Führer und Verführer
Currently available on Amazon Prime, this 2024 historical drama begins with a warning and disclaimer as the view is from the Nazi perspective after thorough research. These comments are in English on the Amazon version.…
Aimée & Jaguar
This war drama/romance takes place in Berlin, late in World War II and is based on a true story. The two main characters are Lilly Wust (AKA Aimée) and Felice Schragenheim (Jaguar). Lilly is a…
Trautmann
Rated 12 and up in Germany, this 2018 war drama is a UK/Germany production and as such the language does not always match the lips when played in German. (They opted to dub the English…
Mein Führer
This 2007 is a drama comedy of WWII and is currently available on Netflix. The premise pulls a Jewish acting professor from a concentration camp in order to help Hitler’s image in the later years.…
Das Wunder von Bern
This 2003 Sönke Wortmann and Rochus Hahn film is already a staple in many German classrooms. Teachers cite the slow pace and focus on soccer and family as top reasons to show this in class.…
Kästner und der kleine Dienstag
This 2016 historical drama is currently available on Amazon. Kästner is played by Florian David Fitz, who we’ve seen and discussed already. Among the cast is also Katharina Lorenz, who we may recognize from her…
Frau im Mond
This 1929 Fritz Lang film, written by his then-wife Thea von Harbou, was banned by the Nazis in 1937 due to a prop – the film shows in detail the first working rocket, and the…
Duell der Brüder – Die Geschichte von Adidas und Puma
This 2016 Docu-Drama tells the story of two brothers, Adi and Rudi Dassler, whose brotherly relationship deteriorated in such a way that resulted in the formation of two popular athletic shoe companies. Adi is played…
Die Unsichtbaren
This 2017 historical drama focuses on the Jews still living in Germany in 1943, when Goebbels declared German “Jew-free.” This is based on 4 true stories, and the young people who survived this time were…
Die Macht der Bilder: Leni Riefenstahl
This 1993 documentary covers the life of Leni Riefenstahl, detailing not only her involvement in the propaganda of WWII, but also attempts to understand her as an artist without the bias of history. It is…
Steiner – Das eiserne Kreuz, 2. Teil
Although this 1979 film is originally in German, English, and French, carries an original German title, was produced in West Germany, and stars several German speaking actors, it is obvious with the dubbing quality that…
Judgement at Nuremberg
This 1961 U.S. film covers the trials of the war crimes of WWII. This film is originally in English. The German dubbing is – shall we say tolerable, especially given the release year. Featuring Spencer…
Der Untergang
This 2004 film starring Bruno Ganz shows the final days of Hitler as reported by his last secretary. It is important to remember the 1955 film, Der letzte Akt, which also used Traudl Junge as…
Berlin ‘48
This documentary shows Germany in the post-war era, especially focusing on the Berlin Airlift. This particular documentary was originally in English and the titles and other written information are not translated into German. I’m writing…
Das Boot
The story of life in an U-Boot during the war, this 1981 film explores the psyche and trials of the men serving their country under the sea. Giving a different view of the war from…
Die Fälscher
Based on Operation Bernhard, this 2007 war film with August Diehl and Karl Markovichs is the story of a Jewish man whose skills in counterfeiting become well known among the Nazis. This film shows various…
Nirgendwo in Afrika
Released in 2001, this film centers around a Jewish family that must leave 1930s Germany, settling in Kenya. Interestingly, the actress who plays Jettel, Juliane Köhler, also played Eva Braun in Der Untergang. Her husband…
Lore
This 2012 WWII film focuses on the survival of children and the struggles they must go through to make it happen. The truths of the war are slowly becoming clear to them as they travel.…
In Tranzit
This 2008 movie was filmed in English in Russia. It was released directly to DVD, and considerably earlier in Russia than anywhere else. The film takes place in 1946 and follows German prisoners of war…
Der neunte Tag
This 2004 war film, somewhat based on a wartime diary, follows a priest into Dachau and for nine days of freedom in his home country of Luxembourg. Our priest is played by Ulrich Matthes, who…
Amen.
This international collaboration was originally filmed in English, French, Italian, and German. It appears to play automatically in the originally filmed languages, switching from German to English with no other reason beyond the actors’ languages…
Die Weiße Rose
This 1982 film is the same story as the more modern Sophie Scholl – the story of the student resistance group, the White Rose, and specifically Sophie Scholl. This film, while based on the true…
In the Presence of Mine Enemies
This 1997 TV Movie takes place in 1942 in the ghetto in Warsaw. German actor Armin Mueller-Stahl joins an international cast (Americans, Canadians, Romanians…) in this US production, which is rated PG-13. This is a…
Mein bester Feind
This 2011 film is a dark comedy war film, starring Moritz Bleibtreu and Georg Friedrich. It wasn’t released in the US until 2013. In this film, a Jewish man switches places with his Nazi best…
Lili Marleen
This 1981 film, directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder, is a West German production, but several of the actors are speaking other languages and then are dubbed into German, which may be distracting for some viewers.…
Sophie Scholl – den letzten Tagen
This 2005 film is based on the true story of Sophie Scholl, an anti-Nazi activist during WWII. She was a member of the resistance group the White Rose. This film is based on a collection…
Die Brücke
This film was originally released in 1959 and was nominated for Golden Globes and Oscars in 1960. The year: 1945. The final days of the war, and only the youth are left to fight. The…
Der letzte Akt
This 1955 film, known in English as The Last Ten Days, begins with a note saying it is about a part of history that must not be allowed to happen again. I recognized the actor…