Hitler's SS: Portrait in Evil
Encyclopedia
Hitler's SS: Portrait in Evil is a 1985 TV film about two German
brothers, Helmut and Karl Hoffmann, and the paths they take during the Nazi era of Germany
. The movie was directed by Jim Goddard
and starred John Shea
, Bill Nighy
, Tony Randall
, David Warner
and John Woodnutt
.
, witness the coming to power of the NSDAP or Nazi Party and the establishment of the Third Reich. Karl, an unemployed mechanic, is enthusiastic about the Nazis and joins the SA after hearing Ernst Röhm
(SA Chief) speak at a Nazi Party rally. Helmut is reluctant and thinks the Nazis are simply another political party
.
Helmut, who is a university student in Munich
, is eventually talked into joining the SS by Reinhard Heydrich
. Helmut is commissioned an SS officer (in the SD) right before Hitler comes to power, whereas Karl has already been an SA member for a year. Karl is distressed due to tensions between the SA and the SS and claims that the SS is trying to make it look like the SA is only the “party’s garbage collector”.
The entire first half of the film leads up to the Night of the Long Knives
. Heydrich quizzes Helmut about the need to get rid of the SA leadership. Helmut replies, "Well, who needs Revolutionaries when the Revolution has already been achieved." The liquidation of the SA leadership, old enemies and the shooting of Ernst Röhm then transpire. During this time Karl is arrested and sent to Dachau Concentration Camp. Using his connections in the SS, Helmut gets Karl freed but Heydrich cautions that Karl had better behave himself or else Helmut would find himself "running short of friends".
The film then moves into World War II
, after glazing briefly through Kristallnacht
and then focuses on Helmut becoming involved in the paperwork of the Holocaust. Karl meanwhile becomes an anti-Nazi and is drafted in the Wehrmacht
. He actually becomes a Wehrmacht (Heer) Officer on the Eastern Front
.
Helmut eventually becomes an SS-Oberführer
(Senior Colonel
), but is extremely disillusioned with the SS and the Nazi Party by the end of the film. Karl deserts from the army around the time of the assassination attempt against Hitler (the 20 July Plot) and wanders Germany observing the war torn rubble of German cities. In late April 1945, Helmut deserts from the SS, but is killed by an SS patrol while trying to flee Berlin. The film ends with Karl and his lover Mitzie (who at one point was the love interest his brother Helmut) standing in the ruins of Stuttgart
after learning his parents and little brother Hans (who fought in the itler Youth] during the Battle in Berlin
) are all dead.
and rises to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Waffen-SS
by the time the film ends in 1945.
The actors, most of whom who were in their 30s when the film was produced, are depicted to be between the ages of 20 to 22 when the film begins. To offset the affect that the actors themselves do not age a decade throughout the film, make-up and costuming is used in the first part of the film to portray the characters in their younger days.
Karl begins the film in 1932 as an unemployed mechanic
between 18 and 20 years old. It is stated that Karl has a high school education from the Realschule
and, during his youth, was a serious soccer player. Karl is quick to join the Nazi Party in the fall of 1932, drawn by the appeals of a better life for the German working class. At the same time he joins the Nazi Party, Karl simultaneously joins the Sturmabteilung
and is appointed as a simple rank and file stormtrooper
.
Karl is shown to be a part time member of a local SA unit in Stuttgart (known in the SA as a Trupp or a Sturm) and makes one reference to being subordinate to a Scharführer
, which Karl calls his "section leader" (this individual is never actually seen). Because of his motor mechanic skills, Karl is appointed to the SA transportation section sometime before May of 1933. It is in this capacity that Karl witnesses the crushing of Germany's unions on May Day. Shortly thereafter, Karl becomes attached to the SA Supreme Headquarters in Stuttgart and begins working for an SA-Gruppenführer
named Josef Biegler. Biegler comments that Karl (who is still only a simple SA-Trooper), is not getting promoted since he is viewed somewhat as a troublemaker.
Karl is working as Biegler's driver when the Night of the Long Knives
occurs and Karl witnesses the execution of SA Chief Ernst Röhm
, Biegler and other SA leaders. Karl is then thrown into Dachau Concentration Camp and it is at this point that his SA career appears to end. The film incorrectly states that the SA was disbanded, when in fact the SA did continue to exist until 1945; Karl's early membership in the SA would have qualified him for status as an Alte Kämpfer
(considered a high honor of the Nazi Party); however this is never discussed in the film and Karl appears to be finished with his Nazi affiliation after 1934.
Just four years later, however, Karl is again arrested, this time by the Gestapo
for making inquiries in the SA crushing of the trade union
s in 1933. During the union actions, Karl's former employer and family friend Rudolf Longner (played by actor Ivor Roberts
) was seriously paralyzed and used a wheelchair
. After Longner's death, Karl seeks justice against the original SA soldiers who caused the injuries. However, when Karl attempts to make a statement at a local Ordnungspolizei
police station
, he is told that he will be reported to the Gestapo and that "They won't like your story, they won't like you either." Karl insists on making his statement anyway, and is subsequently arrested.
To avoid a return trip to a Concentration Camp, Karl is drafted into the Wehrmacht
and serves as an ordinary Soldat in the German Army. After service in Poland, Karl participates in Operation Barbarossa
, shortly after which he is commissioned as a Leutnant
and later receives a further promotion to Oberleutnant. This is the extent of Karl's military career, as he deserts shortly after the Third Battle of Kharkov
. From this point on, Karl moves about Germany on false travel papers, narrowly avoiding arrest after the July 20th plot. Karl is the only member of his family to survive the war in 1945.
Dates of Rank
Awards
Karl would also qualify for the Wound Badge
, but appears to have deserted from the Army before it was awarded.
Helmut Hoffmann begins the film between the age of 20 and 22, attending the University of Munich, studying classic literature. One of his favorite professors is a Jewish teacher of German literature named Rosenberg. Helmut is first introduced to the Nazi Party when he meets Reinhard Heydrich
at fencing
practice in the Munich University sports center. At first, Helmut sees the Nazi ideology as "primitive rubbish" but is eventually talked into joining the Nazis when he witnesses a meeting between Adolf Hitler and German industrialists at the Ruhr
.
