A story of good against the incontrovertible evil
"Your grandfather fought hollowgast and Germans at the same time. The sorts of things they did you don't win medals for - but they were heroes to us, and none more than your grandfather. The sacrifices they made set the corrupted back decades and saved the lives of countless peculiars."
- Emma Bloom ("Hollow City", 2014)
Lee dismissed "Downfall", where Oliver Hirschbiegel dramatized the final days of Adolph Hitler. Bruno Ganz, who portrayed the Führer, revealed a human side to his much-reviled character. My coursemate doubted if this could change public opinion about Hitler. It also ran against the portrayal of Nazis as movie (and literary) villains. A dark cloud seemed to hover above his head, as he recalled "You Natzy Spy!". It was a Three Stooges picture, which didn't leave any ambiguity in its depiction of Hitler. He wouldn't be surprised if the moviegoers were clueless about the Nazis (until they saw this comedy). Could America be living in a bubble for so long? It would be another interesting, if not contentious, topic.
Ransom Riggs brought back the Nazis, which threw me off the curve. I wondered if there could have been other villains until I realized the most obvious reason. They weren't meant to be taken seriously, as their presence would make readers (and viewers) cheer for the protagonist(s). Furthermore, countless filmmakers used the Nazis as a cover-up for other things. Gratuitous violence. Armchair traveling (and more armchair traveling). And entertainment. It should be perverted entertainment, Lee pointed out. He might have a point.
I recalled the films I saw during the last few seasons. It didn't take me several minutes to come up with a shortlist:
Casablanca (1943). Screenwriters Julius J. Epstein, Philip G. Epstein, and Howard Koch adapted "Everybody Comes to Rick's", making changes along the way. The premise of the play was set in Vienna, but Warner Bros. might not find it an exciting setting for a romantic film. (Maria von Trapp haven't penned her memoir.) The bigwigs figured French Morocco to be the perfect location for several reasons. It was close to Europe, a playground for spies from both sides of the war. Complications would make good drama. And they would leave bittersweet endings. The Nazi soldiers would be the perfect catalyst (to achieve such an outcome), prompting Lee to single out "Allied". Robert Zemeckis wasn't Alfred Hitchcock.
The Dirty Dozen (1967). Could the war make everyone so dispensable? My coursemates couldn't make out Robert Aldrich's book, which was based on a real-life group. They were the Filthy Thirteen, but Lee thought it doesn't sound cinematic enough. Dirty Dozen have a better ring, but he stopped short of suggesting a religious reference. The film was about Operation Amnesty, where the Army's worst convicts were sent to a suicide mission. They must kill high-ranked German officials in exchange for freedom. It was similar to Suicide Squad, prompting Lee to give a knowing look.
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981). I wouldn't be surprised if viewers were delighted at the gruesome end of Nazi officers; God had their faces (literally) melted after opening the Ark of the Covenant. Steven Spielberg might have personal issues. (He didn't do "Schindler's List" without any particular reason.) Indiana Jones would get another chance to travel around the world, and the audience were glad to bring along their bags of popcorn (during this exhilarating armchair traveling).
Swing Kids (1993). Lee and I almost laughed at this drama, about a small group of young Germans who loved swing music. And they would use the dance floor as a platform to express their opposition to the Führer. Disney produced this film, which didn't surprise us. Mickey Mouse could have given the story a surreal touch.
American Beauty (1999). Hitler would cause a middle-aged man to disturb the neighborhood in the suburb. (He had an abusive relationship with his wife and teenage son, which affected their neighbors.) Alan Ball, who wrote this satiric drama, would likely consider other factors. The after-effects of the Watergate scandal, the rise of political correctness, the AIDS epidemic. All issues wouldn't incite the viewers the way the Nazis did.
Lee figured "Dead Snow" as the best in this category. It was a zombie splatter film from Norway, where Tommy Wirkola thought of the most unusual premise. (A small group of teenage snowboarders went to the mountains for a holiday. Hell broke loose after they accidentally discovered the thawing of frozen Nazi officers.) He was right, as I saw it three times. It had nothing to do with my fondness with Popsicle.
