The Hitler Gang (1944)

 The Hitler Gang (1944)

This film doesn't portray Hitler as crazy or as a raving lunatic and he is shown as being less downright evil than a cynical, manipulative and ruthless politician. For instance, the persecution of the Jews is shown to be not a product of his fanaticism but as a political calculation to search a scapegoat for Germany's defeat in the WWI. The movie consciously tries to mirror the gangster movie popular in its era (thus the title), instead of conspiring to rub off other gangsters, here Hitler conspire to do away with rival politicians, instead of fighting over the liquor market, here they fight over controlling Germany.

The movie didn't have all the information that came out after the war ended (Eva Braun doesn't appear, but his niece Geli Raubal, whom the movie accuses Hitler of murdering, does; nothing is said about the concentration camps) but it is nevertheless very well informed given the circumstances, especially about the beginnings of Nazism, showing for instance how Hitler join the National Socialist Party as an army spy, in order to infiltrate it.

Made with a tiny budget, and with no name actors, it is finally made interesting by its intelligent, literate script, sober directing and some of the acting. Bobby Watson is very good as Hitler, the supporting cast is a bit less (the actors playing Hess, Goebbels and Rohm look quite like the characters they are portraying, the actor playing Himmler very little, the one playing Goering, nothing at all). Recommended, especially if you are interested in the subject. 

(IMDB  Andres Salama)