13 Minutes (2017)

Actually, it's a really good movie, but the "5" is for totally repugnant graphic violence. It's not necessary to smear the viewer with torture depiction in order to make your point and tell a story. The more I think about it, the story could have been told heroically from a completely different perspective. I read the "true" story after watching the movie. Rather than make most of the story about the torture and confession, the story could have been told from the point of view of the ingenious months of planning, building, and particularly the installation of the bomb. The movie makes it look like the bomb was installed in one night, but instead, it really took weeks, with repeatedly difficult trips (over 30) to the location, a remarkable feat that the movie only hints at. The fact that after months of planning, design, assembly, and installation, Elser missed Hitler by only 13 minutes is astounding.Maybe the fault is in the limited information conveyed by the subtitles. There are confusing moments in the movie that are easily cleared up by just reading the Wikipedia bio of Elser.

"13 Minutes" (2015 release from Germany; 114 min.; original title: Elser: Er hätte die Welt verändert--Elser: He Would've Changed the World") brings the story of Georg Elser. As the movie opens, we see him installing the bombing device to attempt to assassinate Hilter in Munich on November 8, 1939. Alas, the attempt fails as Hitler unexpectedly leaves earlier than planned. It's not long before Elser is picked up by the Nazis, and the interrogation starts. We then go back in time to 1932 to learn more about what drove Elser. At this point we're 15 min. into the movie but to tell you more of the plot would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.Couple of comments: first, while I was aware of the fact that Hilter was almost assassinated at one point, this is the first time that I learn of the details of it. In theory this should make for a riveting drama. Alas, as brought by director Oliver Hirschbiegel (who previously gave us the excellent "Diana" bio-pic starring Naomi Watts), this is anything but riveting. The primary reason for this is that the acting is just all too staged, you can practically hear Hirschbiegel yell "and... ACTION!". It bothered me quite a bit, and it's a shame as this is an important "detail" of WWII that more people should understand better. Beware as well that some of the torture scenes are very intense and not easy to watch. Bottom line: this movie feels like a missed opportunity...This movie premiered in Germany in early 2015. I have no idea what now, two and a half years later, this shows up out of the blue at my local art-house theater here in Cincinnati. The early Saturday screening where I saw this at was attended so-so (5 people in total). I can't see this playing in the theater very long. If you are interested in the movie, you'll have to most likely check it out on VOD or eventually on DVD/Blu-ray.

Most films about Nazi war era is made about victims of any Other ethnic, social group and I have never heard of a common-man-German's resistance nor any Germanic people daring to act against the strict, strident Nazi forces. WWII was horrendous.This film makes that vision clear and scary, still today. Nazis, as they were clearly depicted in "13 minutes" film still inflicted fear in an audience who knew they were sitting in a safe movie theater…and yet the fanaticism and coldness, heartless obedience was shown, effectively.And without extra drama or fluff or exaggerations to get ratings or profits. This movie is a necessary 'correction' to the more popular WWII movies, those depicted with "victim-fighting-and-losing" or "victim-turns-hero-and-wins" – the popular, very common versions.These Nazis were mainly shown as males, as stiff, sharp, stone-immobile -faced and with rigid bodies, even in gestures, expressions & all their movements. Surprisingly, only very few Nazi females were included in film, to balance the understanding of which Germans submitted, why so many Germans obeyed, or how most Germans actually lived their lives within those actual Nazi enforced strictures. yet. these were believable. As was the man who refused them - and suffered strongly for disobedience.The movie tension was constant & visceral - felt strongly, throughout most of the long movie- even in flashbacks and scenes of the hero's attempts to explain himself after being caught. Torture was difficult to watch - and though this writer is mostly proud of "facing reality, no matter what it is" did close eyes and ears at 2 points to not indulge in horrors on screen.And to avoid having later prolonged effects from seeing real-life torture, as viewed on such a Big Screen - with loud sounds & music, with gore, extreme pains shown. The cruelty was so easily inflicted - and the helpless of this proud man, who was very brutally punished. For disagreeing, disobeying, failing.There are No Heroics in watching brutal humanity enjoying or obediently acting-out-orders. The inclusion of no-apparent-exaggerations- but here probably showing realistic depictions - were acted out dramatically, as subtly as is necessary, to make this film appear valid. "13 minutes" should be seen by all & anyone who has been alive - then and who escaped such pains. And equally by those who have never lived inside such war-gutted societies and with the people who collude in wars - do so for their safety - or they lived there for their benefits of being with those who are the "Winners and In Power & Control" - or are those who collude, and become collaborators. Or those who had to be there mainly for their body-survival - as occurs, in any war, any where else.Especially those of a younger demographic should view this film, which exposes Germans and Nazis more realistically than American or some other Japanese/European movies dare do. A Hero is one who acts on their own honorable, responsible, ethical convictions - not hurting others - but who act to prevent worse happening to others too, in their world/ town/ country.Not to "kill 'em all & sort them out later" . But a hero has to have serious convictions and to be personally courageous - to take personal actions that may put that person in serious danger . To do something on & with purpose - to prevent worse happening for others – that becomes a higher calling / purpose.Comparatively, all other -mostly American- movies that are Not nearly as realistic, pointed and directed to our heads, as is this one. This film is not just to provoke fear & easy emotions. Most others do not meet the level of truth & honesty, as is well depicted here.

