Labyrinth of Lies - directed by Giulio Ricciarelli
Screenplay: Elisabeth Bartel & Giulio Ricciarelli
It would appear that my neck of the woods is late to the party with this 2014 German film.
It was selected as that country's foreign language submission for the 88th Academy Awards but didn't make the final nominations.
(The Hungarian film "Son of Saul" ultimately won the Oscar)
Not having seen any of the films that did make the final five I cannot comment on "Labyrinth of Lies" exclusion but on its own merits it is worthy of inclusion for sure.
Telling the story of a young prosecutor attempting to bring Nazis to justice for their part in the Auschwitz concentration camp mass killings it would normally be an absolute shoe in for Oscar inclusion.... certainly according to Ricky Gervais "Extras"
"Labyrinth of Lies" begins in 1958.
Young lawyer Johann Radmann is reciting a closing argument to an unseen jury which is shortly after revealed as a bathroom mirror.
Rather than the high profile case that his practice speech seemed designed for in reality he is dealing with minor traffic offences.
A colleague tells him this is likely his lot for the next 2-3 years as he learns the ropes.
There are benefits in this of course one of which is immediately apparent as he prosecutes a beautiful young woman.
We have seen Johann unpacking a photograph of his Father with the advice 'always do what is right' written on it so of course he rejects the smitten Judge's offer of a lenient sentence forcing the woman to pay the small fine that she can't afford.
His solution to the new problem is to lend her the money himself.
And this is the sort of guy that Johann is set up as very early.
He will always do what is right even if it is difficult or even painful.
And what could be more painful than forcing a country to re-open the wounds of recent war atrocities?
Of the German people who I have met none particularly like talking about the World Wars and it is never because they deny any aspect of it but rather that as part of the healing of a nation it is better to remember so that you don't repeat but not dwell so that it divides and diminishes.
Being as how "Labyrinth of Lies" takes place a mere thirteen years after the end of the Second World War the pain is still being felt.
When Johann is made aware of a man named Simon Kirsch who has spotted an Auschwitz Nazi teaching at a local school he does what no one around him is at all interested in doing and he pursues it.
Identified members of the Waffen S.S are not allowed certain jobs and as you would hope teaching young children is one of them.
Johann acts and files a report but even as he assured that the Nazi in question will be suspended he is told that it is unlikely to be true by colleague Thomas Gnielka.
When he is invited to a party at Gnielka's house he is reaquainted with Marlene - the traffic violation woman.
The romance serves the movie well as a lightning rod for the state of German opinion.
Marlene's Father is revealed to have been a Nazi party member.
At one point a character asks Johann - 'Did you think the Nazi's just vanished into thin air when the war ended?'
It's a question that proves to be very relevant as Johann meets increasing resistance to his investigations.
There are many Nazi party members still in positions of great power within both Government and industry.
Several real big names are brought up during the investigation including Josef Mengele and Adolf Eichmann.
Mengele features more heavily and becomes a particular point of focus for Johann who is angered to learn that the apathy in Germany runs deeply enough to allow Mengele to visit his family frequently and easily from Argentina where he is 'hiding'.
As far as the crimes that Johann is prosecuting the film is smart in not showing too much.
Photographs of atrocities are shown to other characters but not to the audience.
We do get a couple of horrible verbal descriptions detailing murders of children and the true meaning of the Nazi description 'shot while trying to escape' is also revealed.
I would think (and hope) that most viewers know only too well what happened at camps like and including Auschwitz and certainly movies like "Schindler's List" and "The Pianist" have covered off the horrors in horrificly realisticall detail.
The focus with this film is elsewhere and it is the right choice.
This film is about a country trying to heal itself by righting wrongs.
A large part of this is acknowledging that the people who suffered are important and it is made clear that their stories must be preserved.
Johann serves as a useful guide in this regard as initially he is taking the case purely because it feels like the right thing to do.
Auschwitz is visited in one scene and Gnielka explains to him that although now they are looking at fences and meadows what is really there are the experiences of those who died and/or suffered.
