Look Who's Back (2015) User Reviews

This isn't about Hitler...

[empty-bin · 8/10 · 31 May 2016]

...And that's why it was so scary.

This is a thriller. The premise is Hitler has some how come through time and believes fate has brought him here to clean house (again). However, the film was actually using this metaphor to describe the coming of the next Führer if we're not careful. If we let down our guard we absolutely WILL see the rise of the next Adolf Hitler.

The character of Hitler spoke the truth, mostly. His rhetoric cut to the heart of today's problems. It was a German production so, obviously, he spoke directly to German issues but again, Germany was just the stage and Hitler the puppet. The puppeteers were revealing a global truth wrapped in a local narrative.

Recall the time Angela Merkel, today's German Chancellor, called G.W. Bush on 9/11 and the subsequent "War on Terror" saying something to the effect of, "We've seen this before...!" THIS is what the movie is getting at.

This film is filled with amazing though often chilling street interviews featuring Hitler interrogating work-a-day people. Many of the younger of these people so open to the apparent humor or irony were embracing him, taking "Hitler selfies" - other older spectators and interviewees apparently LONGED for someone to take the reins and whip (Germany) into shape, getting rid of "suspicious-looking, bearded Salafists", etc. And these were not actors. The film was illustrating for you how Hitler rose to power the first time and how easily and quickly it could happen again.

This was a beautifully done movie. I have the book as well and I prefer the movie.

The Art of Comedy: How to Be Supremely Funny & Deadly Serious at the Same Time

[faterson · 8/10 · 12 April 2016]

Making fun of Hitler has had a long tradition, dating back to when Hitler was alive, and one of the greatest comedies of all time, Charlie Chaplin's _The Great Dictator_. Indeed, Chaplin can be briefly glimpsed in _Look Who's Back_, along with other actors who portrayed or lampooned Hitler over the decades.

Just like _The Great Dictator_ manages to be a thoroughly serious movie towards the very end and Chaplin's famous speech extolling democracy, _Look Who's Back_ also has a serious undertone beneath all the slapstick. It, therefore, meets the prime criterion for supreme comedy: that it should be very funny to watch (and you're likely to laugh out loud quite a few times) but simultaneously deadly serious in its message.

_Look Who's Back_, ingeniously, features not just a twist ending, but *two* twist endings, followed, quite a bit later, by the genuine ending. It is precisely during the two twist endings that the movie is the most serious. It probes the viewer's faith in democracy – is it a viable model for society at all? And, are human beings, at their core, good or bad? The answer is, of course, "neither", or "both". And that is exactly what the twist endings demonstrate: first, Hitler speaks so convincingly as to make even his most virulent opponents among the viewers admit that he has a point. It appears that evil has triumphed after all; or, is it human negligence and mental laziness and self-centeredness that allows voters to shrug their shoulders and, perhaps despite some inner misgivings, elect someone like Hitler to be their leader? In any case, Hitler affirms that he'd be back – not forcefully, but joyously welcomed by the people as their beloved leader.

But wait! Florian the common man wants to have none of it. His repulsion against evil is too great, and after struggling mightily with himself, he shoots Hitler. It appears that the good has triumphed after all.

But wait! There's another twist coming, and then yet another – the movie's true ending that, so to say, "hangs in the balance" and is neutral. It says that the time for Hitler's return in today's Europe, confused by the refugee crisis, is auspicious. It now depends on us, the viewers, whether we allow that to happen.

The very last few moments in _Look Who's Back_ show some real-life newsreel footage of unrests during the refugee crisis (the movie was made in 2014 as opposed to the book that was released 3 years earlier when the refugee crisis wasn't a topic of discussion). I thought that the addition of this real-life footage was unnecessary, too "propaganda-laden", if you will (although well-meant), and I wish this would have been left out. One can too palpably feel that this was just "slapped on" to the finished movie as an afterthought, as a reaction to the refugee crisis in post-2014 Europe.

