Final Account (2020) User Reviews

We could have done it to them

[paul2001sw-1 · 8/10 · 29 January 2022]

How did the Holocaust happen? People are not born evil, but somehow most of the population of Germany either contributed directly to acts of mass murder, or denied it was happening. The total defeat of the Nazis led much of the postwar population to condemn their country's past; but also to deny their own roles in it. In Luke Holland's film, he speaks to many elderly Germans about what happened. The less interesting part is where he asks them to admit their own guilt; many still deny it, but it seems to me that this is almost inevitable: if his interviewees all said "yes, I am effectively a murderer", it would be surprising but not that illuminating. Much more interesting than trying to make them take responsibility is where they open up and talk about what happened, and how it could have done so. One has to filter their answers through the lens of self-denial, but it's still worthwhile to hear their stories; and to think, not just in another world that "this could have happened to us" but "we could have done it to them". Soon there will be no living memory; but if we forget, it could easily happen again.

A shocking documentary

[121mcv · 8/10 · 31 July 2021]

The last living Nazi's, some of which are still in denial, others/most are proud to have fought in the war, most are ashamed of the murders and one or two who are not ... I was left with a lump in my throat.

Haunting, very much a different kind of documentary

[evilwillhunting-633-904681 · 8/10 · 8 March 2022]

World War II was one of the most impactful wars in history, and as such, there have been countless documentaries about the leadup, the war itself, and the fallout.

But this one is different: it tracks down people who were alive and involved in pre-war Germany around Kristallnacht and asks them how they felt about the times and how they feel about those times now.

One would instantly expect they would all express remorse that they were led astray by a deceitful demagogue, that it was horrible and evil in retrospect. And to be sure, some of them do. But a surprising number of them do not.

None of those outright say the Holocaust was a GOOD thing, but they are evasive: they keep claiming that they had no idea it was going on. While they wax nostalgic about the excitement of being part of Nazism, which they saw as a nationwide movement that empowered their nation, they also often make asides showing their bigotry towards Jews is still very much alive 70 years later. While few of them saw the war as a happy memory, almost all of them see the pre-war Germany as a golden age and Hitler as a fine leader. It's disturbing.

The teens and young adults involved WWII will not be around much longer. That is why it is important to capture these kind of interviews to show that not only did the Holocaust happen, but the complicity with it was as well.

Never B-4 Seen Interviews

[stevendbeard · 7/10 · 23 May 2021]

I saw "Final Account", directed by Luke Holland. It's a documentary about WW2 that was released only months after the director passed away. It contains never before seen interviews with survivors of the Holocaust-SS veteran soldiers & women who were actually there. It also contains stock footage and even color movies from the 1930's. You see and learn how children were indoctrinated into Nazism. The interview responses vary, from 'Yes, I knew what was happening to the Jewish people' to 'I don't believe it happened at all' and just about everything in between. What is for certain is that Hitler's Third Reich had people scared. Most were scared to say anything during the time, for fear of repercussions to themselves. If you are interested in the subject matter, it is informative.

It's rated "PG-13" for disturbing images and has a running time of 1 hour & 30 minutes.

It's not one that I would buy on DVD but if you are interested, it would be a good rental.

How could they not know? They did know.

[pemberley-91059 · 10/10 · 2 October 2021]

Excellent documentary. It's affirmed what I always wondered - How did they not know? They did know. Maybe not at first or until after witnessing one incident or another, but by slow degrees they knew what was happening to the Jews. As one man said after Hitler took power many from the intellectual leadership who opposed him were murdered & the rest were fearful for our own lives. It's easy for us to judge them, to say I would have done etc. Would I risk/ sacrifice the lives of our loved ones to save a neighbor? I'd like to think so, but I fear I would not have done much.

Several things about movies that aggravate me

[lovintouch · 6/10 · 18 September 2021]

They kept posting paragraphs in tiny words and offer less than 30 seconds to read before posting more words to read in tiny lettering, that wasn't a nice touch on this movie since it's essence should be taken in with thought not attention deficit disorder and I would have hoped this was not another blame the German race for what happened 80 years ago as one of the military guys he interviewed had claimed he supported this war and Hitler, sort of race-baiting, I mean we have seen so many of these types of movies already, I would have preferred a total focus on those that had no choice and they too their lives were in danger if they did not obey. I know a lady who had direct contact with Hitler and his entourage and she said they were watched and if they said a thing their lives were threatened. There was race baiting in this movie and truly when will those who create movies based out of ww2 stop this and put some light and compassion on the people of Germany as they too were subjected to death if they did not go along with the program.