Helmet joins the SS in January 1933, just after Hitler is appointed as Chancellor of Germany
. Resigning from the university, Helmut travels to Berlin and becomes an officer in the Sicherheitsdienst
(SD). His formal title is "Special Assistant to Heydrich"; however, what Helmut actually does in the SS (apart for delivering paperwork to Heydrich) is not made entirely clear and only once is anyone seen working for him.
By late August 1939, Helmut is an SS-Sturmbannführer
(Major
) and is shown assisting both Heydrich and Heinrich Müller in organizing the staging of the Gleiwitz incident
. By 1940, he has become involved with Einsatzgruppen
administration and attends a high level meeting regarding the execution of the upper class of Poland
. By the time of the Soviet invasion in 1941, Helmut is an SS-Obersturmbannführer
(Lieutenant Colonel) and is still serving in the SD when Reinhard Heydrich is made the Acting Reich Protector of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia
.
In a clever scene, Helmut is advised that Heydrich is leaving Berlin for Prague
and that:
In the very next scene, set a year later after the assassination of Heydrich
, Helmut is shown wearing a closed collar SS tunic
of the Waffen-SS
, along with several combat medals and a ribbon for service on the Eastern Front
. While not directly stated in the film, it does appear that Helmut did find himself fighting Russians.
After assisting in the destruction of the Czech town of Lidice
, Helmut is promoted to the rank of Senior Colonel in the SS and, in the summer of 1944, assists in the round-up of suspects in the July 20th Plot on Adolf Hitler's life. When World War II reaches its end in 1945, Helmut is a worn out man who realizes that his service in the SS helped nothing and that he had participated in terrible crimes. In late April 1945, while attempting to desert the ruins of Berlin
, Helmut is shot and killed by an SS Werwolf
patrol.
Dates of ranks
Although not shown on screen, Helmut appears to have held the rank of Untersturmführer
sometime in early 1933.
Awards
Becker is a Waffen-SS
officer who first appears in the film during the spring of 1933. The character is portrayed as a fanatical Nazi who obeys orders without questions. He becomes an early friend to Helmut Hoffmann, but it is made clear during the film that Becker's friendship with Helmut is a means to an end, and Becker usually meets with Helmut to ask for favors or to gain an advantage for himself.
When first introduced, Becker is a platoon
officer of the Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler
. He is apparently an "old Nazi" and holds both the Honour Chevron for the Old Guard
and the Golden Party Badge
, indicating early Nazi Party membership prior to 1933.
In 1934, Becker leads a team of SS troopers during the Night of the Long Knives and is responsible for supervising the execution of several SA generals- he also unwittingly orders the arrest of Helmut Hoffman's brother Karl when the latter is present at the Bad Wiessee
resort when the SA is attacked by the SS. Following this, Becker is not seen again until after the Anschluss
of Austria
in 1938, this time as an SS-Captain still serving in the Leibstandarte. An oddity occurs during his 1938 appearance, in that Becker is shown wearing the Iron Cross Second Class which was not re-introduced in the German military until 1939. A costume error also occurs at this time when Becker is seen wearing the shoulder insignia of a Lieutenant Colonel on his Captain's uniform.
By 1944, Becker has risen to the rank of Obersturmbannführer in the Waffen-SS but, oddly enough, does not appear to have earned any additional medals from those seen in 1938. His last appearance in the film is during an interrogation following the July 20th plot; his fate at the end of the war is unknown.
Dates of rank
Becker's rank history prior to 1933 is unknown.
Awards
Ludwig Rosenberg is a Jewish tenured professor
of German literature
at the University of Stuttgart
. He is a mentor and friend to Helmut Hofmann and, at the beginning of the film, appears to be in his early to mid 60s. In 1932, before the Nazis come to power, he is briefly accosted on the streets of Stuttgart by three SA men; Karl and Helmutt Hofmann come to his defense and fight with the SA men who then retreat.
A specialty of Rosenberg's are the works of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
and his depiction of the human condition. After the Nazis come to power, Rosenberg wonders how the German philosopher's ideas would relate to the present Nazi regime. Specifically, the work "Elective Affinities
" is mentioned and, during a meeting with Karl in 1933, the future SS officer quotes a line from Goethe stating "you must the hammer
or the anvil
be", stating that the Hoffman's have been the anvil long enough and need to do some hammering. Rosenberg replies that "if Goethe had spent much time in the blacksmith
shop, he would have found that the hammer tends to wear out a lot sooner than the anvil". He then asks Karl to do his hammering "with a little discretion".
By 1934, Professor Rosenberg has been dismissed from his university position due to his Jewish heritage and, by 1936, his home has been confiscated and he lives out of a small apartment
in a run-down area of the city. Rosenberg keeps to himself for the next few years, but is eventually targeted for "re-settlement" and ordered by the SS to report to a local train station which, in reality, will be for transport to a death camp. At this point, Rosenberg simple wishes to die rather than live in a Nazi world, and he voluntarily accepts transport to the death camp, even after a sympathetic SS officer (whose brother Rosenberg once taught) offers to help him escape. It is implied that Rosenberg perished in an extermination camp sometime in 1944.
(played by actor Colin Jeavons
), several historical figures in the SA and the SS appear in the film. These include:
The character of SA-Gruppenführer Josef Biegler (played by actor Paul Brooke
) was a composite of several real life SA generals and not based on any one particular person. David Warner
, who
played Heydrich, originally played the SS General in the TV miniseries Holocaust.
The next significant broadcast of the film was on the History Channel which broadcast the film as part of its "Movies in Time" series with Sander Vanocur
. The film was run for three hours with significant edits and cutting of several major scenes. A VHS release of the entire film was available in the early 1990s and the film was released on DVD sometime after 2001. The original DVD version of the film cut the entire first half of the film, providing a brief summary in an introduction clip and then began with the invasion of Poland in 1939.
