Hitler's S.S.: Portrait in Evil (1985)

The story of Helmut and Karl Hoffmann. Both come of age at the start of Hitler's power in Germany. Helmut joins the SS and eventually becomes a successful flag rank officer. Karl joins the ... See full summary »

Director:

Jim Goddard

Writer:

Lukas Heller

Stars:

John Shea, Bill Nighy, Lucy Gutteridge

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
John Shea	...	Karl Hoffmann
Bill Nighy	...	Helmut Hoffmann
Lucy Gutteridge	...	Mitzi Templer (nightclub singer)
David Warner	...	Reinhard Heydrich
Warren Clarke	...	Becker (SS assistant to Dietrich)
Michael Elphick	...	Ernst Röhm (SA Chief)
Stratford Johns	...	Uncle Walter (bartender)
Robert Urquhart	...	Albrecht Hoffman
José Ferrer	...	Prof. Ludwig Rosenberg
Carroll Baker	...	Gerda Hoffman
Tony Randall	...	Putzi (The Comedian)
John Normington	...	Heinrich Himmler
Derek Newark	...	Theodor Eicke
Paul Brooke	...	Gen. Josef Biegler, SA
Colin Jeavons	...	Adolf Hitler

Storyline

The story of Helmut and Karl Hoffmann. Both come of age at the start of Hitler's power in Germany. Helmut joins the SS and eventually becomes a successful flag rank officer. Karl joins the SA and experiences the darker side of Nazism after the SA is disbanded and Karl is thrown into prison and later conscripted into the German army. Brother is pitted against brother until their relationship, and the Third Reich, stands in ruins

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Plot Keywords:

brother | third reich | hitler | ss | nazis | 

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Taglines:

Brother is pitted against brother under the shadow of the Third Reich.

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Genres:

Drama | War

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 February 1985 (USA)

Also Known As:

Hitler SS: El retrato del mal

Filming Locations:

Germany

Company Credits

Production Co:

Edgar J. Scherick Associates,Metromedia Producers Corporation (MPC)

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

David Warner reprised his role of SS-Obergruppenführer Reinhard Heydrich, whom he previously portrayed in Holocaust (1978).

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Goofs

In early 1933, Helmut Hoffman is shown in Munich waiting for a train to Berlin, in order to take up his new job under Reinhard Heydrich and the SS. Heydrich, however, did not have an office in Berlin until April of 1934, after the SS had gained control of the Gestapo, and in 1933 he was still working out of the Nazi Party headquarters in Munich.

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Quotes

Helmutt Hoffmann: [Upon meeting Reinhard Heydrich] Who's that bizarre character?

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Alternate Versions

In the version of the film shown on the History Channel's "Movies in Time" series, about 30-45 minutes of dialogue is cut from various scenes and conversations. This was necessary to have the running time under three and a half hours to allow for the Movies in Time commentary and interviews at the beginning and end of the feature.

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Soundtracks

Wenn die Soldaten,
sung on train to the Night of the Long Knives

User Reviews

an excellent,absorbing and historical movie

Must be one of the most underrated British movies for decades.It charts the rise to power of the SS from 1931 up to its downfall in Berlin in 1945.The only historically wrong scene of any consequence was the assassination of Heydrich.It shows him to be attacked in the country on the way in to Prague,when in fact the killing took place in the centre of Prague,more or less.Other than that it is well documented and absorbing to watch.John Shea, Michael Elphick were both excellent in the roles they played.I recommend anyone with a passing interest in the SS or the last war to certainly watch this movie.It was a pleasure to see a war movie that did not depict the Americans winning it and showed the German side all the way through,with only a fleeting glimpse of two allied soldiers.I would say it was 70% political war and 30% wartime relationships.Super stuff.