The slapstick is great throughout, and some scenes are unforgettably hilarious, such as Hitler's secretary setting up an email account for him, but discovering that all of Hitler's preferred user names (including his own name) are already taken. Not only in moments like these, Oliver Masucci gives an excellent performance in the title role – understated in the proper moments, funny but nuanced.

Generally, the actors' performances in _Look Who's Back_ are superb, and credit for guiding them so expertly must be given to the director David Wnendt. I was particularly impressed by Christoph Maria Herbst and Katja Riemann in the roles of dueling, high-powered media executives. The chilliness and ruthlessness exuded by their characters is almost palpable. Herbst is supposed to be a comedic actor primarily, but his character in _Look Who's Back_ is above all a dramatic figure, and Herbst's portrayal is spot-on. (In one of Herbst's funnier moments, _Look Who's Here_ features a meticulous recreation of the famous Bruno Ganz "Hitler outburst" scene from _Der Untergang_. There we have a cinematic sendup to complement all the countless YouTube subtitled mutations.) Among supporting actors in smaller but memorable roles, I was impressed by Thomas Thieme as the TV boss, and Gudrun Ritter as Grandma.

_Look Who's Back_ offers a great mixture of scripted dialogue and scenes and "hidden camera", Sacha Baron Cohen-like unscripted scenes. These are mixed so well that sometimes, you're not quite sure whether you're watching the former or the latter. See Hitler's visit of NPD headquarters, produced in the style of real-life documentaries, hand-held cameras and all.

The satire in _Look Who's Back_ is biting: Hitler gets beat up by Neo-Nazis, because they assume he must be making fun of Hitler. And the German TV population, so apparently ready to embrace a second coming of Hitler, is only taken aback (temporarily?) when they see Hitler mistreating a little dog. Kindness towards fellow humans is perhaps not a given in Germany, but it's the German love of dogs that is truly unconditional.

I haven't read the book yet, but it appears that the movie was suitably and in certain respects, significantly altered compared to the book, but with the best possible outcome. Depending on the credits source, up to 6 various writers may have worked on the screenplay, including the director Wnendt and the book writer Timur Vermes, and this carefulness has paid its dividends.

An Exercise in Challenging the Norm

[tributarystu · 7/10 · 24 October 2015]

I was traveling in Berlin a year ago when I first saw someone reading the eponymous book on which this movie is based. It stuck in a corner of my mind, so as my travels brought me back to Berlin and posters were advertising "Er ist wieder da", I had to give it a go.

The challenge, as with previous comedic movies themed around Hitler or the Nazi regime, is treading the line of reasonable taste and still being challenging enough to gain some relevance. One of the best known spoofs of the times, The Producers, uses it as a pivot to tell an engaging story about several memorable characters, so that works well. But here, there's little to pivot from, as Hitler, in realistic attire and demeanor, narrates his experience of present day Germany. So the twist, in part, is to make it a mockumentary in the spirit of Borat, see how people react to Hitler walking the streets and delivering his calculated critiques of the political system, the media - life in general. When it's not doing this, the film provides a decent dose of slapstick and irony to its more obviously scripted parts. Distinguishing one from the other is not really the key to enjoyment; the key lies in accepting this faithful representation of Hitler as a grotesquely humorous caricature of the symbolic power he holds over modern history in its most extreme moments. It was a bit harder than I thought it would be at the beginning, but one settles in well, after a while.

Narratively, not much really happens, other than the fact that the protagonist pops up in Berlin and gets acquainted to what the world is like nowadays. To help him in this, a few support characters act as guides; none believe him to be "the real thing", but rather a comedian or a satirist. So, in a sense, it's not really a very ambitious film, because the degree to which it engages with the moral dimension of the situation is limited. But it is ambitious in that it tries to keep a straight face even through the more ghastly, touch-and-go moments one would relate to a Hitler movie. It is at its best when it does this, but then the occasional piece of slapstick hits you in the face are you're back into the reality of a mildly amusing film that people have only heard of because it is polemic.

