The Secret Glory

I have been watching Richard Stanley's the Secret Glory ever since it was included with the release of Dust Devil on DVD. Many years before I had picked up the Starlog issue, talking about the real "Indiana Jones". Of course I was younger and didn't really pay that close attention to it. When I saw this documentary, I connected the dots a much more clear and succinct way. Stanley's doc provided the missing pieces I needed to really drive my curiosity in the subject matter. Full disclosure, I already was a history buff; in particular WW2 and the Occult. Otto Rahn's story checks both those buckets. But a lesser filmmaker would've not pulled this off. A project like this takes passion and tenacity to pull off.

Otto Rahn is a fascinating historical figure. He became obsessed with finding the Holy Grail as he felt, from his research, that he more or less knew it's final resting place. Simultaneously he attracted the attention of Heinrich Himmler who of course would go on to pursue him, at first aiding in his quest, although for completely different reasons.

I could go on but then I'd spoil the documentary for you, dear reader. And I wouldn't want to do that.

Now there are a few things one can critique about the Secret Glory. The picture is a funky frame rate which wastes a lot of screen and the sound mix is sometimes distracting as you cannot quite here the subjects speaking due to the sound design being mixed too high. There are subtitles though that work well and it isn't a constant issue.

Technical issues can be very easily overlooked as the content is worth its weight in gold. And it's all about content. I have watched Secret Glory at least 7 to 10 times. Probably more. I seem to pick up on something new or something different than I previously recalled with every viewing and to me that speaks volumes to how well put together this documentary is.

Fingers crossed that someday we see a feature length film about the life of Herr Rahn.

Otto Rahn is a beloved niche character for whoever as a interest in WWII, the history of Third Reich or occultism. This documentary doesn't really reveals much about him but it's still very effective in defining him as a hopeless dreamer who trapped himself in a situation he couldn't control and paid the ultimate price. Perhaps he was never in control but in another time he could have lead a better life.

I gave the documentary a 7 but it could also be a 6 because the music was used atrociously and often drowns the talking voices. Plus, Rahn's niece commentary was kind of unnecessary imho and she was given too much screen time.

Richard Stanley had been hired by Britain's Channel Four to do a film on the real Raiders of the Lost Ark about the Nazi search for the Ark of the Covenant, however it quickly became clear that there was no such story to tell. Instead he found the story of Otto Rahn and his quest for the Holy Grail. Channel Four wasn't interested and Stanley was forced to put the film on the back burner. After the collapse of his version of the Island of Dr Moreau Stanley returned to subject and began to try and sort out what the real story was.

Otto Rahn was a writer who's life's passion was to pursue the Graal. This is an object that was made from the crown of Lucifer after his fall from grace. Its a powerful relic that Rahn believed could be found by decoding the poem Parzival by Wolfram Von Eschenbach. Rahn found backing for his ideas in the mystical societies that were active in Germany between the world wars. The societies were tied to right wing politics and it wasn't long before Rahn was attached to the Nazi's and the SS. Its a dark story about a man who ended up in a situation that was way over his head.

The ability to separate fact from fiction when it comes to the Nazi interest in the occult is a difficult thing. There have been more than a fair share of books and films on the subject and not all of them have been scrupulous in their reporting. What you think is real very often not and what you think is not occasionally is. Myth and legend and fact have intertwined so much that anything is possible, especially for an open mind. This is Stanley's attempt to unravel the knot (or begin to unravel since Stanley in the commentary on the DVD states that some documents concerning some of the subjects are just now being declassified. Stanley hopes to pursue more leads and produce a longer cut later).

The film is structured as a mystical journey. The visuals and music are often very hypnotic taking you to another place and time. The visuals, taken from photographs and old films are supplemented with interviews with people who knew Rahn and spell out, occasionally contradictorily, the events in Rahn's life. It takes Rahn from his days in college to his final days in the SS.

Richard Stanley has fashioned a unique film about a unique character. Its a film that is made in such away as to suck you in and to give you some sense of the subject and the times. Its a good film and good introduction to the weird mind set that one often finds when one looks at the Nazi/occult connection.

Its not a perfect film. Stanley at times seems more interested in developing a mood (which he does brilliantly) than he does in telling all he knows (he doesn't, as he explains in the DVD commentary). Everything isn't explained and more than a few questions are left unanswered. I'm not sure how much of this is the result of Stanley leaving it out intentionally or the result of his simply not having the answers. Rahn was not a major figure in the Nazi regime, he was at best a footnote so the fact that we have any information about him is amazing.

I really liked this film and want to see it again. The structure of the film is such that I'm pretty certain that viewers will be rewarded by a second viewing when things can connect up. Definitely worth a shot if you're interested in the subject or the director and his films.

7 out of 10 movie alone 10 out of 10 if you watch the movie and then the commentary on the DVD which explains and deepens the material in the film.