Im toten Winkel - Hitlers Sekretärin (2002)

Directors:

André Heller
Othmar Schmiderer

Writers:

André Heller (writer)
Othmar Schmiderer (writer)

Release Date:

22 March 2002 (Austria)

Genre:

Documentary | Biography

Plot:

Documentary featuring interview footage with Traudl Junge, one of Hitler's personal secretaries during WWII.

Plot Keywords:

Hitler | Secretary | Nazi Germany | Employer Employee Relationship | Job Interview

Awards:

2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

  (Credited cast)

Traudl Junge

...

Herself

Also Known As:

Blind Spot. Hitler's Secretary (International: English title)

MPAA:

Rated PG for thematic material.

Runtime:

90 min | Canada:95 min (Toronto International Film Festival)

Country:

Austria

Language:

German

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Singapore:PG | Australia:PG | Germany:12 | Norway:A | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Zurich) | Switzerland:14 (canton of the Grisons) | UK:PG | USA:PG | Argentina:Atp | Brazil:14

Company:

Dor Film Produktionsgesellschaft

Quotes:

Traudl Junge: And I think it's also the case that if you value and respect someone you don't really want to destroy the image of that person... you don't want to know, in fact if disaster lies beyond the facade.

Movie Connections:

Edited into Der Untergang (2004)

Riveting

The film consists entirely of headshots of Traudl Junge talking about her experiences as secretary to Adolph Hitler from 1941 to the end of World War II. The film is in German with English subtitles; at times the subtitles were hard to read because of a light background.

A slide at the beginning of the film said this was the first time Frau Junge had spoken about her experiences. I seem to recall she was interviewed in the 1970s television series, "The World at War."

The film starts slowly as Frau Junge tells about her background. Her parents were divorced when she was young and she was raised by her mother. She got the job working for Hitler through a family connection. Junge explains she was one of four secretaries who worked for Hitler.

When she starts talking about Hitler she notes that he never talked about Jews or the death camps. She claims not to have known of the Final Solution. I do not doubt Junge's veracity. I do worry this will give ammunition to Holocaust deniers. (How could the German government be perpetrating these murders and Hitler's secretary didn't know.)

The most interesting part of the film is Junge's recounting of life in the bunker at the end of the war. She said that they lost track of time and were, for example, eating at odd times. They had no idea of what was going on outside.

Hitller and the other officials in the bunker mad plans for suicide. Hitler had gotten some cyanide tablets from Himmler. After a rumor started that Himmler had opened negotiations with the allies, Hitler tested the cyanide on his beloved dog, Blondie. The dog died.

Junge was present at Hitler's marriage to Eva Braun. After the wedding, Hitler dictated his "political testament" to Junge. She said she had expected him to reveal what had gone wrong, instead, Hitler dictated his usual diatribes against the Jews and blamed the German people for being unworthy of his vision.

The film ends with Junge observing that Hitler was wrong about what would happen after the war.

Anyone at all interested in World War II should see this film.