Films about Germany and the Nazi regime are a significant part of cinematic history. These films explore various aspects of the Nazi era, including the rise of Adolf Hitler, World War II, the Holocaust, and the aftermath of the war. They shed light on the atrocities committed during this dark period and offer a deeper understanding of the impact it had on both Germany and the world.
Here is a list of existing films about Germany and the Nazi regime, along with a brief description of each:
“Schindler's List”, 1993
Director: Steven Spielberg
Directed by Steven Spielberg, this powerful and emotional film tells the true story of Oskar Schindler, a German businessman who saves the lives of over a thousand Jewish refugees during the Holocaust.
Starring: Liam Neeson, Ben Kingsley, Ralph Fiennes, Caroline Goodall, Embeth Davidtz, Jonathan Sagall, Malgoscha Gebel, Shmuel Levy, Mark Ivanir, Béatrice Macola, Andrzej Seweryn, Friedrich von Thun, Krzysztof Luft, Harry Nehring, Norbert Weisser, Adi Nitzan, Michael Schneider, Miri Fabian, Anna Mucha, Albert Misak, Michael Gordon, Aldona Grochal, Jacek Wójcicki, Beata Paluch, Piotr Polk, Ezra Dagan, Beata Deskur, Rami Heuberger, Leopold Kozlowski, Jerzy Nowak, Uri Avrahami, Adam Siemion, Magdalena Dandourian, Pawel Delag, Shabtai Konorti, Oliwia Dabrowska, Henryk Bista, Tadeusz Bradecki, Wojciech Klata, Elina Löwensohn, Ewa Kolasinska, Bettina Kupfer, Grzegorz Kwas, Vili Matula, Stanislaw Koczanowicz, Hans-Jörg Assmann, Geno Lechner, August Schmölzer, Ludger Pistor, Beata Rybotycka;
Production year: 1993;
Genre: drama, biography, history, war;
MPAA rating: r;
Duration: 195 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 9;
More information about the film “Schindler's List” on the website imdb.com
“The Pianist”, 2002
Director: Roman Polanski
Directed by Roman Polanski, this film is based on the memoirs of Władysław Szpilman, a Polish-Jewish pianist who survives the Holocaust in Warsaw by hiding and relying on the kindness of others.
Starring: Adrien Brody, Emilia Fox, Daniel Caltagirone, Ed Stoppard, Maureen Lipman, Frank Finlay, Jessica Kate Meyer, Julia Rayner, Thomas Kretschmann, Michał Żebrowski, Wanja Mues, Richard Ridings, Nomi Sharron, Anthony Milner, Lucy Skeaping, Roddy Skeaping, Ben Harlan, Thomas Lawinky, Joachim Paul Assböck, Roy Smiles, Paul Bradley, Andrzej Blumenfeld, Darian Wawer, Zbigniew Zamachowski, Lejb Fogelman, Detlev von Wangenheim, Popeck, Zofia Czerwinska, Emilio Fernandez, Udo Kroschwald, Uwe Rathsam, Joanna Brodzik, Katarzyna Bargielowska, Maja Ostaszewska, John Bennett, Cyril Shaps, Wojciech Smolarz, Lech Mackiewicz, Ruth Platt, Frank-Michael Köbe, Torsten Flach, Peter Rappenglück, Ronan Vibert, Christoph Pieczynski, Katarzyna Figura, Valentine Pelka, Andrew Tiernan, Tom Strauss, Cezary Kosinski, Grzegorz Artman;
Production year: 2002;
Genre: drama, war, biography, music;
MPAA rating: r;
Duration: 149 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 8,5;
More information about the film “The Pianist” on the website imdb.com
“Downfall”, 2009
Director: Benjamin Rogers
This German film, directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel, depicts the final days of Adolf Hitler in his bunker during the Battle of Berlin. It offers a chilling portrayal of the Nazi leader's deteriorating mental state and the collapse of the Third Reich.
Starring: David Cottingham, Clay Burke, Lisa Baldwin, Mike VanZant, Alicen Abler, Casey Miracle, Shane Smith, Timothy Hull, Chad Perkins;
Production year: 2009;
Genre: short film, drama, crime;
Duration: 8 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 8,5;
More information about the film “Downfall” on the website imdb.com
“Valkyrie”, 2008
Director: Bryan Singer
Directed by Bryan Singer, this film chronicles the failed plot to assassinate Hitler by a group of German officers during World War II. It stars Tom Cruise as Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg, the central figure in the conspiracy.
