The Hitler Miniseries.

[Agathon]

Originally posted by Peter Triggs
Agathon,

Did you know that Hitler and Wittgenstein went to the same school? There's gotta be a drama-documentary in that.

I had no idea. It was the high school in Linz. Apparently Hitler had a low opinion of Wittgenstein because he was a homosexual.

[Az]

That's funny, coming from a person with a single testicle.

[Imran Siddiqui]

When and why did he stop being brilliant and become stupid?

You do realize that there is a difference in being brilliant politically and being brilliant militarily... or do you believe they are the same? And thus, I guess you'd be in favor in all of the brilliant generals to rule countries or the brilliant politicians to run the nitty-gritty of armies?

[Chris 62]

It was decent, but the lack of Herman Göering was noticable.

Herman was at the March after the Putsch, yet I didn't notice him in the film, or perhaps I just didn't recognize him??

This guy was a major Hitler crony, he should have been featured.

[Bosh]

Well massive drug use in his later years (Hitler was a major hypocondriac with a quack doctor) didn't help his effectiveness any...

[Sava]

I thought it was a good series. It's strange to notice some of the simalarities to today. I heard the following references: (I'm paraphrasing)

"Are you with us or against us?"
"Our homeland is under attack and we must fight this terrorism"
"Some civil rights must be suspended in the interests of security"
"Do you swear to uphold the office of [Chancellorship] so help you God?"

[JCG]

I'm still not sure if Hitler's straight anyway..not after I read a book on the subject of his homosexuality last year. I guess it's too inconclusive for that possibility to be featured in any movie/miniseries like this one though....

[Zero]

When and why did he stop being brilliant and become stupid?

Brilliant people are capable of stupidity
Stupids are capable of brilliance

We're all humans. We're dont make 100% brilliant choices, 100% dumb.

[War4ever]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui

When and why did he stop being brilliant and become stupid?

You do realize that there is a difference in being brilliant politically and being brilliant militarily... or do you believe they are the same? And thus, I guess you'd be in favor in all of the brilliant generals to rule countries or the brilliant politicians to run the nitty-gritty of armies?

Well spoken Imran...i agree entirely....

One could really say he bit off more than he could chew when it came to the russian...but most men on the brink of victory become overconfident.

the story did lack goering.......which is surprising ..b/c goering was by hitlers side all the time

[Dis]

this thread is kind of far down there.

But is it true the miniseries talked about the rise of the nazi party to combat terrorism?



talk about a non-subtle political message. That alone makes me not want to watch it.

[Agathon]

Originally posted by Dissident
this thread is kind of far down there.

But is it true the miniseries talked about the rise of the nazi party to combat terrorism?

talk about a non-subtle political message. That alone makes me not want to watch it.

The comparison could as easily be extended to the US support of OBL and his mates in the 1980s. Those who make deals with fanatics in the name of expediency often get more than they bargained for.

[Dis]

support of OBL? never heard that one. Hussein is a different story however.


basically what they are saying is the current administration is like the nazi rise to power

plain stupid. In 6 years we will have a democrat president and everything will be back to normal.

[Alexander's Horse]

The more you look into Hitler's life, the less you find. There was just this big emptiness at the core of the man.

Just about all his ideas were borrowed, he seemed incapable of love and normal human intimacy. He is just a void.

One thing that is remarked over and over by people close to him like Albert Speer is that they never really felt they knew him personally.

Interestingly, this is a trait that Hitler shares with Stalin. There were many similarities in their lives and personalities. If you want more details I highly recommend Alan Bullock's work: "Hitler and Stalin: Parallel Lives."

[Dis]

I think that is a decent representation.

So many people paint them as monsters and such. But I see them more as cold, calculating, and unfeeling.

[Alexander's Horse]

It doesn't help to paint these people as monsters. If you are interested, Hannah Arendt wrote extensively about the "banality of evil", the capability of ordinary people for extraordinarily evil deeds. How stupid evil deeds are. How ordinary people like Hitler are. For one thing, in person he was incredibly boring. Talking mostly about himself for hour after hour and on the same themes for year after year. Being part of his inner circle was hell. Incredibly dull. You had to sit through Hitler's monologues night after night. The same claptrap every night.

Auschwitz was a real place under a clear blue sky. It was part of a huge industrial complex. Scary organ music didn't play in the background like in a movie about it. Many people worked there like it was just another day at the office.

The Commandant of Auschwitz told the Nuremburg trial that he mostly thought about his apple orchard as he went about his daily work. He never really thought much about what he was doing. It didn't trouble him.