The most recent release on DVD was part of a "War Classics" series released by a private vendor which placed the uncut version of the film on a DVD with three other features.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
brothers, Helmut and Karl Hoffmann, and the paths they take during the Nazi era of Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
. The movie was directed by Jim Goddard
Jim Goddard
Jim Goddard is an English film and TV director born in London on February 2, 1936. He has directed episodes of many UK TV series such as Public Eye, Callan, Special Branch, The Sweeney, The Ruth Rendell Mysteries, The Bell and Holby City...
and starred John Shea
John Shea
John Victor Shea III is an American actor and director who has starred on stage, television and in film. He is best known for his role as Lex Luthor in the 1990s TV series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman and also starred in the short lived 1990s TV series WIOU as Hank Zaret...
, Bill Nighy
Bill Nighy
William Francis "Bill" Nighy is an English actor and comedian. He worked in theatre and television before his first cinema role in 1981, and made his name in television with The Men's Room in 1991, in which he played the womanizer Prof...
, Tony Randall
Tony Randall
Tony Randall was a U.S. actor, comic, producer and director.-Early years:Randall was born Arthur Leonard Rosenberg to a Jewish family in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the son of Julia and Mogscha Rosenberg, an art and antiques dealer...
, David Warner
David Warner (actor)
David Warner is an English actor who is known for playing both romantic leads and sinister or villainous characters, both in film and animation...
and John Woodnutt
John Woodnutt
John Woodnutt was a British actor.He was born in London, and at the age of 18 made his acting debut at the Oxford Playhouse....
.
Plot
Helmut and Karl Hoffman are two brothers who grow up in the Great Depression of the Weimar RepublicWeimar Republic
The Weimar Republic is the name given by historians to the parliamentary republic established in 1919 in Germany to replace the imperial form of government...
, witness the coming to power of the NSDAP or Nazi Party and the establishment of the Third Reich. Karl, an unemployed mechanic, is enthusiastic about the Nazis and joins the SA after hearing Ernst Röhm
Ernst Röhm
Ernst Julius Röhm, was a German officer in the Bavarian Army and later an early Nazi leader. He was a co-founder of the Sturmabteilung , the Nazi Party militia, and later was its commander...
(SA Chief) speak at a Nazi Party rally. Helmut is reluctant and thinks the Nazis are simply another political party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
.
Helmut, who is a university student in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, is eventually talked into joining the SS by Reinhard Heydrich
Reinhard Heydrich
Reinhard Tristan Eugen Heydrich , also known as The Hangman, was a high-ranking German Nazi official.He was SS-Obergruppenführer and General der Polizei, chief of the Reich Main Security Office and Stellvertretender Reichsprotektor of Bohemia and Moravia...
. Helmut is commissioned an SS officer (in the SD) right before Hitler comes to power, whereas Karl has already been an SA member for a year. Karl is distressed due to tensions between the SA and the SS and claims that the SS is trying to make it look like the SA is only the “party’s garbage collector”.
The entire first half of the film leads up to the Night of the Long Knives
Night of the Long Knives
The Night of the Long Knives , sometimes called "Operation Hummingbird " or in Germany the "Röhm-Putsch," was a purge that took place in Nazi Germany between June 30 and July 2, 1934, when the Nazi regime carried out a series of political murders...
. Heydrich quizzes Helmut about the need to get rid of the SA leadership. Helmut replies, "Well, who needs Revolutionaries when the Revolution has already been achieved." The liquidation of the SA leadership, old enemies and the shooting of Ernst Röhm then transpire. During this time Karl is arrested and sent to Dachau Concentration Camp. Using his connections in the SS, Helmut gets Karl freed but Heydrich cautions that Karl had better behave himself or else Helmut would find himself "running short of friends".
The film then moves into World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, after glazing briefly through Kristallnacht
Kristallnacht
Kristallnacht, also referred to as the Night of Broken Glass, and also Reichskristallnacht, Pogromnacht, and Novemberpogrome, was a pogrom or series of attacks against Jews throughout Nazi Germany and parts of Austria on 9–10 November 1938.Jewish homes were ransacked, as were shops, towns and...
and then focuses on Helmut becoming involved in the paperwork of the Holocaust. Karl meanwhile becomes an anti-Nazi and is drafted in the Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
. He actually becomes a Wehrmacht (Heer) Officer on the Eastern Front
Eastern Front (World War II)
The Eastern Front of World War II was a theatre of World War II between the European Axis powers and co-belligerent Finland against the Soviet Union, Poland, and some other Allies which encompassed Northern, Southern and Eastern Europe from 22 June 1941 to 9 May 1945...
.
Helmut eventually becomes an SS-Oberführer
Oberführer
Oberführer was an early paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party dating back to 1921. Translated as “Senior Leader”, an Oberführer was typically a Nazi Party member in charge of a group of paramilitary units in a particular geographical region...
(Senior Colonel
Senior Colonel
Senior Colonel is a field grade officer rank placed between a regular Colonel and a Major General. The rank typically exists in militaries that do not maintain a rank of Brigadier General/Brigadier....
), but is extremely disillusioned with the SS and the Nazi Party by the end of the film. Karl deserts from the army around the time of the assassination attempt against Hitler (the 20 July Plot) and wanders Germany observing the war torn rubble of German cities. In late April 1945, Helmut deserts from the SS, but is killed by an SS patrol while trying to flee Berlin. The film ends with Karl and his lover Mitzie (who at one point was the love interest his brother Helmut) standing in the ruins of Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
after learning his parents and little brother Hans (who fought in the itler Youth] during the Battle in Berlin
Battle in Berlin
The Battle in Berlin was an end phase of the Battle of Berlin. While the Battle of Berlin encompassed the attack by three Soviet Army Groups to capture not only Berlin but the territory of Germany east of the River Elbe still under German control, the Battle in Berlin details the fighting, and...
) are all dead.
