The Plot to Kill Hitler (1990) (TV)

User Rating:

6.1/10   

Director:

Lawrence Schiller

Writer (WGA):

Steven Elkins (written by)

Release Date:

30 January 1990 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | History | War

Tagline:

Based on a true story.

Plot:

"The Plot to Kill Hitler" is a historical recreation of the 1944 attempt by several German High Command...

Plot Keywords:

Hitler | Historical | Plot To Kill Hitler | Plot | Conspiracy

Cast

Brad Davis	...	Count Claus von Stauffenberg
Madolyn Smith Osborne	...	Countess Nina von Stauffenberg (as Madolyn Smith)
Ian Richardson	...	Gen. Beck
Kenneth Colley	...	Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel
Michael Byrne	...	Gen. Olbricht
Helmut Lohner	...	Gen. Fromm (as Helmuth Lohner)
Jonathan Hyde	...	Prof. Joseph Goebbels
Rupert Graves	...	Axel von dem Bussche
Jack Hedley
John McEnery
Heather Chasen
Helmut Griem	...	Field Marshal Erwin Rommel
Mike Gwilym	...	Adolf Hitler
Vernon Dobtcheff	...	Fellgiebel
Christoph Eichhorn	...	Stieff

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

Yugoslavia | USA

Language:

English | German

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Argentina:13 | Singapore:PG | Finland:K-13 (2009)

Filming Locations:

Zagreb, Croatia

Company:

Jadran Film

Quotes:

Count Claus von Stauffenberg: If it came down to an all-out struggle between our Army and the SS, where would you stand?
General Fromm: With those left standing.

Movie Connections:

Version of Es geschah am 20. Juli (1955)

A thin story

The film is about the actual story involving a few German officers, who decides to try to kill Adolf Hitler. They want to put an end to the war and stop the madness before it's too late. In the film you are able to follow von Stauffenberg (the man who placed the bomb next to Hitler's chair) and his loyal friends. The plot turns out to be a failure however, and Hitler survives the bomb quite unharmed. The men are sentenced to death for their actions...

It's a great idea to do a film about this incident from a historical point of view, since it's often forgotten in WW2 films that there also were German men who disagreed with Hitler and his ideas, too. But the film is not very good. This subject deserves a better film and a better story. The manuscript is too thin and there's far too little excitement.

They should have left out the parts in the film concerning Stauffenberg's wife and family, cause they have really nothing to do with it, and instead concentrate more on the part when the men are making the plans. Many of the other characters in the 'conspiring group' are also very neglected. I would have liked to know more about them. Some of the actors are really lousy, too.

Michael Byrne as General Oldbricht is great, though. It was mostly because of him i saw the film in the first place. His role should have been bigger.

I gave the film a medium vote: 6. Mostly because I like Michael Byrne as an actor.