Fuhrer and Seducer Film Review

Fuhrer and Seducer

Fuhrer and Seducer Rating

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‘Fake news’ is a term we are all too familiar with. However, it was not invented by one of the candidates in the current USA elections. Joseph Goebbels, the Minister of Propaganda in Adolph Hitler’s ministry of war was a master of fake news long before the immediate past president of the United States of America!

Führer and Seducer deconstructs Goebbels’ evil propaganda machine and reveals how he created the images, speeches and films that form the frame of reference when discussing the Third Reich. It is a powerful insight into historic events and how they parallel today’s ‘fake news’ landscape.

It’s 1938. Joseph Goebbels, the Minister of Propaganda, is at the peak of his power, while Hitler is celebrated by the people. But the dictator is marching resolutely towards war, and propaganda up to now has promised peace.

Joseph Goebbels, the Minister of Propaganda, accompanies Hitler during the seven years from the “Anschluss” of Austria in March 1938 to the murder and suicide in the Führerbunker in May 1945.

Goebbels is the creator of the pictures of loyal crowds and of the anti-Semitic films “Jud Süß” and “Der ewige Jude”, that ready the Germans for the mass murder of the Jews. After the defeat at Stalingrad and the situation worsening to the point of hopeless in late 1944, Goebbels plans the most radical propaganda act, his last hoorah – Hitler’s suicide, the murder of his family, and his own suicide.

Original propaganda footage is mixed with making-of scenes and juxtaposed with fictional private scenes. First-person Holocaust survivor testimony punctuates the drama while, in a final coup de grace, we are shown footage of actual shootings, hangings and other Nazi atrocities.

Director and writer Joachim Lang’s gives us remarkable attention to detail – make-up, lighting and clever editing. His film recreates and deconstructs the original Nazi propaganda – and its mastermind.

His Goebbels enjoys the challenge of maintaining poll ratings despite Hitler’s mind wandering and garbled speeches and policies. Repetitive messages of hate and fear, Goebbels could be talking about today’s small-screen social media when he likens propaganda to a painting: “It’s not the size that counts but the emotional impact.”

Robert Stadlober’s Goebbels is a mixture of manipulation for his own sake and a misguided vision of a Jewish free Germany. He is riveting to watch as he attempts to manipulate all around him, until there is no other remedy but death.

 

Fritz Karl’s Adolph Hitler is portrayed as a troubled soul, unable to think clearly as the war turns against him. He laments his inability to live like a normal person, to go to the movies, shop or even a walk for please. He admits “With the right advertising, any fool can take power.”. But even power is not enough.

Franziska Weisz’ Magda Goebbels is trapped in a loveless marriage. Her husband is having an affair and the country is self-destructing. All she can do is protect her children.

My only reservation viewing Führer and Seducer is the lack of viewpoint of the Jewish race during the holocaust. There are references and extremely confronting footage, but more interviews with the Jewish survivors could have added more gravitas to the film. But perhaps, lamentably there are not a lot of survivors left alive now.

With politics and democracy in the West facing its biggest challenge since WWII, Führer and Seducer is a reminder not to believe everything that we hear or see on the media.

As the film warns – “For if only we take a close-up look at the biggest villains of history can we strip the masks from their faces and thus disarm the demagogues of the present”!

“It happened… and it can therefore happen again. Therein lies the core of what we have to say.” (Primo Levi – Auschwitz survivor)

To book tickets to this or other films click https://www.jiff.com.au/

This review also appears on It’s On The House. Check out more reviews at Whats The Show to see what else is on in your town.

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Beowulf: Reforged – A Mastery of Spoken Fantasy

Beowulf: Reforged

Beowulf: Reforged Rating

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Have you ever yearned for a trip back in time to old fireside chats with the town bard? Perhaps with some mulled wine in hand and the outside world left for a bit? Then this is the show for you! Lit by fire, flame and some cleverly placed lights, Dr Felix Nobis enters the stage in the Waterside Forge and (surely through some type of magic) starts entrancing us into this fascinating tale of beasts, heroes and fantasy.

