Conspiracy (TV 2001)

A dramatic recreation of the Wannsee Conference where the Nazi Final Solution phase of the Holocaust was devised.

Director:

Frank Pierson

Writer:

Loring Mandel

Stars:

Kenneth Branagh, Clare Bullus, Stanley Tucci

Won 1 Golden Globe. Another 6 wins & 17 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kenneth Branagh	...	Reinhard Heydrich
Clare Bullus	...	Maid (as Claire Bullus)
Stanley Tucci	...	Adolf Eichmann
Simon Markey	...	Stenographer
David Glover	...	Supervising Butler
David Willoughby	...	Orderly #1
Tom Hiddleston	...	Phone Operator
David Spinx	...	Cook
Dirk Martens	...	NCO
Barnaby Kay	...	Rudolf Lange
Peter Sullivan	...	SS.Col. Eberhard 'Karl' Schöngarth
Ben Daniels	...	Dr. Joseph Bühler
Andreas Günther	...	NCO2 (as Andreas Guenther)
Ewan Stewart	...	Dr. Georg Leibbrandt
Brian Pettifer	...	Dr. Alfred Meyer

Storyline

The historical recreation of the 1942 Wannsee Conference, in which Nazi and SS leaders gathered in a Berlin suburb to discuss the "Final Solution to the Jewish Question". Lead by SS-General Reinhard Heydrich, this group of high ranking German officials came to the historic and far reaching decision that the Jews of Europe were to be exterminated in what would come to be known as the Holocaust.

---

Plot Keywords:

nazi | conference | holocaust | final solution | jew | 

---

Taglines:

One Meeting. Six Million Lives.

---

Genres:

Drama | History | War

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language

Details

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English German

Release Date:

19 May 2001 (USA)

Also Known As:

Conspiration

Filming Locations:

Berlin, Germany

Company Credits

Production Co:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Home Box Office (HBO)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The opening and closing of the film have Heydrich flying to and from the Wannsee Conference, which took place on January 20, 1942. However, Heydrich was officially grounded by Heinrich Himmler after he was shot down by Russian anti-aircraft in late 1941.

---

Goofs

As Heydrich's staff car approaches the Wannsee mansion, a National Identifier plate can clearly be seen, on a holder on the back bumper (showing a 'D' for Deutschland). The country of registration identifier plate (known as the Distinguishing Sign of Vehicle in International Traffic) was introduced by the United Nations in 1949, seven years after the events of the film. In the very next shot the oval holder for the national identifier is still on the bumper, but the D plate itself has disappeared.

---

Quotes

Heydrich: [the meeting is near a close, and Heydrich is listening to everyone's decision] Do we have any disputes left to face here either with my authority or with that we have agreed? General?
Müller: Let us astonish Charles Darwin.
Klopfer: [raises glass] I second the motion. It is our most important war.
Heydrich: Sir?
Kritzinger: We are discussing the inevitable and bringing it about in the most practical way under one command. I have no dispute with that, I understand the realities. And indeed, count on my support.
Hofmann: With the understanding ...
[...]

---

Connections

Version of The Final Solution: The Wannsee Conference (1984)

---

Soundtracks

"Adagio from 'String Quintet in C Major', D. 956, op. post. 163"
Composed by Franz Schubert
Performed by Ensemble Villa

User Reviews

One of the best WWII movies ever (and there is not a single gunshot!)--9/10

Conspiracy debuted on HBO in 2001 and centers on the infamous Wannsee conference, where fifteen high-ranking officials of Nazi Germany government and military devised the final solution of the Jewish problem in Europe. The meeting took place in a beautiful house in rural Germany, where food and wine were served, and ideas were born.

This film is the best World War II era film i have ever seen, and one of the best movies i have seen, period. The cast is mostly unknown, but out-act any all-star cast Hollywood has ever produced. Kenneth Branaugh delivers an excellent performance as Heydrich, the head of the table at the meeting. He threatens people with a smile on his face, and barely bats an eye while speaking of killing thousands of people. Stanley Tucci is also great as the party-planner Eichmann, who set up the entire meeting, from the venue to the food to the topics. The way he counts the number of Jews that can be exterminated in a a given period of time is downright creepy. The cast also includes great turns by Colin Firth, a lawyer and professor who thinks the systematic slaughter of the Jews is bad for Germany's future, and Ian McNiece, who plays a hateful and witty official.

The dialogue is smart, funny, and chilling, and contains some jabs at all sides of the biggest war in Earth's history. This is a great movie to show in a history class, before watching a bunch of war movies, or if you just have an interest in the war. It teaches a lot more about the time than Saving Private Ryan (great movie too, but really one-sided), and features the best acting this side of the Godfather.---9/10