Hotel Terminus: The Life and Times of Klaus Barbie

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david f This is a long film but very interesting. It feels like a cross between journalism and history as the intrepid filmmaker interviews dozens of people who encountered a notorious Nazi torturer, Klaus Barbie, who had a lengthy post-war career working for American intelligence and South American dictatorships before he was brought to justice in France. The film goes off in all kinds of interesting directions. One is the interview with the defense lawyer of Barbie, Jacques Vergès, someone who deserves (and has) his own documentary. There are interviews with people who lived through the occupation of France by Germany in World War II and they tell riveting stories about the resistance and betrayals, deportations and executions. The final scene where a child who was taken away with her entire family returns as an adult and encounters one of her old neighbours is the perfect ending - bittersweet and devastating. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review s r 1001 movies to see before you die. There should have been two versions of this movies. One that cuts to the chase and is well edited, and the other being the Director's cut. It could have been so much better and more effective, but the length and odd organization will scare others away. Ophuls was obnoxious and reminded me of Michael Moore's self righteous nagging of people for information. It is an important record, but it will not be a classic. It was a STG DVD. Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member "This motion picture is dedicated to the late Madame Bontout, a good neighbor." Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/27/23 Full Review Audience Member A French documentarian copiously researches the life and death and career of Klaus Barbie. Most narratives about World War II and the Nazi regime are whittled down to rather simple documentaries of Nazi atrocities and good finally prevailing over evil. But Hotel Terminus, at an excruciatingly thorough four and a half hours, does not boil anything down. It's difficult to understand the documentarians' point, and I think the film would've been improved with a voice-over that allows us to understand how each piece of testimony fits in with the larger picture, but what I gather from the film is that the aftermath of WWII is more complicated that a mere triumph of good over evil. In fact, when it comes out that the CIA had dealings with Klaus Barbie, it seems that the film reveals that sorting out the good guys from the bad guys from the useful guys from the ugly guys is more complicated than one might expect. Not everyone wearing a swastika was evil, and not every evil person wore a swastika. I think that's the film's thesis, but I can't be sure. Overall, after watching a five-hour documentary on Nazis, I don't know if I can handle The Sorrow and the Pity, which is coming up ... Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/26/23 Full Review Audience Member At almost four and a half hours, this documentary leaves no stone unturned. They must have found just about everyone alive who knew Klaus Barbie. I was surprised so many of the older generation felt Barbie's crimes should be forgotten. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/13/23 Full Review Audience Member Comprehensive (and I mean extensive) documentary on Nazi war criminal Klaus Barbie. Helped that I read a biography on him prior to seeing this. Surprised it did not delve deeper into his botched torture job on French resistance leader Moulin. Interesting to see very selective memories and those who want to let the past go. Oscar winning documentary and a must-see. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/24/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Hotel Terminus: The Life and Times of Klaus Barbie

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