Character Profiles
As the film takes place over a span of thirteen years (1932 - 1945), the main characters of Helmut and Karl are shown to join the SA, SS, and the Army with various career paths. A supporting character "Becker" is first introduced in the year 1933 as a member of the Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler1st SS Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler
The Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler was Adolf Hitler's personal bodyguard. Initially the size of a regiment, the LSSAH eventually grew into a divisional-sized unit...
and rises to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Waffen-SS
Waffen-SS
The Waffen-SS was a multi-ethnic and multi-national military force of the Third Reich. It constituted the armed wing of the Schutzstaffel or SS, an organ of the Nazi Party. The Waffen-SS saw action throughout World War II and grew from three regiments to over 38 divisions, and served alongside...
by the time the film ends in 1945.
The actors, most of whom who were in their 30s when the film was produced, are depicted to be between the ages of 20 to 22 when the film begins. To offset the affect that the actors themselves do not age a decade throughout the film, make-up and costuming is used in the first part of the film to portray the characters in their younger days.
Karl Hoffmann
- played by John SheaJohn SheaJohn Victor Shea III is an American actor and director who has starred on stage, television and in film. He is best known for his role as Lex Luthor in the 1990s TV series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman and also starred in the short lived 1990s TV series WIOU as Hank Zaret...
Karl begins the film in 1932 as an unemployed mechanic
Mechanic
A mechanic is a craftsman or technician who uses tools to build or repair machinery.Many mechanics are specialized in a particular field such as auto mechanics, bicycle mechanics, motorcycle mechanics, boiler mechanics, general mechanics, industrial maintenance mechanics , air conditioning and...
between 18 and 20 years old. It is stated that Karl has a high school education from the Realschule
Realschule
The Realschule is a type of secondary school in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein. It has also existed in Croatia , Denmark , Sweden , Hungary and in the Russian Empire .-History:The Realschule was an outgrowth of the rationalism and empiricism of the seventeenth and...
and, during his youth, was a serious soccer player. Karl is quick to join the Nazi Party in the fall of 1932, drawn by the appeals of a better life for the German working class. At the same time he joins the Nazi Party, Karl simultaneously joins the Sturmabteilung
Sturmabteilung
The Sturmabteilung functioned as a paramilitary organization of the National Socialist German Workers' Party . It played a key role in Adolf Hitler's rise to power in the 1920s and 1930s...
and is appointed as a simple rank and file stormtrooper
Stormtrooper
Stormtroopers were specialist soldiers of the German Army in World War I. In the last years of the war, Stoßtruppen were trained to fight with "infiltration tactics", part of the Germans' new method of attack on enemy trenches...
.
Karl is shown to be a part time member of a local SA unit in Stuttgart (known in the SA as a Trupp or a Sturm) and makes one reference to being subordinate to a Scharführer
Scharführer
Scharführer was a Nazi Party title that was used by several paramilitary organizations from 1925 to 1945. Translated as “Squad Leader”, the title of Scharführer can trace its origins to the First World War, where a Scharführer was often a Sergeant or Corporal who commanded special action or shock...
, which Karl calls his "section leader" (this individual is never actually seen). Because of his motor mechanic skills, Karl is appointed to the SA transportation section sometime before May of 1933. It is in this capacity that Karl witnesses the crushing of Germany's unions on May Day. Shortly thereafter, Karl becomes attached to the SA Supreme Headquarters in Stuttgart and begins working for an SA-Gruppenführer
Gruppenführer
Gruppenführer was an early paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party, first created in 1925 as a senior rank of the SA.-SS rank:...
named Josef Biegler. Biegler comments that Karl (who is still only a simple SA-Trooper), is not getting promoted since he is viewed somewhat as a troublemaker.
Karl is working as Biegler's driver when the Night of the Long Knives
Night of the Long Knives
The Night of the Long Knives , sometimes called "Operation Hummingbird " or in Germany the "Röhm-Putsch," was a purge that took place in Nazi Germany between June 30 and July 2, 1934, when the Nazi regime carried out a series of political murders...
occurs and Karl witnesses the execution of SA Chief Ernst Röhm
Ernst Röhm
Ernst Julius Röhm, was a German officer in the Bavarian Army and later an early Nazi leader. He was a co-founder of the Sturmabteilung , the Nazi Party militia, and later was its commander...
, Biegler and other SA leaders. Karl is then thrown into Dachau Concentration Camp and it is at this point that his SA career appears to end. The film incorrectly states that the SA was disbanded, when in fact the SA did continue to exist until 1945; Karl's early membership in the SA would have qualified him for status as an Alte Kämpfer
Honour Chevron for the Old Guard
The Honour Chevron for the Old Guard, or in German Ehrenwinkel für Alte Kämpfer, was a political decoration of the Nazi Party in Germany. It was authorised in February 1934, as a silver chevron to be worn on the upper right arm, by all members of the SS, who had joined the SS, NSDAP or any other...
(considered a high honor of the Nazi Party); however this is never discussed in the film and Karl appears to be finished with his Nazi affiliation after 1934.
Just four years later, however, Karl is again arrested, this time by the Gestapo
Gestapo
The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police...
for making inquiries in the SA crushing of the trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
s in 1933. During the union actions, Karl's former employer and family friend Rudolf Longner (played by actor Ivor Roberts
Ivor Roberts (actor)
Ivor Roberts was an English television continuity announcer and television actor who often appeared in comedic roles....
) was seriously paralyzed and used a wheelchair
Wheelchair
A wheelchair is a chair with wheels, designed to be a replacement for walking. The device comes in variations where it is propelled by motors or by the seated occupant turning the rear wheels by hand. Often there are handles behind the seat for someone else to do the pushing...
. After Longner's death, Karl seeks justice against the original SA soldiers who caused the injuries. However, when Karl attempts to make a statement at a local Ordnungspolizei
Ordnungspolizei
The Ordnungspolizei or Orpo were the uniformed regular police force in Nazi Germany between 1936 and 1945. It was increasingly absorbed into the Nazi police system. Owing to their green uniforms, they were also referred to as Grüne Polizei...
police station
Police station
A police station or station house is a building which serves to accommodate police officers and other members of staff. These buildings often contain offices and accommodation for personnel and vehicles, along with locker rooms, temporary holding cells and interview/interrogation rooms.- Facilities...
, he is told that he will be reported to the Gestapo and that "They won't like your story, they won't like you either." Karl insists on making his statement anyway, and is subsequently arrested.
