The Wannsee Conference (1984)

This is How Movies Should Be Made

just watch it!

Horrible, fascist and poorly acted

It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.

"Die Wannseekonferenz" or "The Wannsee Conference" is a German television movie from 1984, so this one is already over 30 years old. The director is Heinz Schirk (turns 85 this year) and the writer is Paul Mommertz and for both it is probably their most known work from their careers. It is set in Berlin in the January of 1942, so during the years of the Nazi reign and World War II. Here we have the depiction of high-profile Nazi politicians deciding what would be the (in their opinion) right way to deal with the Jewish population of Germany, but also the countries they invaded. And this so-called final solution is a very cruel decision. You probably know about the contents, at least vaguely.The cast here includes not to many names I am familiar with, so most of these were probably much more famous in the 1980s compared to today. However, Robert Atzorn and Jochen Busse (really unusual role for him) will probably be familiar faces to German movie buffs. The film's biggest strength is probably how close it is to the real events. It is very close to documentary-style. It also runs for exactly the same duration as it really took the Nazi politicians back then to come up with their decision, namely slightly under 90 minutes. But this close proximity to the facts is also the film's biggest problem perhaps. There is really no additional dramatization added in here and I found it all very bleak and dry and there's so many characters in here where we have no clue who they are or how they made it big enough to participate at this convention. Character development is non-existent during these 85 minutes. These are the reasons why I would not recommend the watch. We saw this over a decade ago at school and I found it very unappealing back then already. Same today. Thumbs down from me.

Excellent rendition and filmed on location , it is based on actual deeds regard to Wannsee conference where decided to adopt the Final Solution . This sensational German production is based on real-life deeds and was subsequently shot in 2001 a HBO film by Frank Pierson with Kenneth Brannagh , Stanley Tucci , Colin Firth, Kevin McNally , among others. It concerns about the meeting of high-ranking Nazi SS and civilian leaders at the Wannsee Conference held on January 20,1942, to plan the Final Solution of the Jewish question. This interesting, important movie depicting, in real time, the conference during which 14 members of the Nazi hierarchy decided in eighty five minutes the logistics and means of effecting the Final Solution. The film is magnificently played by complete casting formed by a top-notch plethora of German actors , though unknown . Special mention to Dietrich Mattausch as cold General Reinhard Heydrich, and Bockmann as Adolf Eichmann. The picture is accurately directed by Heinz Schirk based on the Wannsee Protocol.Adding more details along with the well developed on the movie, the deeds were happened of the following manner: The meeting took place in the Berlin suburb of Grossen-Wannsee, where the decision was made to adopt the Final Solution, the contemplated extermination of Jews . On Julio 31, 1941, Herman Goering issued orders to Reinhard Heydrich,chief of the SD, the security service , to submit a comprehensive plan of the Jewish question. The meeting was originally scheduled for December 8,1941, but it was to be postpones until noon on January 20, 1942. It was to be followed by a luncheon. Fifteen Nazi bureaucrats were present. Minutes of meeting taken in Protocol that read in part: ¨As a further possibility of solving the question, the evacuation of the Jews of the east can now be substituted for emigration ,after obtaining permission from the Fuehrer to that effect.However ,these actions are merely to be considered as alternative possibilities, even though they will permit us to make all those practical experiences of great importance for the future final solution of the Jewish question. The Jews should in the course of the Final Solution betaken in a suitable manner to the east for use as labor. In big labor gangs ,separated by sex. The Jews capable of work will be brought these areas for road building, in which task undoubtedly a large number will fall through natural diminution. The remnant that is finally able to survive all this must be treated accordingly, since these people, representing a natural selection, are to be regarded as the germ cell a new Jewish development, in case they should succeed and go free. This remnant survivor is undoubtedly the part with the strongest resistance. And they go free as history has proved. In the course of the execution of the Final solution , Europe will be combed from West to east¨. The conference was opened by Heydrich, who declared that he was the plenipotentiary for the final of the Jewish question. He then reviewed the emigration problem. Until this time a plan had been held in readiness to deport all Jews to the island of Magadascar, off the coast of Africa, but the Madagascar Plan had fallen through after the invasion of the USSR on June,22,1941. There was no longer any possibility of transporting Jews in this fashion. Instead of emigration the Fueherer had given his sanction for the evacuation of all Jews to the East as a solution possibility. The evacuees would be organized into huge labor columns. Undoubtedly, a majority would fall through natural diminution. The survivors of this natural selection process, actually the hard core of Jewry and the most dangerous because they could rebuild the Jewish life,would be treated accordingly. Although Heydrich did not elaborate the phrase ¨treated accordingly¨the plain meaning was that, in the course of time,with insufficient food and exhausting work, the survivors would be weakened and ready for the specially equipped extermination camps. The conferees then became involved in a lengthy discussion of the problem of the individuals of mixed race, and that of Jews in mixed marriages. About the half the time was taken up with this special discussion, but not drastic reclassification was made. Then the conferees adjourned for lunch. Thirty copies of the record were made and circulated in the ministries and SS offices. News of the Final Solution traveled quickly through the Nazi bureaucracy. Within a few months the first gas chamber camps were set up in Poland. The events are known as Wannsee Protocol by Martin Luther's copy of the Conference minutes was discovered in the files of the German Foreign by American investigators in 1947.It is the only record of the meeting that survives. Destination of the Conference participants is the following : Reinhard Heydrich killed in Praga. Gestapo Chied Heinrich Muller, disappeared after the war. Dr Gerhard Klopfer, arrested 1945 for war crimes, discharged for lack of evidence,died 1987. Dr Krtzinger, arrested 1945,declarated ashamed of Nazi atrocities released 1947. Otto Hoffman arrested 1945,sentenced to 25 years. Dr Alfred Meyer committed suicide in the Spring of 1945.Dr Stuckard sentenced 1949 to time served. Martin Luther sent to concentration camp,died of heart attack 1945. Dr Buhler arrested 1945,executed 1948,Poland. SS colonel Schongarth executed 1946. And Colonel Adolf Eichmann captured in Argentina by Israeli agents 1960,tried, convicted and hanged for crimes against humanity,Jerusalem,May 31,1962 .