An important film for any time you may be wondering why it's important to look at the past

[Quinoa1984 · 9/10 · 6 June 2021]

I know this is the kind of piece of media, a historical document that has storytelling intertwined inextricably as I oral stories do have more power sometimes, that isn't really applicable tk star ratings, but I'll give it this anyway simply for the reasons that this director (who's grandparents died in the camps) has a strong sense in the editing of how to pace these interviews with the B roll of the camps and the cities surrounding them (for once a drone shot that has a thematic purpose), and what he gets in the interviews shows that he knows how to ask the right questions and make it about what they knew or are still in the deepest depths of denial. There are those who take full responsibility and there's a very interesting theme of jow culpability leads to guilt and what it means to be German today, and this is best highlighted in that conference room scene (at the same place where the Final Solution idea was put forward, January 20th 1942). There are also one or two chronic deniers and double talkers are confounding, and yet it speaks to how reckoning with one's national identity and one's own sense of self can be very muddy. And it's especially important now for Americans to watch a film like this as it speaks to our own countries past horrors (this last week with the Tulsa massacre at 100 years made that clear). Hard to watch but just as hard not to.

Only the Nazis?

[rolfhu · 6/10 · 2 August 2021]

Sure it was bad what happened during the 2WW and the Germans still fell guilty. Today, others like US, Britain, France and many other doing the same. But there is no felling of guilty. The world is just is still the same, nobody really cares.

Doing the.

"Most dangerous are the common men,..."

[donaldricco · 10/10 · 26 August 2021]

"Monsters exist, but they are too few in number to be truly dangerous. More dangerous are the common men, the functionaries ready to believe and to act without asking questions." Primo Levi

This film is so difficult to watch, but so very important. The interviewees are senior citizens that were German citizens, soldiers, and other workers during the Nazi regime that murdered nearly 7 million Jewish people. Their responses and opinions are eye opening, and in many cases, difficult to hear. Quite a bit of deflecting responsibility and using hyperbole and other rationalizations for what happened, and what was allowed to happen. And a few actually recognize their responsibilities for their role in the events that were perpetuated. Others still have pride in their roles, claim that things aren't as bad as reported, and in one case, still claim allegiance to Hitler and the SS. It makes for gut wrenching viewing. Especially the images at the end. The terrible horror of it all...

It's good a film was made getting the POV of those who were a part of it, but who ere not convicted

[elizrug · 9/10 · 31 July 2021]

It's not so much good for us viewers but for those who are questioned, to have to think about those questions and their actions and inactions. Unfortunately it doesn't quite answer any questions I may have had like, "Why did they allow it to happen?" because they said they would have been killed if they objected but there is no proof of that anywhere (as stated in the film). I've been to Auschwitz-Birkenau and Treblinka. I've seen it, and read loads about the subject, so yes, it's high time a doc was made like this, but still, no one knows why they did it. Collective insanity? Actual deep-seated hatred? Fear? Ignorance? Stupidity? Who knows. And until that answer is found is can happen again.

Yet another Holocaust documentary

[Bachfeuer · 5/10 · 20 May 2021]

Its highly specialized, niche character keeps this documentary from getting very interesting. .Waffen SS veterans, and women from their same social milieu in their final years are asked to reflect on the Holocaust. Some are admirably straightforward. Others remain in denial. As these are among the very few who came home intact, and got to have long, prosperous lives in the Bundesrepublik, I would have been very interested in the issue of survivor guilt in their lives. What a missed opportunity. Pix and stock footage are presented attractively enough. There is some particularly nice color home movie footage from '39. If films about WWII were validly rank ordered, hardly anyone would ever get around to this one. Not superfluous, but positively not worth buying a theater ticket.

They knew and did nothing.

