IT’S 1964. WHAT IF HITLER HAD WON THE WAR?
It’s 1964 and the U.S. president, Joseph Kennedy, is coming to Germania to strengthen ties with its leader, Adolf Hitler; at the same time, SS homicide investigator Xavier March (Rutger Hauer) is looking into a mysterious murder. The exciting thing about the novel and this TV adaptation is of course the alternative portrayal of what the world might look like had Hitler won WWII and the Holocaust had never been exposed. Well-made technically, with many intriguing details (such as the Speer-designed buildings)… but neither Hauer nor the film as a whole inspire much tension, oddly enough.
1994-U.S. Made for TV. 106 min. Color. Directed by Christopher Menaul. Teleplay: Stanley Weiser. Novel: Robert Harris. Cast: Rutger Hauer (Xavier March), Miranda Richardson (Charlie Maguire), Peter Vaughan (Artur Nebe), Michael Kitchen, Jean Marsh, John Woodvine.
Trivia: At one point, Mike Nichols allegedly considered turning the novel into a feature film.
Golden Globe: Best Supporting Actress (Richardson).
AVERAGE