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Reviews
ITV Saturday Night Theatre: The Death of Adolf Hitler (1973)
Finlay brilliant in black satire
In what might be the strangest film ever made about the Nazi regime, Frank Finlay gives an absolutely devastating performance as Adolf Hitler in the final ten days of his insane life. This made for television movie has been mis-labeled a "drama"; in fact, it is a satire of incredibly dark wit. In terms of the events which transpired, it more or less accurately depicts Hitler's last days in the Berlin bunker, when Germany's loss of the war was certain. Where the film deviates from accuracy is in the discussions the crazed Hitler had with his loyal and not so loyal followers. Finlay's Hitler is constantly asking his underlings, "Are you mad?" while he himself is obviously the most insane occupant of the bunker, flying into towering, hysterical rages at the drop of a hat while his followers calmly look on. At one point Hitler reacts to Goering's betrayal of him with one of the most hilarious depictions of a raving madman ever put on film (or in this case videotape). The dialogue by Vincent Tilsley is brilliant in its bitter irony and sarcasm. The supporting cast is good, but their function is mainly as a target of Finlay's furious outbursts, rambling monologues, and biting sarcasm; at one point one of Hitler's generals claims to be "Just a simple soldier", to which Hitler retorts, "Simple yes, soldier no." This movie is Finlay's show, and he's absolutely superb at depicting Hitler's basic insanity and hatred of the world, and his helpless fury as he watches his "thousand year Reich" go down in flames.
American Experience: The Battle Over Citizen Kane (1996)
Hatchet job on Welles
There must still be relatives of William Randolph Hearst around who had something to do with this polished piece of junk. That this "documentary" was included as part of Warner's DVD of Citizen Kane is a disgrace, and a disservice (to say the least) to Welles. The whole tone of this film is anti-Welles, and, if not pro-Hearst, at least fairer to him than to Welles. It seems that every time an image of Welles appears on screen dark and sinister music underscores it, and the narration becomes ominous and insinuating, but when Hearst is shown happy, upbeat music is the rule. Welles is made out to be an arrogant, sometimes violent man, and no opportunity is missed to tell some denigrating anecdote about his appetites and ego. Hearst is treated far more gently, even though he was by far the more dangerous and destructive of the two men. Factual errors abound in this silly film; such as the totally inaccurate notion that Hearst was successful in ruining Welles, if not Citizen Kane. The sad truth is that Welles largely was his own worst enemy, abandoning projects like The Magnificent Ambersons before it had been completed. If Hearst was so successful in defeating Welles, why was it that the film was nominated for nine Academy Awards? That it "only" won one is cited as proof that Hearst had destroyed the picture AND Welles. Rubbish.