13 Minutes (2024)

13 Minutes

Oliver Hirschbiegel, the German filmmaker, became famous around the world for his 2001 film “The Experiment,” which was both brutal and psychologically astute. But it was in his next film, “Downfall” (2004), a powerfully intense film about Hitler’s last days that he became not only an internationally recognized director but a creator of an internet meme.

That would be correct every time there is someone uploading a subtitled scene of Hitler reacting to something that has nothing to do with him on YouTube, they are using “Downfall” for that matter. And yet one can watch an unaltered version of Downfall today and still be captivated and horrified by it in its entirety as well as by this scene. (By the way it helps that Bruno Ganz is playing Hitler because he does an amazing job.)

Afterward Hirschbiegel did have some lulls in his career. One questionable instance from 2007 was a quick rethinking of “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” called “The Invasion.” His Princess Diana biopic from 2013 turned out to be quite a mistake. A cynic might say after all this that revisiting German history on the same level as Downfall could be just what the doctor ordered for a floundering career. However, such an interpretation cannot be sustained since 13 Minutes stands tall on its own. It is an incredible achievement considering its exhaustible theme.

Georg Elser (Christian Friedel) starts off the movie by rigging up explosives into a wall. And not small ones; at least twelve sticks of dynamite were packed into it if not more than that. After setting up a timer he moved away from there so that there appeared on the screen another camera shot pointing at table with inscription written: The Fuher’s Chair.

It’s now six years plus two months after Hitler took over in 1933. Great Britain and France officially declared war against Germany some months ago. It’s planned to be triggered on November 8, the anniversary of the Beer Hall Putsch that had failed by then. It is set accordingly 13 minutes after Hitler leaves a full beer hall where he has just spoken with his audience. A lot of people died, were injured but Hitler survived. And got mad.

Elser does not seem like an assassin at all. Okay he looks suitably worried when he is caught soon after the explosion, but during a flashback to 1932 in which we see him living in a town on Lake Constance playing cheerful accordion and making wooden items, it becomes clear that Elser never was such a thing before now. The film manages to convey how Nazism permeated provincial life with great effectiveness; the local bigots knew der zeit was now on their side, or so they thought anyway. One morning Elser is walking through the village square with a young boy who repeats anti-Semitic gibberish from his father’s mouth.” Hey stupid when did you start acting dumb,” laughs Elser at this little child’s remark He doesn’t have much time for good cheer though.

“I am not a political person,” he says to Nazis who tortured him and yet, he also participates in some resistance as he looks out for his friends who paint anti-Nazi graffiti. He also lives dangerously by having an affair with a married woman, Elsa (Katharina Schüttler), whose house he eventually moves into. These include the plenty of highly enhanced interrogation scenes meted on him by the Nazis and an undercurrent of intrigue.

SS boss Heinrich Müller (Johann von Bülow) tells police chief Arthur Nebe (Burghart Klaußner) that only a complete confession will do; as Germany prepares for war, Goebbels and Hitler are both eager to encourage a conspiracy/martyrdom narrative. Once Elsa’s life and safety are threatened by the Nazis thus dangling her before Elser’s eyes, his confession comes out instantly after holding back despite being subjected to horrible tortures which is clearly shown in this part of the film.

The mind games come from Nebe, who is “the good German” here. (Later on in the movie it is revealed what we should have known without seeing it: namely that Nebe was involved in another assassination attempt against Hitler on July 1944.) Yet this notwithstanding there has been considerable debate among historians regarding just how much of a “good German” Arthur Nebe was during these times.) The Nazis want Elser to admit to a conspiracy, but he insists, and the film shows, that he was a man alone.

He said this because according to him there was no one willing to stand up with him when asked about it by those questioning him. Looking at Germany from the end of World War I all the way to when World War II began, one is constantly impelled to ask “Why didn’t anybody do anything?” “13 Minutes,” in more or less traditional storytelling fashion provides some tentative answers discomforting ones.

Watch 13 Minutes For Free On Gomovies.