What are some good WWII movies from the German point of view?

Question

I've been wondering for a while now if there's any good World War II movies told from a German point of view, or if anything, doesn't necessarily show the Germans as the "bad guys". I want a change in what I see for once! XD

I've already seen Das Boot. I've heard of NaPolA (a.k.a. Before the Fall) and Stalingrad, but are those any good?

Thanks for your help!

Answer 1

Who the bad guys and who the good guys were is determined by who wins. But that wasn't the question.

Stalingrad is an awesome movie and if you have the patience to appreciate Das Boot, I think you will like it.

There is a movie called Cross of Iron, which was by the great director Sam Peckinpah, I think.

There was a movie called Downfall about the last days in Hitler's bunker which was good.

Answer 2

The best one I can think of is "Hogan's Heroes"

Answer 3

All Quiet on the Western Front is from the German perspective, if I remember correctly.

Whoops, that's WWI, but a great movie nonetheless.

Answer 4

I don't ever think that "Germans" are ever potrayed across the board as the "Bad guys"  The n***s are (Because they WERE) Ther'es a difference. Certainly not all Germans were n***s or bought into the n**i ideology. Many resisted the n***s.  

Swing Kids is a great movie about GERMAN youth who struggled against the n**i ideologies they were being bombarded with, while they attempted to pursue fun and their own "culture" in swing music and western fashion.. IT's a great,  insprirational story. It shows that quite a few GERMANS stood up against the n***s.

Like House? a VERY young Wilson is the main character..  He was pretty cute when he was young!

Answer 5

Back in the day they weren't trying to indoctrinate people like they do now so the movies were more realistic.  The Longest Day and A Bridge Too Far are good examples of how the Germans were treated as well rounded characters.  Another great movie about the german side is The Eagle Has Landed about a german attempt to assassinate Churchill.

Answer 6

Hi Katri, please do me a favor and click this link!

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;...

and also the link in of my answer in this link :D

But again :-) It seems US-Movies are more about action, special effects and patrotism. "hooah, USA!" In my opnion german war movies are "serious". How should i say, they focus more to the meaning of war and human beeing and story, but that`s just my opnion. And maybe the explosions, special effects are better in us-movies, but please keep in mind, that normaly a german or euorpean director don`t have Hollywoodbudgets. Oh and i am not sure, but i think normaly german movies aren`t dubbed into english. you need to read english subtitles all the time if you dont speak german.

In my last answer i gave the asker scenes from movie, now i give again the trailers (where its possible), so you get an overview about the movies

But here we go. Stalingrad is worth a seeing in my opnion. I like it, but not everybody does. Tastes are different. It`s about german soldiers who fought in the battle of stalingrad, but refused to execute civilists, so they got punished and at the end they freeze.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-Wbe8ZKC...

I recommend the finish war movie Talvisota. If you are lucky you can find the whole movie with english subtitles in youtube, cutted in different parts. If am right, 2 brothers join the military, anyhow. The movies is about the finish-russian winter war 1939-1940. The german helmets are correct, because the germans (or better nazigovernment) sold them and some tanks also,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ELfMprEb...

I also recommend "the bridge" (blackwhite only). its the story about 7 teens who enlisted, getting brainwashed and get the order to hold a unimportant bridge and at the end only 1 survieved, the first part of the movie is a bit boring, but second part is better. historical context i think is the "peoplestorm". the n***s called every men in the age from 16 to 60 into arms at the end of war. sorry i could only find a german trailer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Weg92nUu6...

As far as my feet will carry me - The movie is based on the novel which is based on a true story of a german soldier. Many german soldiers in soviet pow were convicted to 25 years of jail, many soldiers died in pow camps. A soldier flew out of a camp in sibira and did a journey of about 8000 kilometers to home and wrote a novel.  Not much action, but i like the movie.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01TyUp7al...

By the way if you don`t believe me with the 25 years, search in google for "Erich Hartmann" (the german pilot)

I also like the movie Cross of Iron. Fiction story of Steiner and his soldiers on the eastern front. The movie is in english, because it`s a german-british production

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdaJgFGIX...

The Downfall - The last days in the fuhrerbunker. Movie has some historical mistakes, like goebbels didn`t shot his wife, but anyway, still a good movie. liked it also.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R42gsGBWN...

The young boy of the hitler youth is also authentic. the last german newsreel (i guess its the last newsreel) show Hitler awarded soldiers, the youngest is 14.

I didn`t see yet Napola, White Rose or Sophie Scholl, but i give you the trailers although

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAvAG27EB...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ctDUcmRz...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-ZJfe5uh...

Maximum number of Links is limited to 10. But a good american movie besides "Saving Private Ryan" is The longest day. look for it, if you hadn`t seen it yet!

If you like Saving Private Ryan, then watch Enemy at the Gates also.

You said WWII movies, but i suggest you to watch 2 WWI movies.

"All quiet on the western front" (black and white) and "Johnny got his gun" (also black white) both us-made, but good. johnny got his gun, isn`t about a german soldiers, but look for it.

If you like touchy emotionfull movies, then try Joyeux Noel. Movie tells the story of the Christmas Truce. British and german soldiers, stopped killing during christmans and celebrated the christams holidays together.

well, maybe rent the movies, if you are afrait of buying S****y movies. Anyhow, i enjoyed all movies, but thats just me.