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Hannah Arendt once famously wrote about "the banality of evil" saying "the sad truth is that most evil is done by people who never make up their minds to be good or evil." In a way, that means that some of these "unthinkable" evils in history were committed by ordinary people who followed orders thinking that their actions were normal. That is part of what's addressed in this magnificent HBO film.
Conspiracy gives us a chance to see that banality in the works as it dramatizes the events of the Wannsee Conference in 1942. The meeting, attended by a small group of Nazi officers, was supposed to be a moment to decide on the "Final Solution" for Germany's "Jewish problem". The meeting is organized by Adolf Eichmann (Stanley Tucci) and led by Reinhard Heydrich (Kenneth Branagh). Tucci and Branagh are surrounded by an ensemble of respected TV and stage actors.
This is a film I've easily seen about a dozen times and I've loved it since the first one. This is not a film of booms and bangs, but more a film of dialogue and subtle performances. The film is full of these little moments of great direction and non-verbal acting that help establish the personalities of every character. Be it in the way they arrive, how they are addressed, and how they mingle with each other, you know who each person is. Some characters establish their authority with their attitudes and demeanor, while others prance around pimping their credentials.
Branagh is probably the more notable example. From his grand arrival to the way he establishes his authority at the table with swift decisions and blunt responses. Not only that, but we also see how he cunningly manipulates those around him to be on the same page, carefully adjusting his strategies and approach to each target. However, Tucci is just as excellent in a more subtle performance, while Colin Firth and David Threlfall, as Wilhelm Stuckart and Friederich Kritzinger respectively, also shine in specific moments.
Much like 12 Angry Men, most of Conspiracy takes place in a single room. Most of the action is shot from a tabletop point of view, putting us right at the table with these people. As the camera moves around, we see the banality with which the attendees discuss "unthinkable" things like forced sterilization and mass murders; all while joking, drinking, and munching hors d'oeuvres. We are at the table and we can do nothing, much like them.
If I were to have a minor gripe, it would be with the epilogue where Heydrich shares a story that Kritzinger told him, which I consider unnecessary. But that doesn't hinder the overall impact for me. Conspiracy is an excellent film; a perfect portrait of how those in power can manipulate us into doing the "unthinkable" without we even noticing it.
Grade:
CONSPIRACY
(2001, Pierson)
(2001, Pierson)
"Politics is a nasty game. I think soldiering requires the discipline to do the unthinkable and politics requires the skill to get someone else to do the unthinkable for you."
Hannah Arendt once famously wrote about "the banality of evil" saying "the sad truth is that most evil is done by people who never make up their minds to be good or evil." In a way, that means that some of these "unthinkable" evils in history were committed by ordinary people who followed orders thinking that their actions were normal. That is part of what's addressed in this magnificent HBO film.
Conspiracy gives us a chance to see that banality in the works as it dramatizes the events of the Wannsee Conference in 1942. The meeting, attended by a small group of Nazi officers, was supposed to be a moment to decide on the "Final Solution" for Germany's "Jewish problem". The meeting is organized by Adolf Eichmann (Stanley Tucci) and led by Reinhard Heydrich (Kenneth Branagh). Tucci and Branagh are surrounded by an ensemble of respected TV and stage actors.
This is a film I've easily seen about a dozen times and I've loved it since the first one. This is not a film of booms and bangs, but more a film of dialogue and subtle performances. The film is full of these little moments of great direction and non-verbal acting that help establish the personalities of every character. Be it in the way they arrive, how they are addressed, and how they mingle with each other, you know who each person is. Some characters establish their authority with their attitudes and demeanor, while others prance around pimping their credentials.
Branagh is probably the more notable example. From his grand arrival to the way he establishes his authority at the table with swift decisions and blunt responses. Not only that, but we also see how he cunningly manipulates those around him to be on the same page, carefully adjusting his strategies and approach to each target. However, Tucci is just as excellent in a more subtle performance, while Colin Firth and David Threlfall, as Wilhelm Stuckart and Friederich Kritzinger respectively, also shine in specific moments.
Much like 12 Angry Men, most of Conspiracy takes place in a single room. Most of the action is shot from a tabletop point of view, putting us right at the table with these people. As the camera moves around, we see the banality with which the attendees discuss "unthinkable" things like forced sterilization and mass murders; all while joking, drinking, and munching hors d'oeuvres. We are at the table and we can do nothing, much like them.
If I were to have a minor gripe, it would be with the epilogue where Heydrich shares a story that Kritzinger told him, which I consider unnecessary. But that doesn't hinder the overall impact for me. Conspiracy is an excellent film; a perfect portrait of how those in power can manipulate us into doing the "unthinkable" without we even noticing it.
Grade: