Most convincing 'Nazi' in films

[ajax3985]

ajax you said he was a Brit but,
karl-otto alberty was born in Berlin.

Semper Fi
Phil[/QUOTE]

Branagh is a Brit and screwed up my post. In realty the Brits have long been some of the best actors as well as some of the Euro's. I do not know what happened to our American actors over the years, their all mushy box office queens. Fiennes did a good job with Amon, just never thought about it till today and have seen it 1/2 dozen times.

Guess I would have to toss in William Holden for Stalag 17, of course he plays an American and not a German.

[SteveR]

Hein Riess as Goering in battle of Britain film.they said he started acting as if he was Goering.

Method actor.

[davejb]

Although BOTB, was a good film, I felt that Shaws portrayal of a typical "Nazi" was too Hollywood, and again Blech was a very worthwhile supporting actor which helped to keep the situation enjoyable, I understand that Hans Landa in Inglorious Bastards, hated the part and has refused to ever play another similar role, which I can fully understand, there are some roles which despite money, can give someone a bad reputation , I once attended a casting for a Crime watch type programme , all I was told was it was to play a criminal, this pimply little school kid of a second director told me I had the part without even saying anything, then told me I was to play a child molester because I looked like one,after nearly tearing this guys head off I walked off the casting and refused to work for the agency again

[DougB]

Brian Cox as Reichsmarschall Goering in Nuremburg was excellent.
Fiennes as Goethe was chilling.
Bruno Ganz as Hitler in Downfall was superb and the gold standard for Hitler.
Brannaugh as Heydrich was also excellent.

[BOB COLEMAN]

It seems most of us were impressed by the same preformances. When I read the title of this thread Feines in Shindler's List immediately came to mind. Brannaugh's Heydrich imparted the terror he could impact on others who disagreed with him. I find the Heydrich character the most terrifying.

[Scout]

Watching Schindlers List for the umpteenth time I really noticed how convincing Ralph Fiennes portrayed Goethe.

Well, Johann Wolfgang 'Sturm Und Drang' von Goethe died in 1832 and whilst that the greatest of German poets is famous, I'm not sure, we know enough of his demeanor to accurately portray him today let alone judge Fiennes acting as the poet

Apart from teasing you, I quite agree; Fiennes did an excellent job as a cold ruthless person in the role of Amon Goeth.

[lithgow]

Donald Pleasence as Himmler in 'The Eagle Has Landed'-perhaps his greatest villain role after Blofeldt in Bond-'Eagle' has a fantastic cast in general that carries the film over some of the hokiness of the plot-helps that he bears a strong physical resemblance as well...

[FrankBooth]

My favorite is Jürgen Prochnow as the Kapitänleutnant in Das Boot, although in the film he was rather disillusioned with the nazi ideology he was very convincing as a U Boat Commander in the film.

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[Scout]

Justus von Dohnányi as Gauleiter Stein in Napola

JvD was also excellent as W. Burgdorf in 'Der Untergang.'
He even looks a little like him.

Food for thought that JvD's grandfather was Hans von Dohnányi, German jurist and German resistance fighter and his great-uncle was Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Lutheran pastor and a co-founder of the Confessing Church, both of whom were executed by the Third Reich.

Anton Diffring as Reinhard Heydrich in operation daybreak.

Ironic, that AD made a living mostly portraying vile stereotype Nazi's. He left Germany in 1936 and most likely wasnt a very big fan of the Third Reich.

I understand that Hans Landa in Inglorious Bastards, hated the part and has refused to ever play another similar role, which I can fully understand, there are some roles which despite money, can give someone a bad reputation

As well he should. That movie and especially HL's role made a mockery of his past and future work. He is IMO as far better actor than that. I realize a big Hollyweird production puts food on the table, but sometimes there must be a lot of self respect to disregard.
In general, it is a toe curling movie.
I thought we were past portraying Germans like in that horrible movie and also past the idiotic stereotypes which in general is paraded past the viewer in that yawn of a movie.
It does not even work as a parody IMO.
As mentioned else where, I find it sad, that one of my once favourite directors have lost his way and now only turns out tripe.
I hope Hans Landa can overcome it, but IB will most likely follow him like a stigma (type casting him) for the rest of his career.
Or at least his role in IB will instantly spring to mind, as it indeed the case of most people.
For a good performance by HL, watch him in a nice little sleeper like 'Water For Elephants.'

As for other actors: I agree with many many of the above mentioned suggestions of well portrayed persons from the TR.

Most of the actors in 'Der Untergang' are very well cast. Bruno Ganz does a splendid job (which is a gross understatement in view of his preparations and his excellent perfermance).
Many of the other actors in that movie as well.

Prochnow was and is the ultimate U-Boot commander in the ultimate U-Boot movie. None above and none next to either.

Two of my favourites - though I hesitate to tag them with the brand of being Nazis. Lets just say they both portray soldiers in WWII movies. Both were WWII veterans:

Hannes Messemer (The Great Escape*)

Hans Christian Blech (Conrad in The Battle of the Bulge).

Both of whom were Eastern Front soldiers during WWII.

Below Messemer & Blech.







.
*TGE in which the venerable Donald Pleasence also had a role. He was also a WWII veteran.

[lithgow]

Werner Peters-WW2 vet and featured in many character roles in German and English speaking films-the largely unloved 'Battle of the Bulge' and the very good '36 Hours' are 2 of these.