To avoid a return trip to a Concentration Camp, Karl is drafted into the Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
and serves as an ordinary Soldat in the German Army. After service in Poland, Karl participates in Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a front., the largest invasion in the history of warfare...
, shortly after which he is commissioned as a Leutnant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
and later receives a further promotion to Oberleutnant. This is the extent of Karl's military career, as he deserts shortly after the Third Battle of Kharkov
Third Battle of Kharkov
The Third Battle of Kharkov was a series of offensive operations on the Eastern Front of World War II, undertaken by the German Army Group South against the Red Army, around the city of Kharkov , between 19 February and 15 March 1943...
. From this point on, Karl moves about Germany on false travel papers, narrowly avoiding arrest after the July 20th plot. Karl is the only member of his family to survive the war in 1945.
Dates of Rank
- SA-MannMann (military rank)Mann , was a paramilitary rank used by several Nazi Party paramilitary organizations between 1925 and 1945. The rank is most often associated with the SS, and also as a rank of the SA where Mann was the lowest enlisted rank and was the equivalent of a Private.In 1938, with the rise of the...
: 1932 - SA-SturmmannSturmmannSturmmann was a Nazi Party paramilitary rank that was first created in the year 1921. The rank of Sturmmann was used by the Sturmabteilung and the Schutzstaffel ....
: 1933 - SchutzeSchützeSchütze in German means "shooter" or "rifleman". It also occasionally occurs as a surname, as Schütz, as in the opera Der Freischütz. The word itself is derived from the German word schützen, meaning to protect, or to guard...
(Wehrmacht): 1938 - Leutnant: 1941
- Oberleutnant: 1942
Awards
- Iron CrossIron CrossThe Iron Cross is a cross symbol typically in black with a white or silver outline that originated after 1219 when the Kingdom of Jerusalem granted the Teutonic Order the right to combine the Teutonic Black Cross placed above a silver Cross of Jerusalem....
(First and Second Class) - Eastern Front MedalEastern Front MedalThe Eastern Front Medal, , more commonly known as the Ostmedaille was instituted on May 26, 1942 to mark service on the German Eastern Front during the period November 15, 1941 to April 15, 1942...
- Infantry Assault BadgeInfantry Assault BadgeThe Infantry Assault Badge was a German war badge awarded to Waffen SS and Wehrmacht Heer soldiers during WWII. This decoration was instituted on December 20th 1939 by the Oberstbefehlshaber des Heeres, Generalfeldmarschall von Brauchitsch...
(in Silver) - Crimea ShieldCrimea ShieldThe Crimea Shield was awarded to German soldiers under the command of Generalfeldmarschall Erich von Manstein who fought and conquered Crimea in between September 1941 and July 1942....
Karl would also qualify for the Wound Badge
Wound Badge
Wound Badge was a German military award for wounded or frost-bitten soldiers of Imperial German Army in World War I, the Reichswehr between the wars, and the Wehrmacht, SS and the auxiliary service organizations during the Second World War. After March 1943, due to the increasing number of Allied...
, but appears to have deserted from the Army before it was awarded.
Helmut Hoffmann
- played by Bill NighyBill NighyWilliam Francis "Bill" Nighy is an English actor and comedian. He worked in theatre and television before his first cinema role in 1981, and made his name in television with The Men's Room in 1991, in which he played the womanizer Prof...
Helmut Hoffmann begins the film between the age of 20 and 22, attending the University of Munich, studying classic literature. One of his favorite professors is a Jewish teacher of German literature named Rosenberg. Helmut is first introduced to the Nazi Party when he meets Reinhard Heydrich
Reinhard Heydrich
Reinhard Tristan Eugen Heydrich , also known as The Hangman, was a high-ranking German Nazi official.He was SS-Obergruppenführer and General der Polizei, chief of the Reich Main Security Office and Stellvertretender Reichsprotektor of Bohemia and Moravia...
at fencing
Fencing
Fencing, which is also known as modern fencing to distinguish it from historical fencing, is a family of combat sports using bladed weapons.Fencing is one of four sports which have been featured at every one of the modern Olympic Games...
practice in the Munich University sports center. At first, Helmut sees the Nazi ideology as "primitive rubbish" but is eventually talked into joining the Nazis when he witnesses a meeting between Adolf Hitler and German industrialists at the Ruhr
Ruhr
The Ruhr is a medium-size river in western Germany , a right tributary of the Rhine.-Description:The source of the Ruhr is near the town of Winterberg in the mountainous Sauerland region, at an elevation of approximately 2,200 feet...
.
Helmet joins the SS in January 1933, just after Hitler is appointed as Chancellor of Germany
Chancellor of Germany
The Chancellor of Germany is, under the German 1949 constitution, the head of government of Germany...
. Resigning from the university, Helmut travels to Berlin and becomes an officer in the Sicherheitsdienst
Sicherheitsdienst
Sicherheitsdienst , full title Sicherheitsdienst des Reichsführers-SS, or SD, was the intelligence agency of the SS and the Nazi Party in Nazi Germany. The organization was the first Nazi Party intelligence organization to be established and was often considered a "sister organization" with the...
(SD). His formal title is "Special Assistant to Heydrich"; however, what Helmut actually does in the SS (apart for delivering paperwork to Heydrich) is not made entirely clear and only once is anyone seen working for him.
By late August 1939, Helmut is an SS-Sturmbannführer
Sturmbannführer
Sturmbannführer was a paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party equivalent to major, used both in the Sturmabteilung and the Schutzstaffel...
(Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
) and is shown assisting both Heydrich and Heinrich Müller in organizing the staging of the Gleiwitz incident
Gleiwitz incident
The Gleiwitz incident was a staged attack by Nazi forces posing as Poles on 31 August 1939, against the German radio station Sender Gleiwitz in Gleiwitz, Upper Silesia, Germany on the eve of World War II in Europe....
