account of a political plot which provides a reason why the explosion could have occurred. It also manages to cram in action thriller, romance, persecution of the Jews and so on. The production design, costumes etc are quite well done in a consistent dark palette, and you can really believe that you are on board the vast airship. The acting is somewhat variable, with Stacy Keach dialling in a performance as the grizzled tycoon paterfamilias and Maximilian Simonischek smouldering rather than acting as the male hero. Great Scacchi plays the irritating mother well; she is very irritating. Lauren Lee Smith makes a winning and dynamic heroine, and a young Alicia von Rittberg is a convincing frightened and puzzled Jewish girl caught up in a world she does not understand.
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Watchable Alternative Reality 3 hour German TV drama on 2 DVDs - sadly no subtitles option! - Hindenburg: The Last Flight review by PV
This was directed by the same guy who did the BRILLIANT TV miniseries GENERATION WAR also from 2013 which is THE best German war film/series I have ever seen. Original German, subtitles, as it should be too.
I hate dubbing into English - most Brits do. I suppose the production decision was made to appeal to US TV channels. But, personally, I hate it. No option for subtitles and original German, WHY? There's enough expense spent on the cast, settings, numerous stuntmen and CGI artists for all the special effects, How much would subs cost? Pennies! Much cheaper than dubbing for a start.
So that gripe over, is it good? Well it is passable, and the story constructs a dastardly bomb plot around a real airship disaster (search online for real footage and that for the British RH101 which also burst into flames after crashing into the ground). The loss of 48 lives was more than the 36 killed in the much better-known Hindenburg disaster of 1937, though fewer than the 52 killed in the French military Dixmude in 1923 and the 73 killed when the USS Akron crashed in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of New Jersey in 1933. THIS is why we do not travel bu airship today!!!
There is a 1975 HINDENBURG film which I have enjoyed on TV (despise lacklustre reviews).
Not sure why this needs 2 DVDs with a 90 minute half of a 3 hour drama on each. Could all fit on one DVD, surely?
3 stars. Worth watching anyway and special effects impress - the Nazi-ere atmosphere is done well too.
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