Probably one of the looniest stories about Nazism since Inglourious Basterds, and this one is true. The Captain tells the account of the insanity that prevailed within the ranks of the Germans as WWII was coming to an end. Nicely filmed in black and white and richly acted by a very good cast, the movie gives insight into the moral decay, wickedness of the commanders, loss of control and total panic brought on by one very dominant impostor. If you like films that give the impression of seeing the other side of war, then this one should fascinate you.
It’s April 1945, two weeks before the end of WWII and we find Willi Herold (Max Hubacher), a 19-year-old German soldier, running from the military police. They are on his tail because he stole some food which is punishable by hanging. As he gets over a ridge near a forest line, he finds a hole to crawl into evading capture. After hours of waiting he exits his hiding place and starts to wander down a countryside dirt road.
In the distance he sees a German officer’s car that has been abandoned. Approaching the vehicle he finds the officer’s case with a clean uniform. Minutes later he’s dressed in the Captain’s garb and eating a few apples that he finds inside the car. Deciding what to do next, a foot soldier, Freytag (Milan Peschel), comes by a little distraught and salutes him. Pretending to be a Captain, Willi stares at the man who is now standing at attention and accuses him of being a deserter. Freytag denies it and asks for permission to join the Captain as member of his squad. He’s promoted to a higher rank and his personal driver.
With the feeling of power and the help of Freytag, Captain Willi starts on a trek that will grow his command with a task force of wandering armed German soldiers. It will take Willi into the confines of real Captains and even higher commanders as he bluffs his way to his psychotic dream of power and mass murder.
Kipinski in THE CAPTAIN. Courtesy of Music Box Films
Director and writer Robert Schwentke fashions his screenplay from actual facts about Willi Herold dubbed the “The Executioner of Emsland” (Wikipedia). He was given the title for his massacre of a German War Camp that was a holding encampment for German soldier deserters. With a lot of poetic license Schwentke shows how Willi would fake his command in order to form his own squad using deserters and wanderers that were heavily armed. He even wrangles his way into Emsland Camp where he takes over control from the commandant under the auspices of orders from Hitler himself.
Nicely filmed using dim to bright light on black and white film, Schwentke gives his audience a realistic look at how it must have been during the last days of the war. He holds back nothing showing the butchering of the deserters, sex and booze partying and treachery within the camp and later when he takes over the nearby city.
Giving an outstanding performance as Willi Herold and make the film a dark comedy of sorts, Max Hubacher creates this crazed deserter who finds an opportunity to do what his officers did to him. And according to Willi, he does it better and with swift resolve. His demeanor as the Captain, who directs orders under the authority of the Fuhrer Adolph Hitler, becomes what most people probably think how dangerous the officers were. Sly and treacherous, Willi turns the historical account into a visual horror story.
BONUS FEATURES
“Feature Audio Commentary” Director Robert Schwentke talks about several scenes when you replay the film.
“Filmmaker Q & A from Chicago Premier” Schwentke talks to the audience and answers some very prudent questions.
“Cast and Crew Interviews” features Max Hubacher, Frederick Lau, Milan Peschel, and Frieder Schlaich
“From Storyboard to Screen: The Escape”
“Recomposed” a soundtrack video
“Deleted Scene”
The Captain has not been rated by the MPAA, but contains extreme violence, brutality, sex, language and smoking. It plays out in the German language with English subtitles. The brutality gets commonplace, the sex includes suggested rape, some of the nudity male, and the violence is graphic.
FINAL ANALYSIS A very good dark comedy with brutal overtones. (5 out of 5 stars)
Specifications and additional video information:
Cast: Max Hubacher, Milan Peschel, Frederick Lau, Bernd Hölscher, Waldemar Kobus, Alexander Fehling, Samuel Finzi , Miros?aw Dusza
Director and screen writer: Robert Schwentke
MPAA Rating: Not Rated, contains violence, language, sexuality, nudity, smoking
Genre: War, History, Drama
Running Time: 1 hr. 58 min.
Video Release Date: January 8, 2019
Original Theatrical Release Date:
Language: German with English Subtitles
Distributed by: Music Box Films
Released in: VOD, Blu-ray
Writer, critic, film editor John Delia, Sr. has been on all sides of the movie business from publications to film making. He has worked as a film critic with ACED Magazine for more than 20 years and other publications for a total of 40 years. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Florida. John is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association and Critics Association of Central Florida Send John a message at jdelia@acedmagazine.com