[garethcrook · 9/10 · 5 January 2022]

I've watched and read a lot of stuff about The Holocaust and the Nazis, yet whenever I approach some new material, it's always with the same thought 'It can't happen again though can it'. The sad reality is antisemitism is on the rise again, certainly in the UK. Which is what makes documentaries like this vital. What makes this a little different from many on the subject is rather than focusing on debunking deniers or being solely voiced by survivors. It relies on those who participated on the Nazi side. The last living generation of the third reich... and their families. Most are products of the Hitler Youth program. They talk of liking the uniform, feeling included, the social engagement, the belonging to a group. Singing! Old men and women now, they still recall the lyrics with an obvious fondness. Some were just civilians, but nearly all admit to knowing what was happening. Even hiding SS officers when the camps were liberated... and chuckling about it! It feels like a lot of people making a lot of excuses. The pressure put on them from Hitler, the social engineering they were subjected to, the fear. There's not a lot of remorse. They talk as they would've at the time and it's clear that many haven't truly reevaluated or have an intention to. Some say they didn't know about the concentration camps, others admit it was clear something was going on, even if they weren't aware of the full extent. "These heroes you hope to find, there aren't many of them. We were scared". Many talk in terms of us and them. They see themselves as Germans. Not Nazis. The Jews a separate entity in the events. Not fellow humans. There's certainly no suggestion they feel any responsibility. Even those who grew up and worked as part of the regime, as bookkeepers, as guards. The only truly enlightened voice is that of filmmaker Luke Holland, who asks the questions we're all asking. 'Who reported the Jews hiding in your barn?', 'Did you know what was happening in the camps?', 'Would you have killed those Jews?'. The answers are always the ones you don't want to hear. There's a ridiculous denial about the whole thing. They knew what was happening. They did nothing. Although the stories are told with a contemplating tone, they're matter of fact. This would be even more troublesome viewing but for the way this documentary is assembled. The voices are intercut with a mix of archive and present day footage of the places spoken of. This along with text illustrating the numbers of people lost and the sombre strings of the score, make this necessarily bleak. Some admit their guilt, but hide behind semantics. Others openly stand by Hitler. It's shocking. It should be. These people should be looked upon as criminals. If they're too old and indoctrinated to feel the shame they should, it's for future generations to carry. Never forget. It can't happen again.

Good perspectives being a German during the 3rd Reich

[DonEstif · 10/10 · 13 October 2021]

Interesting context on how these 90 year olds were young children went Hitler gained control. They were raised in a Nazi system, taught to dislike/distrust Jews, seduced to accept National Socialism and then threatened to comply. It's difficult to adequately judge Germans of that era without having the full context, and this documentary provides some of that context. It does not justify them, but it makes one question what you would do in a similar setting - be brave and righteous (and most likely be killed) or comply and live with regret the rest of your life.

A very different documentary... MUST WATCH!!!

[a-roura2007 · 9/10 · 14 February 2023]

This is yet another documentary about The Holocaust (or The Shoah) but VERY different from all or most of the rest that exist. This one isn't about before, during or right after the event. This one is held in this century, interviewing the few people left that where there all those decades ago. It goes deep into how young people were compelled to be part of the Nazi party and how they were made not to care what was happening to the Jews all around them. One may call it the behind the scenes psyche of Hitler's army, which was made to be very powerful and compelling for anyone to at least consider joining them.

It's shocking to hear that, in the 21st century, some people still deny part or all of this time in history but, personally, made me think about where I would've stood had I been in the shoes of those young people. I know most educated people, including myself, want to believe they would have been on the side defending the Jews but after watching this, it's not so clear to me anymore.

The only thing I would have done differently or added is the explanation of all the terms that are mentioned but aren't translated: Mein Kampf, Kristallnacht, different titles of people, etc.

Important Documentary

[adpolak-16115 · 10/10 · 9 December 2021]

If you want to understand the motivation of middle-ranking perpetrators of the Holocaust and other Nazi crimes then this is an accessible route. An invaluable educational resource which deserves to be seen widely.

Nothing new and a bit misleading

[alexdenzinusa · 5/10 · 3 December 2021]

After having read the review and background of this film I immediately headed to Netflix to watch it. It starts good with (at least for me) unseen stock footage and some interviews. The more interviews I saw the more I realized that there is nothing about the "hundreds of interviews" as mentioned in the article. The people here are old yes, but they were children and teenagers at the time. They grow up brainwashed like that. I expected interviews from 50s, 60s and so on from people who started all this madness. Who brainwashed these children and teens. We learn nothing of that.

