Napola - Elite für den Führer

[CARL]

Very well said HPL, I couldn't agree with you more. I too have seen this movie several times...and may watch it yet again this evening

Grüsse,

Carl

[lebus12]

I saw this film also, very interesting. ARTE TV made also an excellent film with testimonies.

Herrenkinder : Glauben - Gehorchen - Ka

[FrankBooth]

Agreed, a great film. One can also find uniforms used in the film on Ebay DE quite often if you collect screen used items. Here's one that was up a while ago, sold as "original" but clearly a prop from the film.

[BOB COLEMAN]

The film went to great lengths to clad the actors in accurate reproductions of the Napola uniforms. There has yet to be a good reference book produced on the uniforms and insignia of the National Socialist education system-Hitler Jugend Schule, Napola and Ordensburg. I hope at some time, a good researcher tackles the subject.

[Robert H]

saw the NAPOLA movie back in 2004 in Germany. Likes it as it shows some different sides of this time.

[Friedrich-Berthold]

German films of the 1950s well address the realities of life in the III. Reich and are in You Tube in their variety.
More recent US films on the second world war are generally just a caricature of epigony, in contrast to what those who lived through same could portray about their own experience.

[Woolgar]

That's right; the exteriors for the Napola seen in the film were shot at the Bouzov castle. (Hrad Bouzov / Burg Busau; see, for example: Bouzov Castle - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia or Bouzov )

Agreed; a fine film which I fully recommend. I saw it at the cinema back when it came out, later bought the DVD and by now have watched it many times over.

I think it does an extremely good job of illustrating the evil seductiveness of the Nazi ideology, especially for young people.

I also admire the film's realistic, multi-faceted characterizations, brought to life by an excellent, strong cast. Hollywood fare all too often relies on clichéd, cardboard cutout characters, whereas here even the "bad guys" are believable human beings with a fleshed-out personality.

Nowhere is this more evident as in Gauleiter Stein portrayed by veteran character actor Justus von Dohnányi (who was also great as General Burgdorf in "Downfall" or Berus in "The Experiment"... but I digress.) When he grew up, he never had the chance to get the kind of training and career prospects that the Napola education now offers and he thinks that his son should be grateful for this, which he tells him in no uncertain terms. He actually believes that he does his intellectual, sensitive - or, as he would see it, "weak" - son a favor by forcing him into the Napola; totally unable to see that he causes nothing but suffering and doom. We despise him for what he stands for and for what he does to his son, but at the same time, while we could not possibly condone his views and actions, we can actually understand his motivations... to a certain degree.

Those are always the greatest movie villains: The ones who fully believe that they are actually doing the right thing. It's also exactly how some of the worst figures in real life were ticking.

(Although I must say that my "favorite" character is Michael Schenk's nasty, bullying PE teacher; especially his wholly unexpected display of a sense of fairness in that "punch me in the stomach" scene, when he doesn't come down on Friedrich like a ton of bricks like we would expect him to.)

Andreas, your command of the English language, your eloquence and expression is beyond reproach!

Where did you learn English, were you a scholar of Cambridge or Oxford perhaps ?

Nick

[Friedrich-Berthold]

Andreas, your command of the English language, your eloquence and expression is beyond reproach!

Where did you learn English, were you a scholar of Cambridge or Oxford perhaps ?

Nick

Our site attracts well educated people who are citizens of the world and multi lingual. Much benefit accrues from setting a high standard. And in Bavaria, the educational standards are quite high, as well.

[Woolgar]

Our site attracts well educated people who are citizens of the world and multi lingual. Much benefit accrues from setting a high standard. And in Bavaria, the educational standards are quite high, as well.

Indeed you are of the same ilk FB

Nick

[Friedrich-Berthold]

Indeed you are of the same ilk FB

Nick

Thank you. Others take huge offense at learning and erudition on these sites.