Look Who's Back

I just finished watching the new German film “Er ist wieder da“ (translated “He is back“) on Netflix.  While the film is in German, Netflix does provide English subtitles for the linguistically-German challenged.  The film can be found on Netflix by searching for “Look Who’s Back.” 

Like all good satire, the movie utilizes humor to great effect in the pursuit of exposing key weaknesses in contemporary society.  The film is a fictional account of the mysterious return of Adolf Hitler to 2014 Berlin.  With his last recollection being that of his Berlin bunker in May 1945, Hitler begins exploring contemporary society.  While his interpretation of 21^st Century society is amusing, the most interesting parts by far were the interactions the actor had with real bystanders.  You see, the film was made on the streets of Germany and many of the people “Hitler” interacts with are not actors themselves.

I am not going to give any more details about the movie because I would really rather you see it for yourself.  However, I will say that the end does a great job bringing everything around and leaving the viewer with some good “food for thought.”  While some (many?) will find the thought of a Hitler satire to be distasteful (not unwarranted) I took the moral of the story to be that the horrors that occurred from 1933-1945 under Hitler’s reign were nothing special to him or that place or time; rather they could all happen anywhere, anytime.  Why?  Because humans are sinful.  Hitler (the real one), while I believe an agent of Satan, merely tapped into the inherent sin of mankind.  We have plenty of examples of such sin around us today, which is what precisely makes this movie a “must see” right now; it shines a much needed light on the very weaknesses that make our society ripe for a leader to abuse.  In the US, we see leaders, and those that seek such positions, abuse power, shirk culpability, and flaunt their immunity to the repercussions of their illegal activity.  Others speak in ways that foster hate.  Or do they just tap into it?  The moral of the movie “Look Who’s Back” is that the characteristics of a leader reflect more about those that follow them than it does about the leader themselves.  In the movie, the character Hitler reminds another character that he was elected by the people.

While the real Adolf Hitler is more than deserving of the distain and contempt for generations to come, let us never forget a nation’s leader is really a reflection of the people.  Nothing could be more applicable to our nation today as we head into a presidential election.  

Dresden Firebombings

On the 70th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima, it is worthy to note that it was not the first time that such a terror attack had been committed by Allied Forces in the year 1945. On February 14 of 1945 (ironically Ash Wednesday), Allied Forces firebombed the German city of Dresden, creating a firestorm that killed an estmated 25,000 civilians. The British Prime Minister at the time, Winston Churchill, was so appalled by the event that he had this to say:

"It seems to me that the moment has come when the question of bombing of German cities simply for the sake of increasing the terror, though under other pretexts, should be reviewed. The destruction of Dresden remains a serious query against the conduct of Allied bombing. The Foreign Secretary has spoken to me on this subject, and I feel the need for more precise concentration upon military objectives such as oil and communications behind the immediate battle-zone, rather than on mere acts of terror and wanton destruction, however impressive."

WWII was a dark time for all parties involved. May we never hide from the horror of war that we may seek the way of peace even just a minute longer when we are called to the test.