Undergångens arkitektur (1989)

An absorbing and chilling documentary about the National Socialist aesthetic, and how attempts to create the Aryan Ideal caused the extermination of millions. Aspects covered include: ... See full summary »

Director:

Peter Cohen

Writer:

Peter Cohen

Stars:

Rolf Arsenius, Bruno Ganz, Sam Gray

1 win.

Cast

Credited cast:
Rolf Arsenius	...	Narrator (original version) (voice)
Bruno Ganz	...	Narrator (German, subtitled English versions) (voice)
Sam Gray	...	Narrator (dubbed English version)
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Martin Bormann	...	Himself (archive footage)
Karl Brandt	...	Himself (archive footage) (as Dr. Karl Brandt)
Arno Breker	...	Himself (archive footage)
Hermann Giesler	...	Himself (archive footage)
Josef Goebbels	...	Himself (archive footage)
Heinrich Himmler	...	Himself (archive footage)
Adolf Hitler	...	Himself (archive footage)
Wilhelm Keitel	...	Himself (archive footage)
Viktor Lutze	...	Himself (archive footage)
Jeanne Moreau	...	Narrator (French version) (voice)
Alfred Rosenberg	...	Himself (archive footage)
Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt	...	Himself (archive footage)

Storyline

An absorbing and chilling documentary about the National Socialist aesthetic, and how attempts to create the Aryan Ideal caused the extermination of millions. Aspects covered include: Hitler's epiphany while viewing Wagner's opera 'Rienzi', the rise of the homo-erotic Grecian/Nordic ideal, the parallels drawn between the 'degenerate' art of the cubists and dadaists and the mentally ill/physically deformed, the Nazi obsession with purity and cleanliness, and, finally, the descent of the Jewish people to the level of a virus/vermin.

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Plot Keywords:

nazi | jewish | degenerate art | washroom | architecture | 

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Taglines:

Skönhetskult och barbari i Tredje Riket

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Genres:

Documentary | History

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Details

Country:

Sweden

Language:

Swedish

Release Date:

13 October 1989 (Sweden)

Also Known As:

The Architecture of Doom

Box Office

Gross:

SEK 263,545 (Sweden)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Poj Filmproduktion AB, SVT Drama, Sandrews

Technical Specs

Runtime:

119 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

While researching this film in Germany, 'Cohen, Peter' stumbled upon an obscure industrial documentary about various methods of vermin control for factory use. This short, entitled "Kleinkrieg" (or "Little War"), proved invaluable as it was the first to advocate the use of Zyklon-B as an effective means of mass extermination.

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Connections

Features Der ewige Jude (1940)

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Soundtracks

"Requiem (excerpt)"
Music by Hector Berlioz

User Reviews

Very deep, fairly narrow, extremely good.

One of the best documentaries i have ever seen. The disecting of nazism and especially Hitlers various obsession of race, purity, strength, the german people and the ideas and architecture behind it all is nothing but brilliant.

So many excellent photos and films and so well "framed" through the music and the narrator that i cant even begin to describe the feeling you will get from seeing this masterpiece!

Just take my word for it - if you are historically interrested into nazism and its background you have to make time for this one here.