The barbarity of the Nazis comes into sharp focus in a botched attempt to assassinate Adolf Hitler at the start of the second World War. The man at the helm is Oliver Hirschbiegel, who directed Downfall, which was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the 2005 Oscars.
The centerpiece of 13 Minutes is a resistance fighter by the name of Georg Elser, who could have changed history and saved millions of lives. The date was 8th November 1939 and the place, the Munich Bürgerbräukeller. Elser had meticulously crafted a plan to kill the Fuhrer during a speech the German dictator was giving by planting a bomb he personally assembled in the building. As it turned out the device did discharge and people died, but Hitler had left earlier than expected and the rest, unfortunately, became history. Elser had planted the explosives two days before they ignited and he was arrested on the Swiss border on the day of the blast for possession of suspicious objects. A map of the site of the assault and detonators were found on him. He was a carpenter from Königsbronn. Elser was sent to be interrogated by the head of the Criminal Police and by the man in charge of the Gestapo. When pressure was applied through his loved one, he confessed, but the Nazis refused to believe he acted alone and their torture tactics were ramped up.
13 Minutes is also a tragic love story, that of a union between Elser and a married woman. Christian Friedel (The White Ribbon, Amour Fou) is compelling as Georg Elser, who is painted as smart and talented, and a man who had a way with the ladies. A musician, Elser quickly realised he could get further in railing against the rise of national socialism by going under the radar rather than by butting heads with the growing tide. Others of prominence in the cast include Katharina Schüttler (Generation War; Oh Boy) as Elser’s life partner, along with Burghart Klaussner (The White Ribbon, Night Train to Lisbon) and Johann von Bülow (Labyrinth of Lies) as the interrogators. It is the intimate nature of the storytelling that provides the catalyst for the deep-seated feelings that develop inside us, the audience. So, we get both the brutality of the Gestapo as Elser is held in solitary confinement and grilled day after day, and the backstory to Elser’s deed (told via flashbacks). It is a simple but extremely effective device that makes us care all the more.
Oliver Hirschbiegel is clearly a master storyteller. He acknowledges that he was fascinated by Elser, whom he describes as being not politically organised, rather a free spirit who believed in individuality and self-determination. The film came about after one of the producers saw a 1969 docudrama about Elser that impressed him and he suggested the topic to authors Fred Breinersdorfer and his daughter Léonie-Claire. I, for one, am mighty pleased he did because the result is a drama with impact and resonance. At the end of the movie, I couldn’t help shake the feeling “if only”. I’d be surprised if you don’t share that sentiment.
Rated MA, 13 Minutes scores a 7½ to 8 out of 10.
Director: Oliver Hirschbiegel
Cast: Christian Friedel, Katharina Schüttler, Burghart Klaußner
Release Date: 23 July 2015
Rating: M
Alex First
David Edwards is the editor of The Blurb and a contributor on film and television