Not only was the tale a grand adventure of peaks and valleys to listen to, but Nobis presents this tale in a way that makes me want to listen and to witness this mastery of spoken word was breathtaking. This show was simplicity personified with minimal props, wardrobe, music and lighting, but the impact was maximised by Nobis’ narrator skills. He was able to take an old tale, breathe fresh life into it and present in a way that left the whole audience captured and hanging on to every breath and word from this fireside troubadour.

This story was further brought to life by an incredible harpist playing on the stage who seemed to spin golden spiels of tune from her strings. The immersion and old style melodies allowed me to go back in time to meat, stew and late nights in a tavern with your friends. Tonight, this was not just a show, but a place for the community all here to share in a magnificent tale.

The atmosphere of the show was one of comfort, with plush red chairs and old wooden benches. It almost felt a little bit ramshackle and mismatched, but in the best way possible. And to have the show set in a working forge, surrounded by old stone and fire? I really want to commend Georgie Wolfe and Ryan Hamilton on the design and production of this show and understanding that it didn’t need to be grand, in fact being more simplistic allowed Nobis to shine in his chronicles.

 

The audience reactions very much mirrored that of my own, with all of us gasping and laughing as Nobis’ weaved his story. This accompanied by the relaxed costume and blacksmiths props helped to immerse us all in a world long gone. And it felt relaxing to escape back there, even if it was just for 60 minutes.

This show delicately expressed what it was to be theatrical and dramatic in a fantastical sense, and, as a lover of fantasy and poetry myself, this is something I would love to see more of in our theatre community today.

Beowulf Reforged is part of the Melbourne Fringe Festival and only has four sessions left. For tickets, book now @ https://melbournefringe.com.au/event/beowulf-reforged/

Remaining Sessions:-
• Wednesday, 9 October, 7:30PM
• Thursday, 10 October, 7:30PM
• Friday, 11 October, 7:30PM
• Saturday, 12 October, 7:30PM

For further information about Beowulf Reforged, please follow: https://linktr.ee/beowulf.reforged

Photographer: Jaimi Houston

This review also appears on It’s On The House. Check out more reviews at Whats The Show to see what else is on in your town.

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KINDER Surprises: Where Drag Show Meets Storytime

KINDER

KINDER Rating

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‘The library is open. So sit down, be quiet, and listen up.’

Just around the corner from Melbourne’s Fringe hotspot, Trades Hall, producer and actor Ryan Stewart presents their debut show ‘KINDER’ – and between you and me, I’m all in for Goody Prostate’s message.

When an unexpected phone call turns drag clown Goody Prostate’s evening upside down, they’re left with just a single night to whip up the perfect act for a local library. Amid frantic costume changes and a rising tide of existential dread, Goody faces more than just pressure to perform – they juggle protests and politics, history and herstory, fruit loops and family. What begins as a whirlwind of colour, music, and fashion soon unravels to reveal a long-overdue reconnection with their inner child.

‘KINDER’ serves up a provocative response to the rise in reactionary politics surrounding children’s exposure to queerness. It’s a bold, high-wire act of queer history and social commentary, wrapped up in what can only be described as a drag-show-turned-revelation. The show explores themes of conformity, the complexities of the queer experience, and the importance of community care as Goody grapples with a deep sense of responsibility to nurture that in the next generation.

Ryan Stewart is a force to be reckoned with as the kooky, lovable, delightfully unhinged Goody Prostate. From slapstick one-liners to disarming bursts of vulnerability, Stewart navigates each of Goody’s highs and lows with a well-timed flick of their fan. Watching Goody’s mask slip, transforming from performer to person, is as poignant as it is wonderfully human. The intimacy of the space only intensifies the feeling – when Goody locks eyes with you from the centre of the room, you’re no longer part of the audience; you’re part of the story.

And Goody’s story resonated throughout the room that night. There was laughter, there were tears – it was a shared journey, with Goody reflecting emotions we all knew well: joy, pain, estrangement, liberation. This is what really struck me most about ‘KINDER’, this sense of community. There was no better place to be than right there in that chaotic, messy apartment, where both performer and audience shared complete understanding. This is the true power of theatre: to strip away the pretence and lay bare the raw, glittering heart of the human condition.