This movie is a fascinating 'fly on the wall' look at the infamous Wannsee Conference held on 20 Jan 1942. As they snack on food and sip on fine French Wines, the 'paper pushers', 'yes men', 'intellectuals' and 'hatchet men' of the Third Reich debate the fate of 11 million people.There is another movie that also looks at this same 90 min. meeting called 'Conspiracy' - which is available on DVD & VHS through Amazon.com. Although the 'WannseeKonferenz' is the better movie (and 'Conspiracy' sometimes comes across as a flashy imitation), I strongly urge everyone to watch both movies. Both movies have the same people attending the conference, but how each attendee is portrayed at the conference is strikingly different. Most of the attendees in 'Conspiracy' (except for Dr. Klopfer) are viewed as flawed intellectuals, but full of grace, charm and manners (which makes a nice stark comparison with what they are discussing). Almost all of the attendees in 'The Wannsee Conference' (except for the female secretary) are shown as crude, corrupt pigs that differ with each other only as to how to divide their 'power'. In particular after watching both versions, I am most curious as to the 'real' Major Lange. The crude drunken Major Lange of 'The Wannsee Conference' seems more likely to be butchering 1000's of Jews at Riga than the soft spoken, charming, well mannered Major Lange of 'Conspiracy'.

It was inspired programme planning on the part of BBC's Knowledge channel to preface Heinz Schirk's dramatised documentary with Alain Resnais's chilling piece of actuality footage "Nuit et Brouillard" made twenty years earlier. It is just possible that, without it, the more recent film might have lost something of its awesome impact. However, by preceding it with the most harrowing account of the consequences of that fateful meeting, there was no escaping the obscenity of what we were watching. The scene was one of glamour with smartly dressed high ranking Nazi officials being served refreshments by spotlessly groomed white uniformed young male waiters. With minutes detailing the planned murder of millions being taken by an attractive female stenographer with the calm impassivity of one recording an average business meeting, the underlying horror and grotesque irony of the occasion was complete. A masterly historical reconstruction.