This is a German film based on a real person called Georg Elser who attempted to assassinate Adolf Hitler in the 1939. From the director of 'Diana' fame and it was one of the contenders from the Germany to represent the nation at the 88th American Academy Awards, but in the end it lost the bet to another WWII drama. So if you are interested in the WWII, then you should try it. But remember this is not a war film like guns and bombs, it just takes place around the same time.The film reveals something we never knew before. Georg Elser is a carpenter by profession and a part time musician. Hails from the rural Germany who falls in love with a married woman. But the real story begins after he failed his mission, later he caught by police and tortured to confess his crime. Then it takes us a few years back and reveals part by part his life and the event related to the opening scene.Basically, this film ends before beginning to take off. Precisely to say, when the Elser's plan flopped/ended, the film almost lost its strength. Just like the title says, that 13 minutes of the film was something like a short film. But what comes later were different than all the information I read about the film. So the rest of the film was an interrogation that tells both his personal life, as well as how he prepared to kill the Hitler and the reason behind it.Little slow and mostly boring, nonetheless inspired by a real person makes this watchable. Because what he attempted was not some silly thing. If, if he had succeeded that, the history would have been rewritten. Maybe the aftermath of that, who knows what the world would have looked like right now without the WWII. The tension might have still persisted, but kind of impossible to predict anything particular about that theory."If humanity is not free, everything dies with it."Anyway, Georg Elser's personal life was not that interesting, but I am disappointed about this film that failed to disclose his intellectual undertaking to show us on the screen very inspiring way or maybe you can say thrill way. Because those parts comes and goes like a shooting star, I mean that fast. The remaining film drags mostly with drama. Since the storytelling was split into frequent of the present timeline (1939) and flashbacks, some of the important events kept for the final revelation, but did not strike.Some of the scenes were raw, but not as much as a few the WWII films I had seen. The problem for me was it is not sentimental as it should have been. Because many events how they have turned out should have had left the strong feeling on the viewers. It's not the bad performances, I actually liked everybody, but the screenplay was not designed for its full potential. I don't know what is the original source material, but it was like they hurried to make it without more research.When a film is a biography, I don't care about the entertainment. But I always look for the reason why it deserved to be a film. In that perspective, this film interested me for just one reason and that's I already mentioned somewhere in the above. I did not like as much as the critics and some of the film fanatics did. All I wanted was it to be a little clever, maybe a fine editing to place the scenes at the right spots would have saved it. I think I can suggest it, just to know about this person, but other than the its nothing very impressive. Mostly anybody would predict the story, especially the conclusion.6.5/10