The director of Downfall once again ventures into the history of the Third Reich, this time to bring us the story of a lone individual that said no to the rise of the Nazi Party and tried to stop them as early as 1939. The result is an intense film that covers both the interrogation of Georg Elser and looks at how the rise of National Socialism affected the village which he grew up in.
It is November 8, 1939, and 13 minutes after Hitler leaves a Munich rally an explosion kills eight people. On the same night a man, Elser (Christian Friedel), is detained trying to cross the Swiss border with items that tie him into the bombing. As he is interrogated by both police and the Gestapo, in the forms of Arthur Nebe (Burghart Klaussner) and Heinrich Muller (Johann Von Bulow), we slowly begin to see the motivation of this individual in the flashbacks to his previous life. From a younger Elser’s perspective we see the growth of the Nazi party as they fight the Communists for political gain, but we also see the changes in the simple village life that are wrought. Eventually even Elser, a free-spirited man of peace, feels the need to take action.
At times harrowing, 13 Minutes is an inspiring tale of one man’s clear foresight and conviction. Director Oliver Hirschbiegel brings us a film that isn’t afraid of making the audience confront the violence and tension of the interrogation, but neither does he revel in or glamorise it. This is a fine balancing act, relying much more on the audience’s imagination and implication to create an impact rather than gore. In utilising this technique Hirschbiegel is also able to demonstrate how commonplace such methods are and how dehumanising it is on the participants. In one memorable scene the camera tracks up a hallway landing on a mid-shot of a secretary reading a novel as Elser is tortured next door. That juxtaposition of the feigned indifference and the agonised cries is terrifying.
Acting almost as a relief mechanism, we are also given a glimpse into German rural life in the ‘30s. This seemingly idyllic pastoral setting is soon soured as the Nazi ideology spreads its way into everyday life, first in the form of historical details added to the background, then more and more in the attitude of the inhabitants. Friedel does a wonderful job in these scenes of bringing some shade to the character beyond mere stoicism, allowing a sense of humour and love of life to flow, creating a multi-layered portrayal.
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An interesting and at times intense look at a historical figure who is less known than later attempts to assassinate Hitler (ironically, Nebe was part of Operation Valkyrie). Although not quite up to the standard of Hirschbiegel’s previous study of the Third Reich, it is a pointed reminder of how a nation can be shaped by the views of extremism and hate.
Originally published in X-Press Magazine
