He's back

What if.? Author Timur Vermes caused quite a stir in 2012 with what should have been a very simple premise. The result was more than 2 million copies of He's Back in Germany sold and the question that kept coming up: is it allowed to make fun of a person like Adolf Hitler? Vermes' bitter satire gives a very clear answer to this question: Yes, if the whole thing is not just pure claptrap and unimaginative slapstick, but also makes you think and remember. Because even if many don't want to admit it, Hitler's crimes and the terrible ideas he spread are far from being completely dealt with in the past, but unfortunately still deeply rooted reality in some people's minds. And this can and must be countered with satire.

But can a rather complex book like this be adequately filmed? The answer is unfortunately no. No question, with David Wnendt (Kriegerin, Feuchtgebiete) a highly talented director was found, who had the courage to clearly break away from the book in certain aspects to create something entirely his own with contemporary political relevance. Yet, at its core, the story remains the same: 70 years after his demise, Adolf Hitler (Oliver Masucci) awakens in present-day Berlin, where he is discovered by chance by young filmmaker Fabian (Fabian Busch), with whose help he becomes a television star. The film has many very successful aspects. Oliver Masucci, for example, completely disappears into his role, which he plays in a pleasantly cliché-free manner. Moreover, the whole thing works really well as a biting media and social satire in some moments.

In doing so, Wnendt manages to show in an almost frightening way how easily Hitler could become popular again through a certain charisma and eloquence (somehow he is right in what he says), even if everyone assumes that he is a comedian who merely parodies the Führer. This is where the film plays to quite a strength and also makes you really think without giving up its entertainment value. The staging only becomes problematic when documentary scenes are woven into the play scenes, in which Hitler mingled with the common people. Here the film creates a too one-sided picture of the typical brown German, who either through too much alcohol consumption or lack of education says some right-wing crap. This is a bit bitter, when in such scenes, among other things, pictures of the World Cup fan mile are cut in. Thus, bawling fans who enthusiastically wave the Germany flag (whether intentionally or not) are immediately pushed into the right-wing corner. Amidst some truly shockingly exposing sequences, such a montage just seems a bit cheap. Not everyone who is proud of their country is also right-wing and would mindlessly follow Hitler if he actually returned.

Besides that, some of the gags in the game scenes also fall extremely flat and lack the satirical depth of the book. On the other hand, the idea that the whole thing becomes a movie within a movie towards the end is a very clever decision that can definitely make up for some weaknesses. But overall, He's Back offers a somewhat unbalanced overall picture. Some great moments and a really good Oliver Masucci are contrasted by some very flat gags and (with a few exceptions) a too one-sided focus in the documentary scenes. Many really good opportunities remain unused or are implemented too hesitantly. Still, the good moments outweigh the bad ones in the end and make the movie still worth watching, despite a few hangs. For the mere fact that the film makes you think and discuss on a very important level definitely justifies buying a movie ticket!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp