Hitler, the Rise of Evil: a Critical Review
Hitler the rise of Evil is a successful miniseries from 2003, directed by Chrstian Duguay and starring Robert Caryle, that won two Emmy awards. The miniseries presents Adolf Hitler from a small boy until his rise to power in the German Riech in 1939. The miniseries was created for entertainment purposes; however, during its promotion makers marketed it as a very accurate adaptation of the period. Therefore the film is of interest to historians who wish to explore the subject and the films accuracy.
It is excellent historical nonfiction. It follows the most notorious tyrant in history. During a period of economic and political turmoil, left over from the reign of Wilhem II and then the ever failing leadership of the parties from the Weimar Republic, and the resulting growth of the Nazi party, from the Munich Putsch in 1923, to gaining the majority of seats in the 1932 elections, and Hitler’s appointment as Chancellor in 1933.
Historians look at this period in Germany as the prequel to the most destructive change to the world in history. Consequently, the Nazi era and WW2 remains one of the most popular eras to represent and document in education and popular entertainment. Other such productions include Dad’s Army, the famous English comedy television series, Pearl Harbor, the Hollywood blockbuster and the celebrated documentary, narrated by Laurence Olivier, The World at War. The miniseries is directed to show a more human and realistic side to “the most evil man in history”. This challenged the stereotypical persona of the 19th century leader that until the miniseries had been the status quo for Hitler features including Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and ‘Allo’ ‘Allo’, the British comedy show.
The audience is the 21st century generations, whose limited experience of Hitler is from the class room and some entertainment productions. For historians the miniseries is a source of evidence about the history of the people that the miniseries intended to entertain,
It is excellent historical nonfiction. It follows the most notorious tyrant in history. During a period of economic and political turmoil, left over from the reign of Wilhem II and then the ever failing leadership of the parties from the Weimar Republic, and the resulting growth of the Nazi party, from the Munich Putsch in 1923, to gaining the majority of seats in the 1932 elections, and Hitler’s appointment as Chancellor in 1933.
Historians look at this period in Germany as the prequel to the most destructive change to the world in history. Consequently, the Nazi era and WW2 remains one of the most popular eras to represent and document in education and popular entertainment. Other such productions include Dad’s Army, the famous English comedy television series, Pearl Harbor, the Hollywood blockbuster and the celebrated documentary, narrated by Laurence Olivier, The World at War. The miniseries is directed to show a more human and realistic side to “the most evil man in history”. This challenged the stereotypical persona of the 19th century leader that until the miniseries had been the status quo for Hitler features including Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and ‘Allo’ ‘Allo’, the British comedy show.
The audience is the 21st century generations, whose limited experience of Hitler is from the class room and some entertainment productions. For historians the miniseries is a source of evidence about the history of the people that the miniseries intended to entertain,