13 Minutes [Elser] *** (2015, Christian Friedel, Katharina Schüttler, Burghart Klaußner) – Movie Review

Director Oliver Hirschbiegel’s terrifying biopic of German radical Georg Elser is painstaking but incredibly painful to watch as most of the film consists of his torture by the Nazis. This is a true horror movie.

It’s the heartfelt story of one good man, now recognised as a sole resistance fighter, though formerly branded as an assassin, who nearly changed world history by coming within 13 minutes of blowing up Adolf Hitler with a self-constructed bomb in 1939. So near but so far. Unfortunately, by the time the bomb went off, Hitler had left the building, and the Nazis seemed to find it incredibly easy to find the bomber, who hadn’t worked out a good escape plan.

Hirschbiegel must believe this is an inspiring story of bravery and courage, and in many ways it is. But it’s also an appalling story of great hurt and damage. The torturers want Elser to spill the beans on his accomplices, and refuse to accept the truth that he was working alone, so they just continue to torture him and torture him.

What a truly horrible and disgusting story this is! As bleak as all hell, it doesn’t really seem to have any upsides. The extended flashbacks to Elser’s happier earlier life just go to show that one extraordinary moment in a life doesn’t make the man himself necessarily fascinating. Maybe, though, it’s his ordinariness that’s the whole point. Could be all be a hero if the moment arose? Or is it a case of one good man saves the world? And what is good anyway. Elser killed innocent people with his bomb and not Hitler?

The film is extremely well made, written and acted, with brilliant period detail. Christian Friedel is excellent as Elser, in a tricky to realise portrait of a man who is spectacularly ordinary and not particularly clever except in the matter of bomb makking. It re-tells an extremely important story that probably isn’t all that well known, especially outside Germany, and ought to be. But I found the film unbearable and very nearly walked out. After the whole 114 minutes, I wish I had.

Hirschbiegel also directed the celebrated war drama Downfall (2004) about the last week in the life of Adolf Hitler. 

© Derek Winnert 2015 Movie Review

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