"Das Goebbels-Experiment" or "The Goebbels Experiment" is a collaboration between Germany and Great Britain and this film was made back in 2005, so it had its 10th anniversary last year. This exists with English and German narration and depending which version you watch, you will hear either Kenneth Branagh or Udo Samel. The writer and director is Lutz Hachmeister and these 105 minutes are probably his most known work to-date. The title already says what it is about, namely Joseph Goebbels, one of the big names inevitable linked to Nazi Germany as he was Hitler's most loyal aide and follower and he even went with him into death on his own will.
The film and the narration I mentioned previously consists basically entirely of writing from Goebbels himself. This certainly makes a difference here as such proximity to the subject is something you don't get in every documentary movie. It is his words. We find out a whole lot about him, his relationships with politicians like Hitler and Göhring for example, but also for example about how he saw Leni Riefenstahl. There's also many personal parts in here, for example we get to know how he crushed on his future wife Magda immediately and I was a bit surprised his children weren't really part of these recordings or maybe they just weren't included, which is kinda sad looking at how many he had if they really meant so little to him.
All in all, it was a pretty good effort I would say. I learned something I have not yet known on some occasions here and I think the films makes an impact and does not belong to the gray mass of Nazi-themed documentaries who basically all tell exactly the same. I would not say it is a must-see, but it is probably a good watch for everybody with an interest in German history of the 20th century. Also it dragged almost never, which is always a decent achievement for a film that runs for over 100 minutes. Thumbs-up from me. Go see it.
The film and the narration I mentioned previously consists basically entirely of writing from Goebbels himself. This certainly makes a difference here as such proximity to the subject is something you don't get in every documentary movie. It is his words. We find out a whole lot about him, his relationships with politicians like Hitler and Göhring for example, but also for example about how he saw Leni Riefenstahl. There's also many personal parts in here, for example we get to know how he crushed on his future wife Magda immediately and I was a bit surprised his children weren't really part of these recordings or maybe they just weren't included, which is kinda sad looking at how many he had if they really meant so little to him.
All in all, it was a pretty good effort I would say. I learned something I have not yet known on some occasions here and I think the films makes an impact and does not belong to the gray mass of Nazi-themed documentaries who basically all tell exactly the same. I would not say it is a must-see, but it is probably a good watch for everybody with an interest in German history of the 20th century. Also it dragged almost never, which is always a decent achievement for a film that runs for over 100 minutes. Thumbs-up from me. Go see it.