As the movie progresses the discoveries of the extent of the crimes and the depth to which the perpetrators still exist in his country's society takes its toll.
His response to the question 'Do you want every child to suspect their Father of being a Nazi?' is 'That is exactly what I want".
He may not have considered the question fully before answering.
Alexander Fehling as Johann is inspired casting.
He looks something like a younger Christopher Nolan but will be familiar to fans of Tarantino's excellent (and I think best film) "Inglourious Basterds".
He played the drunk new Father Wilhelm in the basement bar scene.
This time however he is a strikingly handsome leading man.
So upright and moral is he that I expected someone to call him a Boy Scout at any stage!
I see no evidence that this man really existed unlike his boss Fritz Bauer who did and died a mere three years after the conclusion of the Frankfurt Auschwitz Trials that this movie is concerned with.
Still, he is a fine character and Fehling gives a charismatic and sensitive performance.
I liked Friederike Becht as Marlene too.
Coincidentally she was also in the movie 2008 film "The Reader" that also deals with the Frankfurt trials.
"Labyrinth of Lies" two hour running time zips by and although this is testament to the fascinating way that it handles its subject matter it also comes with one major problem.
I felt that the passage of time was poorly handled.
I didn't have a gauge on how long the case ran for.
Johann and his team clearly put hours and hours of work into their investigation but there is no sense that it took them years which is in fact the reality.
Johann, Gnielka, Bauer and Marlene are the characters that we spend the most time with but there is no appearance of the passage of time.
The only hint is the constant references to Mengele's movements but even then the viewer must make assumptions.
It's really the only criticism that I can level at "Labyrinth of Lies" however.
For the most part this is compelling viewing and a necessary recollection and preservation of a period of history that should never be forgotten.
RATING: 77 / 100
CONCLUSION: A smartly subtle, deliberately paced film that suffers only from a lack of a sense of how long the investigation took.
Starring: Alexander Fehling, Andre Syzmanski, Friederike Becht, Johannes Krisch, Johann von Bulow, Hansi Jochmann, Lukas Miko, Robert Hunger-Buhler, Gert Voss, Tim Williams
Screenplay: Elisabeth Bartel & Giulio Ricciarelli
Music Score by: Sebastian Pille & Niki Reiser
Cinematography: Martin Langer & Roman Osin
Edited by: Andrea Mertens
Running Time: 123 minutes
Language: German with English subtitles
Rated: M - a sex scene and some brief intense imagery
Cinematography: Martin Langer & Roman Osin
Edited by: Andrea Mertens
Running Time: 123 minutes
Language: German with English subtitles
Rated: M - a sex scene and some brief intense imagery
It was selected as that country's foreign language submission for the 88th Academy Awards but didn't make the final nominations.
(The Hungarian film "Son of Saul" ultimately won the Oscar)
Not having seen any of the films that did make the final five I cannot comment on "Labyrinth of Lies" exclusion but on its own merits it is worthy of inclusion for sure.
Telling the story of a young prosecutor attempting to bring Nazis to justice for their part in the Auschwitz concentration camp mass killings it would normally be an absolute shoe in for Oscar inclusion.... certainly according to Ricky Gervais "Extras"
"Labyrinth of Lies" begins in 1958.
Young lawyer Johann Radmann is reciting a closing argument to an unseen jury which is shortly after revealed as a bathroom mirror.
Rather than the high profile case that his practice speech seemed designed for in reality he is dealing with minor traffic offences.
A colleague tells him this is likely his lot for the next 2-3 years as he learns the ropes.
There are benefits in this of course one of which is immediately apparent as he prosecutes a beautiful young woman.
We have seen Johann unpacking a photograph of his Father with the advice 'always do what is right' written on it so of course he rejects the smitten Judge's offer of a lenient sentence forcing the woman to pay the small fine that she can't afford.
His solution to the new problem is to lend her the money himself.
And this is the sort of guy that Johann is set up as very early.
He will always do what is right even if it is difficult or even painful.