. By 1940, he has become involved with Einsatzgruppen
Einsatzgruppen
Einsatzgruppen were SS paramilitary death squads that were responsible for mass killings, typically by shooting, of Jews in particular, but also significant numbers of other population groups and political categories...
administration and attends a high level meeting regarding the execution of the upper class of Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. By the time of the Soviet invasion in 1941, Helmut is an SS-Obersturmbannführer
Obersturmbannführer
Obersturmbannführer was a paramilitary Nazi Party rank used by both the SA and the SS. It was created in May 1933 to fill the need for an additional field grade officer rank above Sturmbannführer as the SA expanded. It became an SS rank at the same time...
(Lieutenant Colonel) and is still serving in the SD when Reinhard Heydrich is made the Acting Reich Protector of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia
Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia
The Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia was the majority ethnic-Czech protectorate which Nazi Germany established in the central parts of Bohemia, Moravia and Czech Silesia in what is today the Czech Republic...
.
In a clever scene, Helmut is advised that Heydrich is leaving Berlin for Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
and that:
- "You better hope HimmlerHeinrich HimmlerHeinrich Luitpold Himmler was Reichsführer of the SS, a military commander, and a leading member of the Nazi Party. As Chief of the German Police and the Minister of the Interior from 1943, Himmler oversaw all internal and external police and security forces, including the Gestapo...
has a job for you, or you'll find yourself fighting RussiaRussiaRussia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
ns".
In the very next scene, set a year later after the assassination of Heydrich
Operation Anthropoid
Operation Anthropoid was the code name for the targeted killing of top German SS leader Reinhard Heydrich. He was the chief of the Reich Main Security Office , the acting Protector of Bohemia and Moravia, and a chief planner of the Final Solution, the Nazi German programme for the genocide of the...
, Helmut is shown wearing a closed collar SS tunic
Uniforms and insignia of the Schutzstaffel
The uniforms and insignia of the Schutzstaffel were paramilitary ranks and uniforms used by the SS between 1925 and 1945 to differentiate that organization from the regular German armed forces, the German state, and the Nazi Party....
of the Waffen-SS
Waffen-SS
The Waffen-SS was a multi-ethnic and multi-national military force of the Third Reich. It constituted the armed wing of the Schutzstaffel or SS, an organ of the Nazi Party. The Waffen-SS saw action throughout World War II and grew from three regiments to over 38 divisions, and served alongside...
, along with several combat medals and a ribbon for service on the Eastern Front
Eastern Front (World War II)
The Eastern Front of World War II was a theatre of World War II between the European Axis powers and co-belligerent Finland against the Soviet Union, Poland, and some other Allies which encompassed Northern, Southern and Eastern Europe from 22 June 1941 to 9 May 1945...
. While not directly stated in the film, it does appear that Helmut did find himself fighting Russians.
After assisting in the destruction of the Czech town of Lidice
Lidice
Lidice is a village in the Czech Republic just northwest of Prague. It is built on the site of a previous village of the same name which, as part of the Nazi Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, was on orders from Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler, completely destroyed by German forces in reprisal...
, Helmut is promoted to the rank of Senior Colonel in the SS and, in the summer of 1944, assists in the round-up of suspects in the July 20th Plot on Adolf Hitler's life. When World War II reaches its end in 1945, Helmut is a worn out man who realizes that his service in the SS helped nothing and that he had participated in terrible crimes. In late April 1945, while attempting to desert the ruins of Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, Helmut is shot and killed by an SS Werwolf
Werwolf
Werwolf was the name given to a Nazi plan, which began development in 1944, to create a commando force which would operate behind enemy lines as the Allies advanced through Germany itself. Werwolf remained entirely ineffectual as a combat force, however, and in practical terms, its value as...
patrol.
Dates of ranks
- SS-ObersturmführerObersturmführerObersturmführer was a paramilitary rank of the Nazi party that was used by the SS and also as a rank of the SA. Translated as “Senior Assault Leader”, the rank of Obersturmführer was first created in 1932 as the result of an expansion of the Sturmabteilung and the need for an additional rank in...
: 1933 - SS-HauptsturmführerHauptsturmführerHauptsturmführer was a Nazi rank of the SS which was used between the years of 1934 and 1945. The rank of Hauptsturmführer was a mid-grade company level officer and was the equivalent of a Captain in the German Army and also the equivalent of captain in foreign armies...
: 1938 - SS-SturmbannführerSturmbannführerSturmbannführer was a paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party equivalent to major, used both in the Sturmabteilung and the Schutzstaffel...
: 1939 - SS-ObersturmbannführerObersturmbannführerObersturmbannführer was a paramilitary Nazi Party rank used by both the SA and the SS. It was created in May 1933 to fill the need for an additional field grade officer rank above Sturmbannführer as the SA expanded. It became an SS rank at the same time...
: 1941 - SS-StandartenführerStandartenführerStandartenführer was a Nazi Party paramilitary rank that was used in the so-called Nazi combat-organisations: SA, SS, NSKK and the NSFK...
: 1942 - SS-OberführerOberführerOberführer was an early paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party dating back to 1921. Translated as “Senior Leader”, an Oberführer was typically a Nazi Party member in charge of a group of paramilitary units in a particular geographical region...
: 1944
Although not shown on screen, Helmut appears to have held the rank of Untersturmführer
Untersturmführer
Untersturmführer was a paramilitary rank of the German Schutzstaffel first created in July 1934. The rank can trace its origins to the older SA rank of Sturmführer which had existed since the founding of the SA in 1921...
sometime in early 1933.
Awards
- Iron Cross (First and Second Class)
- War Merit CrossWar Merit CrossThe War Merit Cross was a decoration of Nazi Germany during the Second World War, which could be awarded to civilians as well as military personnel...
(First Class with swords) - Eastern Front Medal
- German National Sports BadgeGerman Sports BadgeThe German Sports Badge is a decoration of the German Olympic Sports Federation DOSB, of the Federal Republic of Germany...
(Silver)
Becker
- played by Warren ClarkeWarren Clarke-Biography:Clarke was born in Oldham, Lancashire. His first television appearance was in the long running Granada soap opera Coronation Street, initially as Kenny Pickup in 1966 and then as Gary Bailey in 1968. His first major film appearance was in Stanley Kubrick's controversial A Clockwork...
