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The Eichmann Show - BBC 2 Tuesday 20th January 9pm
anyonefortennis
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Part of the BBC Holocaust Season, the true story behind the televised war crimes trial of Adolf Eichmann that changed the world. Starring Martin Freeman and Anthony LaPaglia as the TV producer and director of the original coverage of the trial.
The trial became the world’s first ever global TV event, using multi camera format for the first time in an event like this. This film tells the extraordinary story of the production team that overcame enormous obstacles to capture the testimony of one of the war’s most notorious Nazis. It is also the first time a global audience had seen the true atrocities of the war, seeing footage of the death camps for the first time.
The trial became the world’s first ever global TV event, using multi camera format for the first time in an event like this. This film tells the extraordinary story of the production team that overcame enormous obstacles to capture the testimony of one of the war’s most notorious Nazis. It is also the first time a global audience had seen the true atrocities of the war, seeing footage of the death camps for the first time.
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Was he actually 'one of the war’s most notorious Nazis'? I think he was just unlucky to be the only one the Israelis managed to kidnap and hang out of those left over after the Nuremberg Trials.
He was in charge of deporting the Jews from Poland into the ghettos, stealing their property and personal belongings. So yes, he was one of the wars most notorious Nazis.
He certainly became notorious simple because he was brought to a well publicised trial, had he not been caught we would probably have never heard aout him
There were many more notorious ones, who either were never found or were protected by the allies and given new identities
I'm confused by the words " Televised " and "Global TV Event " was it shown live in Israel , then for other TV markets filmed daily highlights were sent to TV companies round the world ?
Looks interesting but my horrific phobia of zero talent Martin Freeman might come into play.
I just did a Grauniad search for EICHMANN and BBC (then tried ITV) for the last couple of months of the trial and did not find any matches. Suggests that there was no TV coverage apart from on the news.
Eichmann did not just enjoy his work, he really believed in it. When he was hiding in Argentina after the war, he confided in a Dutch former SS man and journalist called Willem Sassen. “If we would have killed 10.3 million Jews, then I would be satisfied and would say, good, we annihilated an enemy,” he said. “I wasn’t only issued orders, otherwise I’d have been a moron, but rather I anticipated – I was an idealist.”
But i'll give it a record as it looks interesting.
No, it is Samuel West.
ok thanks. The period detail is very well done. It reminds me of Quiz Show.
Slow start but looks good.
Martin Freeman was quite good. Not sure about Anthony LaPaglia though. He was quite wooden.
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/holocaust-night-will-fall
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/filmreviews/11106164/Night-Will-Fall-beyond-heartbreaking.html
http://bfi.org.uk/whats-on/bfi-film-releases/night-will-fall
Can you be notorious and anonymous at the same time?
No doubt there were others equally or more 'evil', but probably wouldn't make much of a TV programme without all the details known about Eichman
I know. I couldn't believe what I was reading either. Plus someone saying that Eichmann was unlucky getting caught. As if that monster deserved some luck.
Anyone who thinks he was a 'mid grade' anything and not really a key part of the holocaust needs to watch 'Conspiracy' with Stanley Tucci as Eichmann. In fact, you should watch it anyway.
The thing is I'm sure Hurwitz was right. Eichmann must have had some humanity (though not for his victims of course). But filming him watch film of what he himself had personally planned and witnessed was hardly likely to make him show it.
Some of the characters were there purely to deliver a clunky plot point rather than have it emerge naturally. Rebecca Front's hotel owner particularly.
As for whether it was a major TV event at the time, it may have been in the USA but if it had been in the UK I'm sure I would have remembered it. I clearly remember Gagarin's spaceflight and also the Berlin Wall being built, which was also in 1961.
Overall I enjoyed it but a 60 minute documentary on the trial and Eichmann's leading part in the Holocaust would have been much more powerful and also would have been enlightening to those here who have said he was a just mid-grade Nazi.
When I said Middle Grade Nazi I meant he wasn't a infamous Nazi like Hess , Goebbels, Bormann or Himmler, bad phraseology.
It was headlines at the time, as well as of course Cuba and Gargarin...
In my day, he was regarded as a monster and at my age today, still is .... certain events in life, one never forgets...