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The highly-anticipated British drama, Munich - The Edge of War, premiered today on Netflix and sheds light on a potential change in history.
Directed by Christian Schwochow, the film revolves around the 1938 Munich Conference, where two former friends, who are now opposing government officials, work towards exposing Hitler's secret. It is based on Robert Harris' 2017 novel of the same name.
Note: This article contains spoilers and reflects the opinion of the writer.
'Munich - The Edge of War' review
Netflix's Munich - The Edge of War sheds light on the events that went down in 1938, a.k.a. the era of Hitler. The historical thriller revolved around the efforts made by England to stop the Nazis from war. It reenacts the tense times when British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain arranged a meeting in Munich with Hitler to avoid bloodshed.
The film is an adaptation of Robert Harris' 2017 novel of the same name, and is a research-driven story instead of a real one. The plot is entirely author-invented and consists of inner-circle protagonists who work towards bringing a potential change in history.
The protagonists are an Englishman and a German - Hugh Legat and Paul von Hartmann - who reconnected after college to make people aware of the grave dangers Hitler presented.
Hugh, a personal secretary to the British Prime Minister, gets sent to Munich along with him to accept top-secret information about Hitler's true intentions from a German informant. This informant is none other than his old friend Paul, who wishes to get rid of Hitler.
The cinematography in Munich - The Edge of War is done by Frank Lamm, who chose to add vibrance along with a green tone to its aesthetic. The plot of the film runs simultaneously between two storylines.
On one side, Hugh is seen working in the British PM's office in London, while on the other side, Paul is working against Hitler in Germany. The audio switches back and forth from English to German.
The ideal Prime Minister
Jeremy Irons' depiction of Neville Chamberlain is definitely the most intriguing part. He infused his sympathetic portrayal with dignity and reminded his colleagues that a game can only be played with the cards one is dealt with.
He knew dealing with Hitler would be tough, but he was also prudent not to go beyond him.
One of the strongest sequences from Munich - The Edge of War was not Hugh and Paul putting themselves in grave danger of bringing the secret document to the British PM, but the late-night meeting they had with Chamberlain and how he rejected their concerns.
Iron's fatherly accommodation and stubbornness for peace was due to his natural fascination with Chamberlain. For him, the British PM was a long-disdained symbol of wrong-headed appeasement. His performance is of the kind one would want to look into when talking about the psychology of leadership.
Horrors experienced during Hitler's rule
Another such scene in Munich - The Edge of War, was when Hugh and Paul visited their old friend Lena. After their disappointing meeting with Chamberlain, the latter takes Hugh to meet her.
She is seen lying on a bed, not being able to do the most basic bodily functions like speak or use the toilet. Later, Paul shares that she was arrested at a protest and was sent to a camp.
However, when the officials there learnt that she was a Jew, they tortured her to the point where they carved the star of David on her back and left her in the condition she is now. This shows the brutality Jews had to face under Hitler's rule; another such example is Anne Frank and her family.
A riveting Hitler
In Munich - The Edge of War, Hitler plays a more prominent role compared to the book. The sequence where Chamberlain, Mussolini and Daladier gathered for a meeting with Hitler, was shot at the actual building the conference was held in, which provides a vivid historical autheticity to the film.
Ulrich Matthes, who portrayed the very role of Fuhrer, delivered a riveting performance that easily conveyed Hitler's intensity.
All-in-all Munich - The Edge of War is a definite unavoidable drama which keeps viewers gripped. It challenges its viewers to accept the harsh truths about the political reality of war - the sacrifices that are required to be made in order to keep peace.
Readers can catch Munich - The Edge of War, now streaming on Netflix.
