Murderers Among Us

Audience Reviews

View More

mark g @Mark_Alan_G. Sep 21 Brilliant dialogue, cinematography and acting. A must see for people interested in the aftermath in Germany after WWII. See more 11/14/2016 A cogent exploration of post-war German society. The spectre of fascism is as dominant as the clouds always overhead. You can smell Expressionism burning away in the rubble. The youth will rise soon and ask the most difficult questions. Staudte provides a bold study in change and reconciling with a corrupted history. See more 02/01/2012 This film (literally) rises from the rubble and ash of post war Berlin. It is a fascinating take on the guilt and recovery of a Germany in the wake of Hitlers Third Reich. Staudte's noiresque style, along with the unworldly atmosphere of post war Berlin, is reminiscent of the German expressionist film of the 1920s and parallels the interior landscapes of a defeated people. See more 09/12/2011 A historically important film, being that it was the first film produced in Post World War II Germany. A doctor who served with the Nazis during the war, now finds himself after the war overcome by grief and guilt for the horrors he saw during the war. Unable to continue his work as a doctor, due to his disillusionment with the darkness in men's hearts he walks to streets of his bombed out city amongst the rats, and drinks excessively on a daily basis. That is until a woman comes into his life, who helps him out of his depression. At the same time, a commanding officer from his past also comes into his life. Since the war, despite his crimes against humanity, the Captain returns to his his family life, his home left unscathed throughout the war, and his position of manager at a successful factory. This is too much for the doctor who ultimately takes it upon himself to bring justice to the victims of the war. While not perfect in the story telling department (especially in the second half, which I found wrapped everything up a little too nicely) this film still packs a heavy punch. The footage of the city destroyed by war set the perfect backdrop for this film, and the photography throughout was also top notch. The desperation of the films main character reflects the desperation of an entire nation, and that message is still a very powerful thing for modern audiences to experience. Much of the main character's views seem to be parallell to French Existentialist writers like Jean Paul Sartre or Albert Camus, who were experiencing similar confusion and disillusionment following the war. All in all a must see for those interested in European or Film History, but also really just a good movie with an important message and story. Recommended. See more 08/06/2011 Heavy on the portent, but so accomplished in its cinematography and editing that, even when it shows too much of what happened near the end, the story of what happens to several Nazi officers in post-WWII Berlin is breathtaking. See more 10/28/2010 The first film to be produced in (East) Germany after the fall of Berlin and the armistice. An expressionist drama pondering the question of guilt in justice in a society that is trying to find itself within the maelstrom of being the culprit and victim at the same time. Great performance by Knef and quite wooden and overdone ( think Fritz Lang and the Weimar School ) acting on the part of the other actors. Still, the film is shot in the actual ruins of Berlin and that alone is quite a sight to behold (including a christmas mass in a bombed out church). See more Read all reviews

Murderers Among Us

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW