Moloch Details

Moloch

Starting with a misty scene on the balcony of the eagles nest I firstly thought this film was going to be of no interest, but it soon became apparent that there was something very real about the story, capturing almost a time capsule of the life and atmosphere of Hitler's retreat. A strange and chilling place, trying to be a home and yet pervaded by the obvious tensions of the people surrounding the Furher. All the guests trying to relax and yet quite unable to do so in the presence of Hitler, where everyone had to hold back their thoughts. Perhaps just a glimpse into what it was like being in his inner circle and the uneasy relationship with Eva. I found this compelling watching and a tense film rather like being a 'fly on the wall' and releived when Hitler departed almost as suddenly as he had arrived, and clearly unable to express his thoughts and feelings, leaving you wondering why he had bothered to visit in the first place. A strange insight, very well photographed, bringing with it many tensions and leaving so many questions still unanswered.

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An impossible task!

Sokurov attempts to provide us with some insight into one of our most untouchable and private historical figures. It seems that no-one even came close to achieving intimate knowledge of Hitler.

The film certainly reflects the neurotic, obsessive, totally uncharismatic hypochondriac side of a man who prefered his own company to that of others. It is almost comical in places, we learn just how uninvolved he was in the actual detail of achieving his ambitions... leaving the planning to his generals.

Hitler is incredibly banal and detatched, unable to even come close to developing a relationship with Braun in the real sense, and is depicted as rather dim , totally self - obsessed and utterly insane. The menacing evil of the man is seemingly reflected by the bleakness of the Bavarian castle surrounded by mountains with a pervading gloom. Very atmospheric with an almost comical caricature of insanity and menace.

A slow paced film which explores the psychology and emotions mostly between Adolf and Eva, those seeking politically historical enlightenment of this period wil be unrewarded.

In terms of achieving the very challenging task of attempting to 'humanise' Adolf in this informal setting I felt that Sukorov had barely scratched the surface, we are left with a parody of an egocentric, completely neurotic madman with evidence of failure as an artist, a poet, a lover and a friend. The lack of intelligent conversation at dinner and the comical images of him chasing Eva around the room in his underpants or defaecating in the open during a picnic provide little insight beyond the level of a caricature.

To me the greatest success of the film was in creating the atmosphere, the rural surroundings which on paper would have been magnificently, breathtakingly beautiful, but Sukorov managed to evoke an almost suffocating, oppressively evil backdrop of sinister menace which so appropriately reflected these dark and dangerous times.