Hitler: The Unknown Soldier 1914-1918

Description

Adolf Hitler the fighting man is the subject of this engrossing feature, chronicling the future dictator's combat experience as a foot soldier in World War I. Excerpts from Hitler's letters from the front, recollections of regimental comrades, and evaluations by his officers offer a revealing portrait of a brooding, fearless loner who preferred battlefields to brothels, frontline service to home leave, and kept the men he frequently risked his life to protect at arm's length. Original German, British, and American wartime footage presents a graphic visual impression of life in the trenches. In a world of death, hardship, and discipline, Hitler sought comfort in the companionship of his English terrier, and in sketches and watercolors he rendered during lulls. This candid, meticulously researched program provides an intimate, well-rounded, and unique picture of the most controversial figure of the 20th Century. It speculates on the influence wartime service exercised on his personal and political development, filling a critical gap for any sincere appraisal of Hitler's psyche, motives, and subsequent actions. Germany/United Kingdom, 2004, B&W/Color, 80 minutes.