The Eichmann Show (2015)

Dramatisation of the team hoping to televise the trial of Adolf Eichmann, an infamous Nazi responsible for the deaths of millions of Jews. It focuses on Leo Hurwitz, a documentary film-maker and Milton Fruchtman, a producer.

Director:

Paul Andrew Williams

Writer:

Simon Block

Stars:

Martin Freeman, Anthony LaPaglia, Rebecca Front

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Martin Freeman	...	Milton Fruchtman
Anthony LaPaglia	...	Leo Hurwitz
Rebecca Front	...	Mrs. Landau
Andy Nyman	...	David Landor
Nicholas Woodeson	...	Yaakov Jonilowicz
Ben Addis	...	Ron Huntsman
Caroline Bartleet	...	Judy Gold
Ed Birch	...	Millek Knebel
Dylan Edwards	...	Roy Sedwell
Nathaniel Gleed	...	Tommy Hurwitz
Ben Lloyd-Hughes	...	Alan Rosenthal
Vaidotas Martinaitis	...	Adolf Eichmann
Zora Bishop	...	Eva Fruchtman
Nell Mooney	...	Female Journalist
Solomon Mousley	...	Perry Rudolph

Storyline

In 1961 former Nazi Adolf Eichmann is captured by Jewish agents and put on trial. American television producer Milton Fruchtman fervently believes that the trial with its witness accounts of Nazi atrocities should be televised to show the world the evils of the Holocaust and to combat any resurgence of Nazism and joins forces with black-listed director Leo Hurwitz. Despite death threats, reluctance to cooperate from several networks and even resistance from the Israeli prime minister David Ben-Gurion, who fears a 'show trial', the pair persist and move their cameras into the court-room. Edited daily and shown in some three dozen countries the 'Eichmann Show' becomes the first ever global television documentary.

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Plot Keywords:

trial | adolf eichmann | court room | genocide | israel | 

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Taglines:

The Nazi Trial of the Century

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Genres:

Drama | History

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Details

Official Sites:

BBC Listing Official site [Japan]

Country:

UK Lithuania

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 January 2015 (UK)

Also Known As:

The Eichmann Show

Filming Locations:

Lithuania

Company Credits

Production Co:

Feelgood Fiction, British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Vistaar Religare Film Fund

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

16:9 HD

Did You Know?

Trivia

In this film, Nicholas Woodeson plays one of the Israeli camera operators in charge of filming the trial of Adolf Eichmann, one of the responsible for the deaths of millions of Jews. In Conspiracy (2001), Woodeson played SS Lt.Gen. Otto Hofmann, one of the individuals who planned the Final Solution to the Jewish Question during WWII. That was the plan that exterminated the Jews from Nazi-occupied Europe.

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Goofs

The movie begins by showing scenes from the Battle of Berlin, and a voice notes "September the Second, 1945, the war is over . . . " That's the date of the surrender of Japan. Germany surrendered effective May 8, 1945, and the search for Nazi war criminals began then.

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Quotes

Leo Hurwitz: I don't believe in monsters. But I do believe that men are responsible for monstrous deeds.

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Connections

Features Eichmann Trial (1961)

User Reviews

The film makers point of view isn't that interesting

This well intentioned but not very rewarding movie of the filming of Eichmann's trial delivers what the title promises no more than the title states. It's about the film maker's troubles and decisions filming the show. But who really cares if the producer and director argued about camera angles or cleverly concealed cameras in the court room. The actual survivors testimonies were hard to follow through translated voices. And Eichmann's own testimony and excuses were very briefly shown. At least for the trial they could have cut away from the camera room POV to put you inside the court room.

Anthony La Paglia plays Leo Hurwitz the director. But his accent comes through as Australian more often than it should. Martin Freeman is better but a little goofy looking.

This movie doesn't pretend to be a movie dramatizing Eichmann's crimes and capture. But it leaves you wishing for a well made movie about that instead and indeed there is one in the works so be patient. This one is not a must watch by any means.