Conspiracy
One of the greatest crimes against humanity was perpetrated in just over an hour. One meeting. Six million lives.
By the winter of 1942, Hitler's dream of Aryan supremacy had become a nightmare. His armies could be found freezing and starving on the Eastern front, and America's fighting forces had just entered the war to the West.
On January 20th of that year, 15 officials attended a conference at Wannsee on the outskirts of Berlin. Comprised of mid-ranking SS commanders and a variety of government ministers, the meeting was organized by SS Major Adolf Eichmann, under the direction of the ruthless and efficient Chief of Security Reinhard Heydrich. It was to be a polite conference with food, wine and some debate, but beneath this thin veneer of manners lay an evil intent. By the meeting's close, the fate of six million lives would be decided, and a terrible machine put into operation that would alter the shape of the world.
Conspiracy is based on the only surviving record of that meeting. It would be the blueprint of Hitler's "final solution."
Member Reviews
Brilliantly Executed (Well, Almost) - BloodMoonGrrrl
Conspiracy offers a glimpse into the psyche of the men who enacted the Final Solution and seems to be a quite accurate depiction of the Wansee Conference. Branagh is stunning in his portrayal of the ruthless Heydrich, a man who will not have his authority undermined. Most of the other actors' performances are equally well done, including those whose characters are at first appalled by the direction the meeting is taking but who eventually capitulate to Heydrich. One notable exception, though the actor is quite good, is the portrayal of Klopfer as a fat slob (in the film he is referred to as pig), when in reality Klopfer was quite thin; I often wonder why film-makers will make such glaring flaws in an otherwise brilliant film.Re-enactment of a chilling meeting - swissguy
Conspiracy is a re-enactment of the Wansee conference wherein SS-Gruppenfuhrer Reinhard Heydrich successfully attempted to get 14 heads of German administrative departments to buy into the final solution to create a Jew free Europe. Heydrich and Eichmann had already decided on how to exterminate the Jews but held the conference to convince those that would be needed to help actualize the plan to buy into it. A copy of the minutes of the meeting survived and so what is said at this meeting is a realistic portrayal of what was actually said at the conference. The acting in this is exceptional, the sets and designs impeccable. You can see when the attendees are sickened by what they are told at the same time that they try not to show their revulsion. The portrayal of the administrative details of the conference are great from the servants working in the background setting up, polishing silver and so on to the shots of the food being served. It is breathtaking detail. At the end we are told what ultimately happens to each attendee at that meeting so we get a sense of closure and moral retribution because, after all, this has to have been one of the most gruesome meetings ever held in the history of mankind and it was executed with such non-sentimental efficiency. I'll never forget when Eichmann asks a servant if he loves Schubert to which the servant says yes and Eichmann mumbles something to the effect of "how can anyone like that overly sentimental, teary claptrap".Very well done - FromOttawa
This is a good movie. The writing is good, the pacing is good and the acting is very believable. The movie itself is highly disturbing, as it chronicles a conference held with senior Nazi officials and deals with the problem of how to mass exterminate Jews in Germany. For that reason, it can be difficult to watch. The sets and dialogue are simple, which keeps the focus on what’s being said and the magnitude of the events they are planning.
Member Reviews
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Brilliantly Executed (Well, Almost) - BloodMoonGrrrl
Conspiracy offers a glimpse into the psyche of the men who enacted the Final Solution and seems to be a quite accurate depiction of the Wansee Conference. Branagh is stunning in his portrayal of the ruthless Heydrich, a man who will not have his authority ...Re-enactment of a chilling meeting - swissguy
Conspiracy is a re-enactment of the Wansee conference wherein SS-Gruppenfuhrer Reinhard Heydrich successfully attempted to get 14 heads of German administrative departments to buy into the final solution to create a Jew free Europe. Heydrich and Eichmann ...Very well done - FromOttawa
This is a good movie. The writing is good, the pacing is good and the acting is very believable. The movie itself is highly disturbing, as it chronicles a conference held with senior Nazi officials and deals with the problem of how to mass exterminate Jews ...