Becker is a Waffen-SS
Waffen-SS
The Waffen-SS was a multi-ethnic and multi-national military force of the Third Reich. It constituted the armed wing of the Schutzstaffel or SS, an organ of the Nazi Party. The Waffen-SS saw action throughout World War II and grew from three regiments to over 38 divisions, and served alongside...
officer who first appears in the film during the spring of 1933. The character is portrayed as a fanatical Nazi who obeys orders without questions. He becomes an early friend to Helmut Hoffmann, but it is made clear during the film that Becker's friendship with Helmut is a means to an end, and Becker usually meets with Helmut to ask for favors or to gain an advantage for himself.
When first introduced, Becker is a platoon
Platoon
A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two to four sections or squads and containing 16 to 50 soldiers. Platoons are organized into a company, which typically consists of three, four or five platoons. A platoon is typically the smallest military unit led by a commissioned officer—the...
officer of the Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler
1st SS Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler
The Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler was Adolf Hitler's personal bodyguard. Initially the size of a regiment, the LSSAH eventually grew into a divisional-sized unit...
. He is apparently an "old Nazi" and holds both the Honour Chevron for the Old Guard
Honour Chevron for the Old Guard
The Honour Chevron for the Old Guard, or in German Ehrenwinkel für Alte Kämpfer, was a political decoration of the Nazi Party in Germany. It was authorised in February 1934, as a silver chevron to be worn on the upper right arm, by all members of the SS, who had joined the SS, NSDAP or any other...
and the Golden Party Badge
Golden Party Badge
The Golden Party Badge was a special badge of the Nazi Party. The first 100,000 members who had joined and had uninterrupted service in the Party were given the right to wear it...
, indicating early Nazi Party membership prior to 1933.
In 1934, Becker leads a team of SS troopers during the Night of the Long Knives and is responsible for supervising the execution of several SA generals- he also unwittingly orders the arrest of Helmut Hoffman's brother Karl when the latter is present at the Bad Wiessee
Bad Wiessee
Bad Wiessee is a spa town on Lake Tegernsee, Bavaria, Germany. The name "Bad" means for "spa" or "baths", while "Wiessee" derives from "West See", meaning "western part of the lake"....
resort when the SA is attacked by the SS. Following this, Becker is not seen again until after the Anschluss
Anschluss
The Anschluss , also known as the ', was the occupation and annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany in 1938....
of Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
in 1938, this time as an SS-Captain still serving in the Leibstandarte. An oddity occurs during his 1938 appearance, in that Becker is shown wearing the Iron Cross Second Class which was not re-introduced in the German military until 1939. A costume error also occurs at this time when Becker is seen wearing the shoulder insignia of a Lieutenant Colonel on his Captain's uniform.
By 1944, Becker has risen to the rank of Obersturmbannführer in the Waffen-SS but, oddly enough, does not appear to have earned any additional medals from those seen in 1938. His last appearance in the film is during an interrogation following the July 20th plot; his fate at the end of the war is unknown.
Dates of rank
- SS-ObersturmführerObersturmführerObersturmführer was a paramilitary rank of the Nazi party that was used by the SS and also as a rank of the SA. Translated as “Senior Assault Leader”, the rank of Obersturmführer was first created in 1932 as the result of an expansion of the Sturmabteilung and the need for an additional rank in...
: 1933 - SS-HauptsturmführerHauptsturmführerHauptsturmführer was a Nazi rank of the SS which was used between the years of 1934 and 1945. The rank of Hauptsturmführer was a mid-grade company level officer and was the equivalent of a Captain in the German Army and also the equivalent of captain in foreign armies...
: 1938 - SS-SturmbannführerSturmbannführerSturmbannführer was a paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party equivalent to major, used both in the Sturmabteilung and the Schutzstaffel...
: 1940 - SS-ObersturmbannführerObersturmbannführerObersturmbannführer was a paramilitary Nazi Party rank used by both the SA and the SS. It was created in May 1933 to fill the need for an additional field grade officer rank above Sturmbannführer as the SA expanded. It became an SS rank at the same time...
: 1943
Becker's rank history prior to 1933 is unknown.
Awards
- Golden Nazi Party Badge
- Iron Cross (Second Class)
- German National Sports Badge (Bronze)
- Honour Chevron for the Old Guard
Ludwig Rosenberg
- played by José FerrerJosé FerrerJosé Vicente Ferrer de Otero y Cintrón , best known as José Ferrer, was a Puerto Rican actor, as well as a theater and film director...
Ludwig Rosenberg is a Jewish tenured professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of German literature
German literature
German literature comprises those literary texts written in the German language. This includes literature written in Germany, Austria, the German part of Switzerland, and to a lesser extent works of the German diaspora. German literature of the modern period is mostly in Standard German, but there...
at the University of Stuttgart
University of Stuttgart
The University of Stuttgart is a university located in Stuttgart, Germany. It was founded in 1829 and is organized in 10 faculties....
. He is a mentor and friend to Helmut Hofmann and, at the beginning of the film, appears to be in his early to mid 60s. In 1932, before the Nazis come to power, he is briefly accosted on the streets of Stuttgart by three SA men; Karl and Helmutt Hofmann come to his defense and fight with the SA men who then retreat.
A specialty of Rosenberg's are the works of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was a German writer, pictorial artist, biologist, theoretical physicist, and polymath. He is considered the supreme genius of modern German literature. His works span the fields of poetry, drama, prose, philosophy, and science. His Faust has been called the greatest long...
and his depiction of the human condition. After the Nazis come to power, Rosenberg wonders how the German philosopher's ideas would relate to the present Nazi regime. Specifically, the work "Elective Affinities
Elective Affinities
Elective Affinities , also translated under the title Kindred by Choice, is the third novel by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, published in 1809. The title is taken from a scientific term once used to describe the tendency of chemical species to combine with certain substances or species in preference...
