I accuse (1941)
"Ich klage an" (original title)

In this morbid Nazi sanctioned pro-euthanasia melodrama, a successful doctor is forced to make a heart wrenching decision after his beautiful young wife is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.

Director:

Wolfgang Liebeneiner

Writers:

Eberhard Frowein, Wolfgang Liebeneiner,

Stars:

Heidemarie Hatheyer, Paul Hartmann, Mathias Wieman

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Heidemarie Hatheyer	...	Hanna Heyt
Paul Hartmann	...	Professor Thomas Heyt
Mathias Wieman	...	Dr. Bernhard Lang
Margarete Haagen	...	Berta
Charlotte Thiele	...	Dr. Barbara Burckhardt
Christian Kayßler	...	Landgerichtsdirektor Kriebelmeyer (as Christian Kayssler)
Harald Paulsen	...	Eduard Stretter
Albert Florath	...	Professor Schlüter
Ilse Fürstenberg
Karin Evans	...	Erna Balg
Hans Nielsen	...	Dr. Höfer
Franz Schafheitlin	...	Rechtsanwalt Straten
Erich Ponto	...	Professor Werther
Otto Graf	...	Staatsanwalt Engel
Werner Pledath	...	Pastor Gömer

Storyline

In this morbid Nazi sanctioned pro-euthanasia melodrama, a successful doctor is forced to make a heart wrenching decision after his beautiful young wife is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.

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Plot Keywords:

propaganda | murder | doctor | trial | euthanasia | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

Germany

Language:

German

Release Date:

29 August 1941 (Germany)

Also Known As:

I accuse

Company Credits

Production Co:

Tobis Filmkunst

Technical Specs

Runtime:

125 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Some of the cast and crew of this film would later face accusations of Crimes Against Humanity at Nuremberg Trials for contributing to the Nazi Action T-4 euthanasia program.

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Quotes

Hanna Heyt: [after willingly drinking an overdose of sleeping pills offered by her husband] Is this death?
Professor Thomas Heyt: This is death, Hanna.
Hanna Heyt: I love you, Thomas...

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Connections

Version of Murder or Mercy (1974)

User Reviews

On the issue of euthanasia

This film is a premier example of what a dangerous weapon the cinematic arts can be. _Ich klage an_ was a propaganda piece, carefully constructed by the Nazis, to persuade the viewing public how reasonable it would be for euthanasia to be first legalized and then state run. The sentimentality with which the relationship between the husband and his terminally ill wife is portrayed is brilliant. The debate in the jury room (the debate is over the euthanizing of the wife and the guilt of her murderer) is indeed one of the shrewdest pieces of propaganda in cinematic history. Germans in the Nazi period had great sympathy for the film and with few exceptions accepted the reasonableness of its arguments about "quality of life". We know where that led. If dead Nazis could vote on IMDb, they'd give _Ich klage an_ nines and tens for sure. Never again, dear friends, never again.