And what could be more painful than forcing a country to re-open the wounds of recent war atrocities?
 |
| Alexander Fehling as Johann Radmann |
Being as how "Labyrinth of Lies" takes place a mere thirteen years after the end of the Second World War the pain is still being felt.
When Johann is made aware of a man named Simon Kirsch who has spotted an Auschwitz Nazi teaching at a local school he does what no one around him is at all interested in doing and he pursues it.
Identified members of the Waffen S.S are not allowed certain jobs and as you would hope teaching young children is one of them.
Johann acts and files a report but even as he assured that the Nazi in question will be suspended he is told that it is unlikely to be true by colleague Thomas Gnielka.
When he is invited to a party at Gnielka's house he is reaquainted with Marlene - the traffic violation woman.
The romance serves the movie well as a lightning rod for the state of German opinion.
Marlene's Father is revealed to have been a Nazi party member.
At one point a character asks Johann - 'Did you think the Nazi's just vanished into thin air when the war ended?'
It's a question that proves to be very relevant as Johann meets increasing resistance to his investigations.
There are many Nazi party members still in positions of great power within both Government and industry.
 |
| Friederike Becht as Marlene |
Mengele features more heavily and becomes a particular point of focus for Johann who is angered to learn that the apathy in Germany runs deeply enough to allow Mengele to visit his family frequently and easily from Argentina where he is 'hiding'.
As far as the crimes that Johann is prosecuting the film is smart in not showing too much.
Photographs of atrocities are shown to other characters but not to the audience.
We do get a couple of horrible verbal descriptions detailing murders of children and the true meaning of the Nazi description 'shot while trying to escape' is also revealed.
I would think (and hope) that most viewers know only too well what happened at camps like and including Auschwitz and certainly movies like "Schindler's List" and "The Pianist" have covered off the horrors in horrificly realisticall detail.
The focus with this film is elsewhere and it is the right choice.
This film is about a country trying to heal itself by righting wrongs.
A large part of this is acknowledging that the people who suffered are important and it is made clear that their stories must be preserved.
Johann serves as a useful guide in this regard as initially he is taking the case purely because it feels like the right thing to do.
Auschwitz is visited in one scene and Gnielka explains to him that although now they are looking at fences and meadows what is really there are the experiences of those who died and/or suffered.
As the movie progresses the discoveries of the extent of the crimes and the depth to which the perpetrators still exist in his country's society takes its toll.
His response to the question 'Do you want every child to suspect their Father of being a Nazi?' is 'That is exactly what I want".
He may not have considered the question fully before answering.
Alexander Fehling as Johann is inspired casting.
He looks something like a younger Christopher Nolan but will be familiar to fans of Tarantino's excellent (and I think best film) "Inglourious Basterds".
He played the drunk new Father Wilhelm in the basement bar scene.
This time however he is a strikingly handsome leading man.
So upright and moral is he that I expected someone to call him a Boy Scout at any stage!
I see no evidence that this man really existed unlike his boss Fritz Bauer who did and died a mere three years after the conclusion of the Frankfurt Auschwitz Trials that this movie is concerned with.
Still, he is a fine character and Fehling gives a charismatic and sensitive performance.
I liked Friederike Becht as Marlene too.
Coincidentally she was also in the movie 2008 film "The Reader" that also deals with the Frankfurt trials.
 |
| Left- the moments that started it all and right- the dedicated Schmittchen and Attorney General Bauer |
I felt that the passage of time was poorly handled.
I didn't have a gauge on how long the case ran for.
Johann and his team clearly put hours and hours of work into their investigation but there is no sense that it took them years which is in fact the reality.
Johann, Gnielka, Bauer and Marlene are the characters that we spend the most time with but there is no appearance of the passage of time.
The only hint is the constant references to Mengele's movements but even then the viewer must make assumptions.
It's really the only criticism that I can level at "Labyrinth of Lies" however.
For the most part this is compelling viewing and a necessary recollection and preservation of a period of history that should never be forgotten.
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