" is mentioned and, during a meeting with Karl in 1933, the future SS officer quotes a line from Goethe stating "you must the hammer
Hammer
A hammer is a tool meant to deliver an impact to an object. The most common uses are for driving nails, fitting parts, forging metal and breaking up objects. Hammers are often designed for a specific purpose, and vary widely in their shape and structure. The usual features are a handle and a head,...
or the anvil
Anvil
An anvil is a basic tool, a block with a hard surface on which another object is struck. The inertia of the anvil allows the energy of the striking tool to be transferred to the work piece. In most cases the anvil is used as a forging tool...
be", stating that the Hoffman's have been the anvil long enough and need to do some hammering. Rosenberg replies that "if Goethe had spent much time in the blacksmith
Blacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
shop, he would have found that the hammer tends to wear out a lot sooner than the anvil". He then asks Karl to do his hammering "with a little discretion".
By 1934, Professor Rosenberg has been dismissed from his university position due to his Jewish heritage and, by 1936, his home has been confiscated and he lives out of a small apartment
Apartment
An apartment or flat is a self-contained housing unit that occupies only part of a building...
in a run-down area of the city. Rosenberg keeps to himself for the next few years, but is eventually targeted for "re-settlement" and ordered by the SS to report to a local train station which, in reality, will be for transport to a death camp. At this point, Rosenberg simple wishes to die rather than live in a Nazi world, and he voluntarily accepts transport to the death camp, even after a sympathetic SS officer (whose brother Rosenberg once taught) offers to help him escape. It is implied that Rosenberg perished in an extermination camp sometime in 1944.
Albrect and Gerda Hoffman
- played by Robert UrquhartRobert Urquhart (actor)Robert Urquhart was a Scottish character actor who mainly worked in British television during his career.He was born in Ullapool, Scotland on 16 October 1921, educated at George Heriot's School in Edinburgh and made his stage debut in 1947...
and Carroll BakerCarroll BakerCarroll Baker is a former American actress who has enjoyed popularity as both a serious dramatic actress and, particularly in the 1960s, as a movie sex symbol...
Historical Nazi Characters
Apart from Adolf HitlerAdolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
(played by actor Colin Jeavons
Colin Jeavons
Colin Jeavons is a Welsh television actor.-Career:Jeavons is best known as Inspector Lestrade in the Granada television serials The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, or the part of the undertaker, Shadrack, in the television situation comedy written by Keith Waterhouse and Willis Hall from...
), several historical figures in the SA and the SS appear in the film. These include:
- Reinhard HeydrichReinhard HeydrichReinhard Tristan Eugen Heydrich , also known as The Hangman, was a high-ranking German Nazi official.He was SS-Obergruppenführer and General der Polizei, chief of the Reich Main Security Office and Stellvertretender Reichsprotektor of Bohemia and Moravia...
(played by David WarnerDavid Warner (actor)David Warner is an English actor who is known for playing both romantic leads and sinister or villainous characters, both in film and animation...
) - Ernst RöhmErnst RöhmErnst Julius Röhm, was a German officer in the Bavarian Army and later an early Nazi leader. He was a co-founder of the Sturmabteilung , the Nazi Party militia, and later was its commander...
(played by Michael ElphickMichael ElphickMichael John Elphick was an English actor. Elphick was known in the UK for his trademark croaky voice and his work on British television, in particular his roles as the eponymous private investigator in the ITV series Boon and later Harry Slater in BBC's EastEnders.Robust and ruggedly good-looking...
) - Heinrich HimmlerHeinrich HimmlerHeinrich Luitpold Himmler was Reichsführer of the SS, a military commander, and a leading member of the Nazi Party. As Chief of the German Police and the Minister of the Interior from 1943, Himmler oversaw all internal and external police and security forces, including the Gestapo...
(played by John NormingtonJohn NormingtonJohn Normington was an English actor who appeared widely on British television from the 1960s until the year of his death. Normington was also a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company performing in more than 20 RSC productions...
) - Theodor EickeTheodor EickeTheodor Eicke was a SS Obergruppenführer , commander of the SS-Division Totenkopf of the Waffen-SS and one of the key figures in the establishment of concentration camps in Nazi Germany. His Nazi Party number was 114,901 and his SS number was 2,921...
(played by Derek NewarkDerek NewarkDerek Newark was an English actor.He appeared in a large number of film and television roles, including The Baron , The Avengers , Z Cars , Barlow at Large in the recurring role of Det. Insp...
) - Sepp Dietrich (played by Bernard Lloyd)
- Viktor LutzeViktor LutzeViktor Lutze was the commander of the Sturmabteilung succeeding Ernst Röhm as Stabschef.-Early life:...
(played by John Dicks)
The character of SA-Gruppenführer Josef Biegler (played by actor Paul Brooke
Paul Brooke
Paul Brooke is an English actor of film, television, and radio. He is the father of actor Tom Brooke.He and Ernie Fosselius played Malakili the Rancor Keeper in Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. He played British Conservative politician Ian Gow in the 2004 BBC series The Alan Clark Diaries...
) was a composite of several real life SA generals and not based on any one particular person. David Warner
David Warner
David Warner may refer to:* Dave Warner, or David Robert Warner, Australian author, rock musician and screenwriter* David Warner , British actor* David Warner , Australian cricketer* David Bruce Warner, South African alpine skier...
, who
played Heydrich, originally played the SS General in the TV miniseries Holocaust.
Release information
The original version of Hitler's SS: Portrait in Evil was released in February of 1985 on network television and ran either as a single four hour program or as two two-hour instalments. Both versions were edited for commercials.The next significant broadcast of the film was on the History Channel which broadcast the film as part of its "Movies in Time" series with Sander Vanocur
Sander Vanocur
Sander "Sandy" Vanocur is an American journalist.- Career :Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Vanocur moved to Peoria, Illinois when he was twelve years old. After attending Western Military Academy in Alton, Illinois, he earned a bachelor's degree in political science from the Northwestern...
. The film was run for three hours with significant edits and cutting of several major scenes. A VHS release of the entire film was available in the early 1990s and the film was released on DVD sometime after 2001. The original DVD version of the film cut the entire first half of the film, providing a brief summary in an introduction clip and then began with the invasion of Poland in 1939.
The most recent release on DVD was part of a "War Classics" series released by a private vendor which placed the uncut version of the film on a DVD with three other features.