Hitler's Olympics is a gripping documentary that explores the darker side of the 1936 Summer Olympics held in Berlin under Adolf Hitler's rule. This movie is directed and written by Daniel Kontur and produced by Michael Tata. It was released in 2016 and features interviews with historians, journalists, athletes, and survivors. The movie takes the audience back to a time when the world was still recovering from the First World War and the global depression. Hitler and the Nazi party aimed to use the 1936 Olympics as a platform to showcase Aryan superiority and promote their hateful ideology. The movie delves into how the event proved to be a crucial part of their propaganda campaign.
Susan D. Bachrach, the senior curator of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, speaks extensively in the movie about the circumstances that led to the Olympics being awarded to Berlin and the implications of this decision. Eric Brown, a military historian, and Jonathan Kydd, a British broadcaster and actor, also provide insightful commentary throughout the movie.
The movie focuses on the experiences of some of the Black athletes who participated in the games. We see how the Nazi regime attempted to use the games to promote their propaganda, but also how the Black athletes challenged this narrative by achieving great success in their respective events.
Jesse Owens, the Black American athlete, became the hero of the 1936 Olympics by winning four gold medals in track and field. Footage from his races is included in the movie, showing the overwhelming joy he felt as he crossed the finish line. Owens' achievements challenged the Nazi ideology that claimed that Black people were inherently inferior.
The movie also explores the way in which the Jewish athletes were treated. Germany was already in the process of persecuting the Jewish population, and they were not allowed to participate in the games. The movie shows how many other countries protested against this decision and refused to attend the games.
The movie aims to showcase the way in which the Nazis tried to manipulate the world's view of the state of Germany at the time. It shows the lengths they went to control the narrative, such as hiding the true extent of the persecution of the Jewish population, painting over the racist slogans, and forcing the flags of other nations to be taken down.
The documentary features interviews with people who were alive at the time, offering a unique insight into what it was like for those who experienced the games firsthand. In addition, it shows footage from the games, which provides an excellent historical record of the event.
The movie does an excellent job of highlighting the tension that existed on the world stage during the Games. Many countries had concerns about the nature of the Nazi regime and the implications of participating in the event. Through the interviews, the audience learns more about the decisions made by certain countries and the process that led to the Olympics happening in Berlin.
The film ends on a poignant note, recognizing the important message that the 1936 Olympics holds today. Although these events took place almost a century ago, many of the issues that arose during the 1936 Olympics still exist today. The movie provides a warning against complacency and a powerful call to always be vigilant against racism and hateful ideologies.
Overall, Hitler's Olympics is a fascinating documentary that brings the 1936 Olympics to life. It provides a nuanced and complex view of the events that took place, highlighting both the success of the Black athletes and the horrors of the Nazi regime. Through the use of interviews and historical footage, the film creates a powerful narrative that is both informative and thought-provoking.
Hitler's Olympics is a 2016 history movie with a runtime of 44 minutes.
It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.6.