An important part in the whole thing coming together reasonably well is thanks to Oliver Masucci, who offers a strong performance to keep the "pots" in balance. Perhaps one could critique this in particular: the implication is that any piece of fiction told in the first person will make the viewer empathize with the character, hence humanizing the historical figure. But the historical figure itself is merely a representation of the man and "Er ist wieder da" tries to contextualize this - make away with what you know and imagine this were pre-1933. As mentioned, it doesn't go very deep with it and it would be quite problematic to do so. It's just a thought experiment which concludes in a slightly open and ambiguous fashion.

To address the real question though: did I laugh? Yes, I did. Did I enjoy it? Yes, I did. The film managed to create an amusing environment which plays off the character of Hitler, without making it the other way around (all the time). As for the big picture, I might not agree that the world is, collectively, where it was seventy years ago, in spite of the troubles we are currently facing, especially in Europe. Or that we would make the same mistakes all over again. But that's another story of me visiting Berlin.

I don't consider this a comedy

[Saiyan_Prince_Vegeta · 23 April 2016]

This movie is pretty good and I didn't watch it as a comedy and I don't think director wanted to make it a comedy. Yes, it has some positive moments, but that's not the point. I'm glad they don't show Hitler in a really negative way as most modern movies do that, but instead they show why people loved Hitler during his era. They show him in a positive way and that helps to understand why some people loved him and some still love him. Also it's good that they showed how neo-Nazis beat Hitler, because that shows that most neo-Nazis don't even follow Hitler and are just a parody of Nazis, because they didn't even recognize their own idol when he was standing in front of them (even many neo-Nazis themselves say that most people who call themselves Nazis are not really Nazis, but just a parody of Nazis). Also, this movie shows that it wouldn't be that hard to turn normal person into nazi, because as we see in the movie, at first some people liked Hitler just because they thought he was funny, but then they started supporting him because they started liking his ideas. Anyways, I think this movie is VERY realistic and it really shows what could happen if Hitler would return. And it ends at a very good point and the viewer knows that this is just the beginning and most likely Hitler will succeed again. And this movie clearly has some hidden meaning. If someone thinks that Hitler couldn't rise to power in modern society they are so wrong, and Hitler proves that in this movie when he says that he managed to rise to power because even people who were against him, deep inside their heart were just like him. Such a powerful moment!

I really recommend watching this movie if you want to understand Hitler and human nature better.

Also, IMDb summarizes this movie as "Adolf Hitler wakes up to find himself in the 21st century. From there he pursues a career as a standup comedian. " STANDUP COMEDIAN? Really? Who wrote that summary, this is really not what the movie is about!

Decent adaptation, but with too much meandering and pathos

[Radu_A · 6/10 · 6 April 2016]

"Er ist wieder da" by Timur Vermes was an huge success when it came out in 2011 and sold about 2.3 million copies. The film's admissions matched that number - but initial expectations were way higher, given that "Fack ju Göhte 2", the sequel to a highly successful high school comedy, had 7.7m admissions. Maybe that's because the film takes quite a few liberties with the book's story and style.

The book never clarifies whether Hitler is the real deal or not. The film introduces pseudo-documentary snippets of Hitler's encounters with non-actors - that's not in the book, and in fact either a reminiscence or a rip-off of the similarly themed "Muxmäuschenstill" (2004). There's less drama in the book - the film makers feel obliged to put it into the context of the rise of the political right in the wake of the refugee crisis, which feels a bit off at times, even though it may make sense in a broader context.

Most importantly, the book is mainly Hitler's assumed views of today's world, which make for the best parts of the film. But it tries hard to be more than that, a broader social critique of Germany today, which lets the plot drift too much between secondary characters who do not advance the story.

When the film takes a moral stance, it becomes kind of overbearing - especially at the end, when a collage of refugee-crisis-induced violence and barter is included to scare the audience into thinking that the next Hitler may be just around the corner. That defeats the purpose of satire. It's a good example for the German expression "der erhobene Zeigefinder", the "risen index finger", which means by trying to educate people at all cost, you end up alienating them. The book allows the readers to come to their own conclusions, which is probably the secret to its success.