That’s not to say it wasn’t oodles of fun, too! Armed with a bubble gun and bedazzled lederhosen, Goody Prostate is unstoppable. Stewart strikes a perfect balance between introspection and laugh-out-loud hilarity – clowning around, bursting into song, and tearing through costumes like a kid let loose in a dress-up shop. It was a bedroom-floor fashion riot, and I loved every second of it.

Parenthood, childhood, the inner child – ‘KINDER’ explores it all. It’s about being a child, knowing a child, and nourishing the child you once were (or never got to be). It’s a celebration of never fully growing up while trying to be the grown-up you always needed. ‘KINDER’ isn’t just a performance; it’s a love letter to the self.

And what a way to kick off this year’s Melbourne Fringe! You can catch ‘KINDER’ at Trades Hall until October 6th, and if you can’t make it this weekend, no worries – Goody will be taking the stage next weekend at Upstairs @ Floridia in Flemington.

Check out ‘KINDER’ here: melbournefringe.com.au/event/kinder

Remaining Sessions:-
Sunday, 06 October 2024 – 8:00pm – Festival Hub: Trades Hall – The Square
Sunday, 13 October 2024 – 6:45pm – Upstairs @ Floridia
Sunday, 20 October 2024 – 6:45pm – Upstairs @ Floridia

For more information about the artist, please follow https://linktr.ee/arypresentation

This review also appears on It’s On The House. Check out more reviews at Whats The Show to see what else is on in your town.

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Welcome to Yiddishland: Reviving A Dying Language

Welcome to Yiddishland

Welcome to Yiddishland Rating

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Ros Horin’s Welcome to Yiddishland is a charming and lighthearted exploration of modern art and the Yiddish language. We are introduced to a host of characters who are exploring the Yiddish language through forms of music, performance and art. The characters originate from all corners of the globe. And the film features performances from events held in Australia, Germany, the States and beyond.

As they recount their personal experience with the language, the audience is walked through the complicated history of Yiddish, from its inception to its current classification as a dying language. One thing is made clear. It is a language of a people, not of a land.

Documentaries are meant to introduce the audience to worlds previously unknown. As someone with no prior knowledge of the origins and history of the language, this documentary does a great job of educating the audience, while maintaining an upbeat musical tone. It’s a message of joy and perseverance in the face of multi-generational hardship.

The film wonderfully highlights the almost magical connection between music, art and culture. The joy and life that speaking Yiddish brings to the featured characters illustrate the crucial role a language plays in sustaining a culture.

Many characters echo the sentiment, “The culture is here to stay”.

It is tough to make a documentary these days. You have to strike the right balance between informational, entertainment and emotional beats. And today’s audience is well versed in the short-term attention-grabbing buzzy titles regularly featured on streamers.

 

Don’t expect sleek panning shots or game-changing twists in this film. It has a more personal feel, often the performances feel more like a home video than something that would dominate the top ten page of the streamers. This film would be at home on the traditional TV channels.

As the documentary follows a large cast of characters, the audience doesn’t spend a lot of time with a small group of key players. Instead, we meet featured characters for an introduction beat and sometimes revisit them sporadically throughout.

This leads the film at times to have a general lack of focus. We follow too many people to be genuinely connected to any of them. And those that we are introduced to, we don’t spend enough time with to fully connect with their personal arc.

Though not lacking in joy, the uneven structure and general broad scope of the story limit chances for deeper emotional beats to be experienced. Telling the whole story of the Yiddish language is hard to do in 93 minutes. It means that interesting sub-stories are skipped over in the pursuit of a more general story.

There is also a slightly obvious attempt to address the current complication that might arise from featuring stories told in Israel. While the documentary does its best to remain neutral and promote unity over hate, it’s a complicated line. One that can easily be interpreted as flippant by certain parties.

One thing is clear, the director wants you to know. Yiddish has not said its last word.

To book tickets to this or other films click https://www.jiff.com.au/

This review also appears on It’s On The House. Check out more reviews at Whats The Show to see what else is on in your town.

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