Starring: Tom Cruise, Kenneth Branagh, Bill Nighy, Tom Wilkinson, Carice van Houten, Thomas Kretschmann, Terence Stamp, Eddie Izzard, Kevin McNally, Christian Berkel, Jamie Parker, David Bamber, Tom Hollander, David Schofield, Kenneth Cranham, Halina Reijn, Werner Daehn, Harvey Friedman, Matthias Schweighöfer, Waldemar Kobus, Florian Panzner, Ian McNeice, Danny Webb, Chris Larkin, Matthew Burton, Philipp von Schulthess, Wotan Wilke Möhring, Christian Oliver, Bernard Hill, Julian Morris, Helmut Stauss, Tim Williams, Alexander Seidel, Timo Huber, Justus Kammerer, Annika Becker, Marie Becker, Katharine Mehrling, Andy Gätjen, Achim Buch, Manfred-Anton Algrang, Matthias Freihof, Gerhard Haase-Hindenberg, Jon Collin Barclay, Matthias Ziesing, Tom Wlaschiha, Carsten Voigt, O'Shea Miles, Anna Holmes, Michael Fritz Schumacher;
Production year: 2008;
Genre: thriller, drama, war, history;
MPAA rating: pg13;
Duration: 121 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 7,1;
More information about the film “Valkyrie” on the website imdb.com
“The Reader”, 2008
Director: Stephen Daldry
This drama, directed by Stephen Daldry, explores the complex relationship between a young man and an older woman who is revealed to have a dark secret related to her actions during the Nazi era.
Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Kate Winslet, David Kross, Bruno Ganz, Burghart Klaußner, Lena Olin, Karoline Herfurth, Hannah Herzsprung, Jeanette Hain, Susanne Lothar, Alissa Wilms, Florian Bartholomäi, Friederike Becht, Matthias Habich, Frieder Venus, Marie-Anne Fliegel, Hendrik Arnst, Rainer Sellien, Torsten Michaelis, Moritz Grove, Joachim Tomaschewsky, Barbara Philipp, Hans Hohlbein, Jürgen Tarrach, Kirsten Block, Vijessna Ferkic, Vanessa Berthold, Benjamin Trinks, Fritz Roth, Jacqueline Macaulay, Volker Bruch, Max Mauff, Ludwig Blochberger, Jonas Jägermeyr, Alexander Kasprik, Sylvester Groth, Fabian Busch, Margarita Broich, Marie Gruber, Lena Lessing, Merelina Kendall, Hildegard Schroedter, Alexandra Maria Lara, Martin Brambach, Michael Schenk, Ava Eusepi-Harris, Nadja Engel, Anne-Kathrin Gummich, Carmen-Maja Antoni, Petra Hartung;
Production year: 2008;
Genre: drama, melodrama, detective;
MPAA rating: r;
Duration: 124 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 7,6;
More information about the film “The Reader” on the website imdb.com
“Inglourious Basterds”, 2009
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Directed by Quentin Tarantino, this alternative history film follows a group of Jewish-American soldiers known as the “Basterds” as they plot to assassinate high-ranking Nazi officials during World War II.
Starring: Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz, Mélanie Laurent, Daniel Brühl, Diane Kruger, Michael Fassbender, August Diehl, Eli Roth, Til Schweiger, Gedeon Burkhard, Jacky Ido, B.J. Novak, Omar Doom, Denis Ménochet, Sylvester Groth, Martin Wuttke, Mike Myers, Julie Dreyfus, Richard Sammel, Alexander Fehling, Rod Taylor, Soenke Möhring, Samm Levine, Paul Rust, Michael Bacall, Arndt Schwering-Sohnrey, Petra Hartung, Volker Zack, Ken Duken, Christian Berkel, Anne-Sophie Franck, Léa Seydoux, Christina Rodriguez, Lena Friedrich, Ludger Pistor, Jana Pallaske, Wolfgang Lindner, Michael Kranz, Rainer Bock, André Penvern, Sebastian Hülk, Buddy Joe Hooker, Carlos Fidel, Christian Brückner, Hilmar Eichhorn, Patrick Elias, Eva Löbau, Salvadore Brandt, Jasper Linnewedel, Wilfried Hochholdinger;
Production year: 2009;
Genre: action, drama, comedy, war;
MPAA rating: r;
Duration: 153 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 8,4;
More information about the film “Inglourious Basterds” on the website imdb.com
“The Counterfeiters”, 1948
Director: Sam Newfield
This Austrian film, directed by Stefan Ruzowitzky, tells the true story of a group of concentration camp prisoners who are forced to counterfeit money for the Nazis and their struggle for survival.
Starring: John Sutton, Doris Merrick, Hugh Beaumont, Lon Chaney Jr., George O'Hanlon, Robert Kent, Herbert Rawlinson, Pierre Watkin, Don C. Harvey, Fred Coby, Joi Lansing, Scott Brady, Fred Aldrich, Budd Buster, Bert Conway, Franklyn Farnum;
Production year: 1948;
Genre: action, crime, film noir, drama, comedy;
Duration: 73 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 5,8;
More information about the film “The Counterfeiters” on the website imdb.com
These films offer different perspectives on the Nazi era, showcasing the resilience of the human spirit, exploring the depths of human depravity, and reminding us of the importance of never forgetting the lessons of history.
In exploring the selection of films about Nazi Germany, it becomes evident that these powerful narratives have the ability to captivate and educate audiences about one of the darkest periods in human history. Through their gripping storytelling and compelling performances, these films shed light on the atrocities committed by the Nazi regime and the resilience of those who fought against it. From thought-provoking dramas to gripping war epics, each film offers a unique perspective on this historical era, urging viewers to reflect on the consequences of hatred, prejudice, and the importance of standing up for what is right. By delving into the complexities of Nazi Germany, these films serve as a reminder of the power of cinema to provoke discussion, promote understanding, and ensure that the lessons of the past are never forgotten.
