by David Raffin
This month we are pleased to present an interview with the director of the upcoming HBO movie "Christmas in the Bunker- the quiet evening."
During this interview, which was held while the film was in post
production- having HBO investigate charges that the film was playing
"fast and loose with important 20th century history," the director was
taking some time out- relaxing and preparing for his next feature, "Wenn
Sie Deutschen lesen, können Sie dieses lesen ." translation: "That never
happened, thank you for asking."
Q: I guess the most obvious question is this- Why a Christmas
film?
A: It's never been done before; it's that simple. There is a great thrill in
being the first in your field, no matter the profession. A certain thrill in
victory, as it were. Plus, Christmas is a very important holiday for most
of the viewers. Christmas Films also tend to do better financially than
war documentaries or dramas.
Q: Why Hitler?
A: Let's face it, most of the war documentaries are about WWII. Sure,
there has been an upsurge in Vietnam flicks in the last decade or so, but
WWII is the bread and butter of a docu-dramatist. I'm going to hold off on
Vietnam until I am sure it's not just another flash in the pan. It wasn't
even a declared war you know. Plus, no one really remembers what Ho Chi
Min looks like.
Q: Some question your classification of the film as a
romantic comedy.
A: And that I fail to comprehend. The elements are clearly there- A man
rises to a position of power in his profession, meets a younger woman, and
they share a romance surrounded in the trappings of luxury and power.
Again, this is something that would have been missing in a Vietnam film
and thus served to solidify my choice.
Q: What do think of the people protesting your distributer?
A: All publicity is good publicity. This should ensure the success of my
efforts. You see protesters, I see free advertising.
Q: I've seen the screening of your film at the plaza, and was
interested that you start in 1933 and emphasize Hitler's private
life over politics. Why is that?
A: It's what people are interested in: commonality. People want to see
stories that are easy to comprehend. Characters that are like them or the
people that they could know. The public likes to identify with the main
character. It's also something that hasn't been seen in the other films of
it's type. I find it better to explore the subjects that have not yet been
done to death. Anybody can tell you about the beer hall rallies, but only I
show you that Hitler cried when one of his dogs was run over by a delivery
truck. That's where the heart is.
Q: This was the first film I've ever viewed where Hitler is
seen escorting schoolchildren on a tour of the architectural
sights of Berlin and showing them his own paintings on display.
A: But hopefully not the last. The neo-classical style of the late 30's
Germany is something we need more of in modern film.
Q: I noticed that Hitler burst into tears during your story no
less than seven times. I noticed the crowd was especially moved
by the scene where Hitler was writing out thank you letters to
the schoolchildren, thanking them for coming to the Reichstag
for his tour.
A: That scene was one of my favorites as well. It was a gratifying
scene to shoot and resulted in a feeling like you were "actually there"
according to the test audiences. My personal favorite scene happened soon
after that, when he gets the letter from the teacher. When he reads that
the class is now evenly split between those who want to grow up to be the
fuhrer and those who want to paint pictures of buildings, a single tear
rolls down his cheek. I got that in one take.
Q: It has been said by some of your critics that the times
when you actually DO mention the war, Hitler waxes on about
what he should have done differently in order to win certain key
battles. Some have referred to this as some sort of "tip
planner" and think this constitutes "marching orders" from you.
Your comments?
A: Openly ridiculous. Anyone would have examined the strategy after an
unsuccessful battle. I was looking at it from a realistic standpoint.
Q: Was Hitler really a gourmet cook?
A: One has to have something to relax and relieve stress. Goebbels was
known to do needlepoint- I edited that out of the final cut for time. Look
for it on the Laser/DVD release. Goebbels actually knitted the sweater
that Hitler was wearing in the last scene.
Q: I did admire that sweater. However, about the last scene:
you show Hitler and Eva sitting quietly beside the Christmas
tree exchanging gifts. You imply that Germany won the war at
the last minute. The film ends with a rousing chorus of "Deutschland, Deutschland uber alles." How can you justify this with history as it is
generally taught?
A: I have been told time and time again in my previous films that an
unhappy ending is not welcome in an American Film. Since I was billing
this as a romantic comedy, I did not feel like fighting over the ending with
the studio. This is just one of those things- damned if you do, damned if
you don't. I left the door open to a sequel.