The aforementioned "Muxmäuschenstill" AKA "Quiet as a Mouse" is a much better critique of "Germanism", because it maintains a steady, unflinching approach on the subject of a secret lust for leaders and order.

This film made me think twice, and still thinking about it...

[princessnina3 · 9/10 · 2 December 2015]

I've never written a review. But this movie made me think twice, so I thought I'd share my thoughts with you. Please don't be too harsh on me about mistakes in my English, my mother tongue is Dutch, so I am bound to make mistakes. As I said, I am Dutch; that makes me a neighbour of Germany, my parents grew up during the second WW, the school system educates us inside out about the war(s) and we learn German in school. So I have knowledge about Hitler, the way he rose to power, his gruesome deeds, his mistakes, also his successes, and his downfall. I was eagerly anticipating this movie, I had seen the trailers and they made me chuckle. Yet, I was very curious how the director was going to portray this character as "funny", since the trailers were portraying this movie as some sort of a comedy. In my opinion, Hitler is far from funny, yet I did smile during the trailers, which didn't really make me like myself. I had to see this movie. Fortunately it played in our local cinema, so I went, on a rainy afternoon. There were three other people there, one of whom was an elderly lady (with her grandson), discussing loudly how "they were going to make it credible how Hitler got back to present day". That was not my worry… As far as I could judge (and please don't slay me on this, I'm not an experienced movie critic) the movie made clever use of actors, as well as regular people, bystanders, whose reactions were filmed documentary wise while meeting "Hitler" (in SS uniform, a very good likeness, although in my opinion the actor was quite tall, whereas the real Hitler was quite short). My initial emotions during the beginning of this movie, were confusing to me. I had some good laughs, and I even felt sympathetic to the way he was portrayed. I couldn't help myself. I didn't want to feel sympathy for him or laugh about his silliness, yet I did. The beginning of the movie was humorous, yet as it progressed, it got more and more grim. And it was not because of the actors or the things happening in the movie, it was because of the reactions of REAL people to "Hitler". I could not believe my eyes and ears. And without getting too much into detail and thereby spoiling a lot of content, "Hitler" goes on a road trip through Germany and talks to real people. Their reactions made me cringe. But the director cleverly changes from scene to scene and the "bad things" tend to be forgotten soon enough, when funny things happen again. This also made me think, after the movie was done. All in all, the viewer will undoubtedly feel sympathetic towards Hitler. And then suddenly, 3/4th into the movie, there is a grim and sudden turning point, which leaves you in awe, and makes you THINK and gives you a bolt of reality. **SPOILER** Hitler is introduced to an elderly demented Jewish woman, yet the audience does not know she is Jewish, she is catatonic and does not react to anybody, including her family, yet when Hitler steps into the house and starts to speak, her head lifts, her eyes open wide and she starts to scream. This scene gave me goose bumps. While everybody tried to calm her down and said things like "he is not real", "it's just for fun", she exclaimed things like: "that's what everybody thought about him decades ago, yet he was not funny, or sympathetic, he was a beast of a man and murdered out my entire family", well you get the drift. I was shaken about this scene, because she was so right and I felt like I was put in my place! From here on, the movie takes a different course and all is not so funny anymore, but a tad grim. Yet, the director preserves humour by showing how real people react when they get confronted with "Hitler". You feel like a voyeur, and you feel substitute shame, which is all too real, cause these people are real! Toward the end there was another scene which made me think twice. **SPOILER** "Hitler" is filmed when somebody confronts him who found out that "Hitler" is not a clever fraud but real, and this persons wants "Hitler" to jump off a building, which eventually happens. When the confronter looks over the edge, "Hitler" is nowhere to be seen, but when he turns around, there "Hitler" is again, and he speaks, saying something like he cannot be killed, because he is a part of all Germans, part of their common history, and he cannot be erased from that. This made me sit upright again. Cause there's so much truth in it! I've had German friends, who had a huge love for Scotland. They went there every spare moment. I asked them once: "Why don't you ever speak about Germany? Or go on holiday there? Your country is really beautiful". They explained that they somehow felt this was not a right thing to do, because of Germany's burdened past. They could never say things like "we are proud of Germany", because it would immediately be associated with Germany's Nazi history. That's why they concentrated on other countries than their own. They underwent their Nazi past as a burden. I felt bad about this but I also had to acknowledge there must be truth in how my friends felt. My conclusion about this movie is, that I was ready to be entertained by it, yet I was left thinking twice about its message, and still thinking about it. The movie is never boring, the acting is very good and the characters very credible. There is a sublime mixture between humour and seriousness and plain "wow"-moment, I can't explain. But the best thing about this movie is, that it is contemporary and it really makes you think twice.

