The Goebbels Experiment

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The Goebbels Experiment

2005

1h 47m

Documentary

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

95%

Tomatometer

19 Reviews

80%

Popcornmeter

250+ Ratings

By combining archived footage and excerpts from personal diaries brought dramatically to life by an actor (Kenneth Branagh), the filmmakers manage to take viewers into the disquieted mind of Joseph Goebbels, the Nazi propaganda minister who unleashed hate and chaos onto the world. Fueled by demons he could never master, which led to manic depression and restless thoughts, Goebbels is also shown to have a caring attitude toward his family, which only underscores the tragedy of his existence.

Wesley Morris

Boston Globe

11/11/2005

3/4

[A] weirdly enthralling film of excerpts from Goebbels's diaries.

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Ella Taylor

L.A. Weekly

10/13/2005

Director Lutz Hachmeister neatly hoists the Nazi lie on its own petard in this fascinatingly repellent character study of the Third Reich's most visionary and psycho propagandist.

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Jeannette Catsoulis

New York Times

08/12/2005

4/5

Lutz Hachmeister and Michael Kloft's fascinating documentary provides a chilling glimpse inside the brilliant but toxic mind of Joseph Goebbels via his extensive diaries.

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Cole Smithey

ColeSmithey.com

04/15/2009

B+

Although the film's conclusion is rushed and unsatisfying, "The Goebbels Experiment" is a priceless document of one of Nazi Germany's cruelest and most effective architects.

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Doris Toumarkine

Film Journal International

03/01/2007

While the diary entries fascinate, it's the rarely seen footage that makes The Goebbels Experiment a must-see.

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Chelsea Bain

Boston Herald

10/21/2006

3/4

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10/10/2015

"Hitler has betrayed me a total of five times." I highly recommend.

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01/06/2015

Excellent documentary. Even Goebbels would have thought so!

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08/18/2014

It's a fascinating documentary into Goebbels brilliant but toxic mind. The documentary is based on readings from Goebbels personal diary.

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04/14/2013

Informative and well worth a look.

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03/15/2013

Great documentation but ended fairly abruptly.

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01/26/2013

Primary-source footage is the best part, and of course Kenneth Branagh was a great choice to read the diary. But, SUPER-abrupt ending, and I sometimes lost the timeline because the major events I learned for WWII weren't necessarily those in the film.

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Lutz Hachmeister

Director

Kenneth Branagh

Narrator

Lutz Hachmeister

Writer

Michael Kloft

Writer

Hubert Bittman

Original Music

Hajo Schomerus

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Synopsis

By combining archived footage and excerpts from personal diaries brought dramatically to life by an actor (Kenneth Branagh), the filmmakers manage to take viewers into the disquieted mind of Joseph Goebbels, the Nazi propaganda minister who unleashed hate and chaos onto the world. Fueled by demons he could never master, which led to manic depression and restless thoughts, Goebbels is also shown to have a caring attitude toward his family, which only underscores the tragedy of his existence.

Director: Lutz Hachmeister
Screenwriter: Lutz Hachmeister, Michael Kloft
Distributor: First Run
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: German
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 13, 2005, Original
Rerelease Date (Theaters): Aug 12, 2005
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 27, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA): $47.2K
Runtime: 1h 47m