I very much preferred the way James Cameron used in "they shall not grow old". Footage and background accounts what really happened and what they thought of it at the time.

This could have been much better.

Stunning

[bikilathewarrior · 10/10 · 4 June 2021]

The masses of people can commit horrific atrocities when such acts reach a level of acceptability. Who among us has the courage to say no? The heart of man is deceitful above all things and desperately evil...

Gripping

[MikeyB1793 · 9/10 · 7 July 2023]

One of the few documentaries that gives a view of life of Germans living in Nazi Germany.

There are interviews with several individuals. Many acknowledge their past - and some are in denial or minimize the atrocities that occurred.

There is an interesting interview with a group of women who at first claimed not to know of a nearby concentration camp - but the more they spoke, the more it became apparent that they knew everything - the starvation and the brutality - and the deaths.

This film demonstrates that many Germans knew of the atrocities and racism of their regime - they saw it in their cities, villages, and on their railroads.

This is a powerful film and gripping from beginning to end.

Obviously, some of those interviewed wanted to make a final confession.

Deeply disturbing

[newleafvegetarian · 9/10 · 24 October 2023]

It would be simple to pass judgement on the characters of this documentary as I'm sure that many will, but if we look at these old men and women who were inextricably cast into the nightmare that was wartime Germany and Hitler's Final Solution and see them as normal people it becomes all the more horrifying.

Their obvious struggle to justify the heinous war crimes that were committed by their fear of retribution - being executed for not following orders, fall short even in their own minds of excusing themselves. The nazis never executed any soldiers for refusing to participate. The question of what defines a perpetrator is asked over and over but the answer is not ultimately resolved. This is the unanswered question of all wars. What are we all capable of under the guise of patriotism? Where do we draw the line when military action becomes genocide? And when the truces are called and soldiers retreat over the dead bodies of non-combatants how do they explain to their children why they "had" to do it.

At the end we come to understand that the director lost his grandparents to the concentration camps and that might explain his unrelenting cross examination of his subjects but in a world that really hasn't changed much since 1938 in terms of people's gullibility to personalities of cult, we should perhaps instead view it as a warning of what is still possible rather than an indictment of the German people.

Nothing New

[asc85 · 5/10 · 10 October 2021]

Because the film was so well-rated, I decided to give it a shot. But unless you know nothing about the Holocaust, or are someone who enjoys wallowing in documentaries and dramas in this genre, this documentary is superfluous. It really makes me wonder if professional critics feel that if they don't rate documentaries like this favorably, that people will accuse them of anti-semitism. I see no point in watching documentary after documentary on this subject essentially repeating themselves, and not breaking any new ground, and/or approaching it from a unique angle.

Again, if you're pretty well-versed in this horrible tragedy, this documentary will add nothing that you don't already know.

Final Account

[auskooper · 8/10 · 13 March 2024]

Final Account is a documentary about German citizens who had experienced the second world war firsthand. It really brings a different perspective on the war. It is entirely in German and has English subtitles with German likely being the only language the people are able to speak. Unless if you understand German, you have to watch it to understand it. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who's interested in learning more about anything relating to World War II or the Holocaust if they haven't already watched it. It's definitely not for people who aren't fond of documentaries. This might help with people who are trying to learn German as it's the only thing spoken like I mentioned previously.

Incomplete work; Part 2 needed for relevance.

[ttcar · 5/10 · 17 January 2022]

While the interviewing work was a tough but successful task it needed so much more i.e. POST this forever shocking event in history ... what ARE the German and European ( & World ) states doing about this same simmering threat today, i.e the story's core of apathy, inaction & obedience to authority in that & this generation that allow this to occur ... & reoccur if we forget or pretend it's in the past. THAT was the other half that is missing from this documentarys; as it stands, nothing new. Simply completing the successful interviewing work was great work by the director before his unfortunate & untimely death; an obvious reason for the state of the documentary. But Part 2 needs to be completed. The documentary's young & old nationalistic chat around the table would have been a good intro into such a Part 2 to finish this incomplete work.