The Man who Crossed Hitler (TV 2011)

In November 1930 brown-shirted storm troopers of Hitler's SA break into the Communist Eden Palace club,killing several members. Jewish lawyer Hans Litten prosecutes them and,at the ... See full summary »

Director:

Justin Hardy

Writer:

Mark Hayhurst

Stars:

Ed Stoppard, Ian Hart, Bill Paterson

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ed Stoppard	...	Hans Litten
Ian Hart	...	Adolf Hitler
Bill Paterson	...	Kurt Ohnesorge
Sarah Smart	...	Margot Fürst
Anton Lesser	...	Rudolf Olden
John Hollingworth	...	Max Fürst
John Hollingworth	...	Max Furst
Ronan Vibert	...	Walther Stennes
Ruth McCabe	...	Irmgard Litten
Will Keen	...	Hans Frank
Robert O'Mahoney	...	Fritz Litten
Alexander Hanson	...	Wilhelm Bruckner (as Alex Hanson)
Terry Byrne	...	Jewish Diner
Chris Patrick-Simpson	...	Brownshirt (as Chris Simpson)
Nigel O'Neill	...	Court Courier

Storyline

In November 1930 brown-shirted storm troopers of Hitler's SA break into the Communist Eden Palace club,killing several members. Jewish lawyer Hans Litten prosecutes them and,at the suggestion of his boss Rudolf Olden,agrees to sub-poena Hitler,who had supposedly renounced violence yet who clearly supported the SA, to discredit him as a popular figure. Against the advice of his assistant Margot Furst Hans prepares his case,even involving Stennes, a rival Nazi to Hitler. At the trial Hans,the practised lawyer,runs rings round Hitler,who is frequently unable to answer his questions. The Brown Shirts are convicted but it is a Pyrrhic victory for two years later Hitler will become chancellor,Hans will be arrested and he will die in Dachau concentration camp.

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Plot Keywords:

trial | abuse | beating

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Genres:

Drama | History

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Details

Official Sites:

BBC [uk]

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 August 2011 (UK)

Also Known As:

Hitler on Trial

Filming Locations:

Belfast, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

BBC Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland Screen, Hardy Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Quotes

[outside court, Hitler has just given a speech to the press; Litten now responds]
Hans Litten: That man says we lack belief, that we fritter away our strength by arguing and quarrelling. Well I am full of belief. It is the arguments and the quarrels I believe in. That is what makes a society. I also believe in a law that sets out the ground-rules for those arguments, with no-one - absolutely no-one - beyond its reach. Law is the process whereby a strong man voluntarily imposes restrictions on himself, bound ...

User Reviews

Moving Movie which gives you an insight into Hitler before he was elected

This film was shown on the BBC recently and I've always been keen on history and specially on why Hitler got to become Chancellor. This is based on a real story and you get an insight into Germany pre-WWII which explains a lot about the man but also the people who followed him. However it will still baffle you. After hearing Hitler's responses in court one could only doubt the intelligence and rationale of this man. Unfortunately we all know what happened next. This is the story of a courageous man who wanted to fight for tolerance and got to subpoenaed Hitler to do so. Quite an impressive feat. The acting is very good, from the judge down to the prosecutor but specially the actor portraying Hitler. Well worth watching. The BBC films never disappoint.