Conspiracy (2001)

At the Wannsee Conference on January 20, 1942, senior Nazi officials meet to determine the manner in which the so-called "Final Solution to the Jewish Question" can be best implemented.

Director:

Frank Pierson

Writer:

Loring Mandel

Stars:

Kenneth Branagh, Clare Bullus, Stanley Tucci

Won 1 Golden Globe. Another 6 wins & 21 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 Guenther	...	NCO2
Ewan Stewart	...	Dr. Georg Leibbrandt
Brian Pettifer	...	Dr. Alfred Meyer

Storyline

In January 1942, as the United States enters World War II, a conference assembles near Berlin. S.S. General Heydrich and his associate, Lieutenant Eichmann call the meeting to discuss the "evacuation" of Germany's Jews and other undesirables, a code word for their extermination in concentration camps. To begin this Final Solution, they must change the mind of a small group of men opposed to the idea, led by Chancellor Kritzinger.

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Plot Keywords:

holocaust | nazi officer | political crime | nazis | final solution | 

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Taglines:

One Of The Greatest Crimes Against Humanity Was Perpetrated In Just Over An Hour.

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | History | War

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language

Did You Know?

Trivia

Kevin McNally (Undersecretary Martin Luther) and Brendan Coyle (SS Maj. Gen. Heinrich Müller) also starred together in the popular television series Downton Abbey.

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Goofs

When Georg Liebbrandt exits his car, after it has pulled up to the mansion, the "D" can be seen in the lower right affixed to the bumper. The same "D" that is initially visible on Heydrich's car. As stated in a previous entry the "D" was not put into use until 1949.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Narrator: Adolph Hitler invaded Poland in September, 1939, starting WWII. By the winter of 1942, his armies were freezing and starving in the snows of Russia, where his best general had died of a heart attack, and America had entered the war. For the first time, Hitler's dream of a German empire to last 1,000 years was in doubt. While he hired and fired generals and the winter grew colder 15 of his officials were ordered from their commands and ministries to meet in a quiet lakeside ...

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Connections

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

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Soundtracks

String Quintet in C Major', D.956: Adagio
Written by Franz Schubert
Performed by Ensemble Villa Musica
courtesy of Naxos of America
by arrangement with Source Q

User Reviews

Powerful and Chilling

This movie could have been entitled, "how to chair a board meeting" or "how not to chair a board meeting" - given that the outcome of the meeting was the "final solution".

Gen. Heidrich with consumate skill and care manipulated the gathered Nazi hierarchy to the pre-arranged and pre-destined solution to the Jewish question.

There are a number of moments of exceptional power in the movie - one is where Kritzinger realises the truth, another is where Heidrich makes it clear to Shtukhard that he will be victimised if he does not cooperate. But the best moment must be when even those in favour realise that they are not there to decide the matter but to be to lend their complicity to the pre-made decision.

The psychology of the writing is insprired. I have never been so totally captivated by the mix of acting, subject matter and drama. This is a must see.

Details

Country:

USA UK

Language:

English German

Release Date:

19 May 2001 (USA)

Also Known As:

Conspiracy

Filming Locations:

Germany

Company Credits

Production Co:

HBO Films, British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1