Search - Hitler - The Rise of Evil on DVD

Brilliantly done; a masterpiece

James T. Wheeler | TUCSON, AZ United States | 05/29/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I gave "The Rise of Evil" 5 stars because that's what it deserves. The show is extremely well-constructed, cast, and directed, even if the screenplay takes some liberties with history along the way. Yes, the story could have gotten along without the dog beating scene, the one where Hitler's father abuses him violently, and probably a few others. But the dramatic effect would have been impaired.



I watched the "making of" documentary that came with my DVD before I sat down to view the 3-hour movie. Then, I watched the documentary again after seeing the show. I'd recommend this approach to others to understand why the producer and director were subject to such criticism before and after the film was finished.



When this miniseries first came out we going out of town and totally missed it. My wife and I watch very little network TV because it doesn't seem like it's designed for thinking adults. This program is very much the exception and should be a must for anyone interested in world events and the dangers of facism.



Any review of this program must include comments on the performance of Robert Carlyle who plays the adult Hitler. Although the very Scottish Mr. Carlyle may be small in stature and far-removed from Hitler's teutonic roots he is mesmerizing as der Fuehrer. Carlyle captures the part so well you worry about what he could possibly do in the future to escape type-casting. It's all there: the iron will, the vicious temper, the evil political genius. Scary, truly scary.



The other actors in the show do very well, too, and there are a lot of well-defined characters. Peter O'Toole's role in the movie is limited but he does a fine job as President Hindenburg. The decent people who are steam-rolled by the 3rd Reich were sorry victims, indeed, but that's the way it must have been.



There were some characters who were notable by their absence, like Heinrich Himmler, Reinhold Heydrich, and Martin Bormann. Also missing was much on Nazi mysticism and the occult. Maybe these missing pieces are being held for a sequel. I'd certainly be interested if there were one."

It is only by acknowledging Hitler's humanity that we may gr

Monty | 05/22/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"2 and 1/2 stars



Ironically, this miniseries is every bit as biased as the Nazi propaganda it denounces. The film relies heavily on cliched portrayals of "innocent Jews," "heroic journalists," and "evil Nazis," and in the process ends up sacrificing sophistication to enact a heavy-handed morality play. It goes without saying that the film neglected historical accuracy for the sake of painting Hitler as a demon in human guise, misrepresenting segments of Hitler's life to further its agenda.



This sort of thinking is quite silly. Though human monsters, such as Jeffrey Dahmer and Peter Kurten have existed, Hitler was not one of them. Historical research has shown that he had a number of redeeming qualities: he was a brave and good soldier and considerate to those who worked under him. Though this might make many people uncomfortable, it is only by acknowledging Hitler's humanity that we may grasp the enormity of his crime. To do otherwise is to blind ourselves to the cruelty latent (or suppressed) in us all and impair our ability to recognize it.



Unfortunately, the film's handling of as complex a character as Hitler is woefully simplistic and ultimately unrealistic. Even Robert Carlyle's tremendous performance at times fails to avoid the realm of caricature. That said, the actors did an excellent job with the screenplay given them and the film was still quite captivating in its intensity despite its historical inaccuracies.

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Chilling and interesting portrayal

Robert J. Crawford | Balmette Talloires, France | 03/31/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is a good introduction to that all-encompassing epitome of evil, Hitler. While not excessively accurate from a historical standpoint, which Hitler buffs and academic types will protest, the story is well told and offers a wide range of emotion: you see Hitler as an abused child, an abject failure until the WWI experience that focused his rage, and then as a sociopathic seeker of power as a politician of genius. It evokes the time very well and has good characters, who are acted with true excellence by the fine cast.



I liked the journalist opponent, as played by Modine, who watched with amusement, then mortal fear, and serves as a kind of conscience for the German people in the film. He is excellent and convincing, along with his wife. Then there is the publisher and his wife, who are early adherents to the Party and for a time mesmerized. They too are excellent characters, mirroring another side of the German psyche that becomes increasingly ambivalent as Hitler gains power; it destroys their relationship. As I was unsure whether they were fictional characters, I looked them up and they are indeed historical figures, which makes this a first-rate bio-pic.



Then there is Carlyle, who makes a very very good Hitler. He holds himself in a way I have never seen him - more often in his career a well-meaning, almost floppy ne'er do well - as rigid, full of boiling hate, and a political shrewdness and brutality that are compelling and still frightening. Finally, there is the exceptional performance of Stormare as Roehm, the leader of the SA who is eventually murdered for political reasons, as Hitler consolidated his power. Stormare is a genuinely wonderful character actor, bringing an entire environment with him.



Recommended. It is powerful and fun and historically interesting."

Poorly written at best

J. Russell | Tallahassee, FL | 08/29/2008

(1 out of 5 stars)

"I saw this when it first came on CBS. Such an excellent cast, excellent setting, yet the dialogue and overall portrayal of Hitler were poor at best. It is as though the good writers were off that week. I recommend "Downfall" or "Conspiracy" for a portrayal of Nazi politics, not this. This film had so much potential to be good and it was utterly ruined."