Cheap Blind Spot - Hitler's Secretary (DVD) (Traudl Junge) (André Heller, Othmar Schmiderer) Price

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Customer Reviews of Blind Spot - Hitler's Secretary

Insight Into Hitler's Character & Last Days of Nazi Power
"Blind Spot" is an interview with Traudl Junge who, as a young woman, worked as one of Adolph Hitler's secretaries, living alongside Hitler and other prominent members of the 3rd Reich between 1942 and 1945. Before Frau Junge died, at the age of 81, she gave this interview to filmmakers André Heller and Othmar Schmiderer in which she recounts her experiences with and her impressions of Adolph Hitler and the last days of the Reich. Frau Junge (née Humps) was entirely unsophisticated in political matters and an aspiring dancer when she took a job as a secretary in the Chancellery in Berlin. At her well-connected brother-in-law's urging, and in spite of her initial disinterest, she applied for and got a better position taking dictation for the Führer himself. Hitler was kindly and protective toward her, and she liked him. Her close proximity to him gave her firsthand knowledge of Hitler's health, his ideals, his private manners and personal habits, his paranoia, and the attempts on his life, which she describes as best she can in "Blind Spot". Perhaps understandably, Frau Junge had considered her position close to the Führer and his generals as an opportunity to gain a better understanding of the War and of Nazi policies, as she would be so near their source. Not until later did she realize that, being privy to Hitler's inner circle, she was actually in a "blind spot", sheltered more than anyone from what was going on in Germany. Frau Junge's description of the activity within the Chancellory in Berlin during the last few weeks of the War constitutes at least half of the film. Her account of the bizarre events of April 1945 is truly gripping. The audience can sense the panic and hopelessness that permeated the Chancellory as the Nazi empire came crumbling down. Frau Junge's description of the harrowing political and emotional roller-coaster that impending defeat set in motion is striking.

Blind Spot" is not a good film cinematographically. It consists only of interview footage, apparently taken in a living room or den, with an occasional glimpse of Frau Junge watching her own interview, which is awkward. But the film's content is revealing and provocative, a must-see for any student of World War II or for anyone curious to understand the character of Adolph Hitler. Traudl Junge's attitude toward her own role in the Nazi regime raises an interesting question. Frau Junge was not a member of the Nazi party, nor did she do anything to harm anyone. She took dictation. After the war, she felt no guilt about working for Adolph Hitler, and no one seemed to hold it against her. It wasn't until much later, when she realized that other young Germans had not all been so ignorant of Nazi policies and that many had died trying to fight them, that Frau Junge began to feel guilty for what she had not known and eventually fell into a serious depression. At the age of 81, she still seems preoccupied by feelings of guilt for having liked a man who caused so much suffering. This begs the question: To what degree are individuals responsible for the consequences of their ignorance and/or stupidity? In this Information Age, are we all obligated to understand the things we do and say, particularly if those things affect others? Are we to be condemned for the consequences of our ignorance if they are bad? If the answer is "yes", I fear that all of humanity would be damned. Perhaps the answer is, "It depends." Traudl Junge is no longer as naive as she was as Hitler's secretary. In "Blind Spot" she articulates real understanding that she has gained of how and why Adolph Hitler "manipulated the conscience" of an entire nation. Her insights are important and interesting. But I found the questions of guilt and ignorance that her experience raises to be the most relevant and provocative aspect of her story. In German with a choice of English, French, or Spanish subtitles. There are no bonus features on the DVD.

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Not sensationalistic, but somber
Traudl Junge became Hitler's secretary in late 1942 and thus never knew Hitler at his charismatic peak. He was already drug-addicted, prematurely old and much diminished by the time Junge became his employee. Still she was mesmerized by his strange and potent ability to control and charm all in his inner circle. Hitler treated her always in a fatherly, kind manner and she responded to his friendly overtures and was in his sway in the two and half years she worked under him.

The film is shot in intense close-up, with only Junge visible. She speaks candidly about her years with Hitler and much time is spent on the last days in the Bunker. Junge was urged by Hitler to escape Berlin and go to the Obersalzberg (and the American zone of occupation), but she, along with the other secretaries and Eva Braun, stubbornly remained to the very last. Unfortunately, Junge was raped in Berlin by Russian soldiers shortly after Hitler's death.

There are no sensational revelations here, Junge was always rather contained and guarded in her remarks about Hitler, but she opens up more than ever before. This was filmed shortly before her death and in interviews, she admitted that she felt guilty for supporting and admiring a man who was a mass murderer. She tries in this film to explain his fascination, but she comes up a little short. This film is more enjoyable if you understand German, otherwise the subtitles are a little annoying. Still, a recommended buy.

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A Civic Duty--see the Film
If this film did not show nearby your multiplex, don't be surprised. Maybe it showed for a week at an arthouse cinema near your major university. Or on a campus. Traudl Junge is not a household name in America, where probably 5 of 10 people can't name the Vice President.

This film is not politically correct, but any citizen should see this movie. It is in German with subtitles. However, imagine your grandmother explaining how, as a young girl, she ended up being the personal secretary to one of the most notorious criminals (Verbrecher) of all time, who usurped the conscience of a society (i.e., he told them he would take on all responsibility for the actions of his government)...and the rest is black history. Think of it as a film noir. It is not entertaining, it is a tragedy.

However, there is nothing different except for a few changes in wording from the 50-years-post reminiscences of just about any young person who takes a job without thinking of the consequences. They come back to haunt you. What kind of company did/do you work for? Or, like so many Americans, do you actually derive your income from the government, even if you aren't in the military.

I recommend watching this film with friends, and discussing it over a Beck's beer--which hasn't changed since it was standard cargo on Hitler's U-Boat Flotillas. Or, perhaps, at a dealership of one of the major businesses that benefitted directly from the carnage of the third Reich--still on the Fortune 100.

And then ask yourself, who bears the guilt? Very stimulating.