He's obviously the same person, but his intentions are?

[Reno-Rangan · 7/10 · 14 April 2016]

I enjoyed the director's previous works like 'Combat Girls' and 'Wetlands'. Those were young women oriented subjects, yet filled with sensitive topics. But now he turned his focus towards the screen adaptation of a bestselling satirical novel of the same name about Adolf Hitler. Well, this is not his best work, not a bad movie either.

Quite fun to watch, but not logical, especially the basic ones. Since it mocks a most hated person in the human history, there's no issues on portraying him in whatever angle they wanted, because nobody cares. Yet the film talked some serious current issues of Germany.

This is like when 'Borat' meets 'The Dictator'. A man who wanders around a city looking for some answers. That's none other than Adolf Hitler, who wakes up in the middle of where some young kids showing their football skills for a TV programme. Then he embarks to learn where he's and what year it is. Meets a person who helps him and ultimately end up with some TV guy where they begin their journey throughout the nation making videos before landing in an actual TV show. The man who killed millions of people wants the best for Germany and its people, how he turn things around were narrated in a quite interesting perspective.

The initial narratives were like the aimless, that tells us what people think of the Adolf Hitler's return. Looked like most of them were shot like a documentary style, outside the official shooting spots. You can see lots of real people's faces were censored. We know that he wanted to be an artist, but he draws some funny sketches in this. Likewise there are many scenes about his qualities that were dragged in to make fun out of it.

Can people accept the words of one who is considered a villain. He came from a different timeline, but he quickly absorbs the situation and gives some important tips that should come into force. From the common people's perspective, it is an entertaining product, but from the political viewpoint, there are stuffs to consider severely about.

"When you have rats at home, it is called not a clown but an exterminator."

To me there's nothing controversial about this theme. When he failed, the final pages of his history book were written by his enemies. Otherwise, there's no difference between him, Alexander and Genghis Khan. Every greatest kings who ever lived on the earth dreamed of conquering the world.

I think the present world is same, except the form of conquering is changed, like some want to rule the world with their strong economy like the US and some are on their cheap industrial products like China. Like that all the other nations are on the top of the chart with something in what they're good at.

Adolf Hitler was a politician, not a king, but he had his reasons for his actions. So if we go by the rule books, nothing seems rational. To me this film was a decent entertainer, I just wanted to enjoy what it offers and I think I did. I advise the same that you should not mix up this with the reality. Because that might take us to the unwanted territory.

He's the same person who came from the past, but I was keen to know his intentions, especially what the writer intended to draw out of him. Because he's alone, not with his army, so he had no power, but his interaction with people brings up some discussable topics. I'm not a German, but it made me think when he spoke about current issues that Germany is facing. Every nation has to think about its internal affairs to improve it, you can't live forever with the past shame.

This film might be a comedy, but you can't ignore some of the points the main character talks. I felt the movie was a double strike where people can have some laughs and in other side to learn the reality of the state. This the best satirical film about Adolf Hitler I've seen after the Charles Chaplin's 'The Great Dictator'.

7/10

While it seems like a super-offensive film, it actually is incredible social, political and media commentary.

[planktonrules · 9/10 · 23 May 2016]

Imagine a film made guerilla-style like "Borat"....but with a guy dressed up like Hitler walking about modern day Germany! Well, you don't really need to imagine too much as some crazy filmmakers have done that with the film "Look Who's Back"!! Yes, a film crew follows Oliver Masucci as he impersonates Hitler and plays it 100% straight!

Unlike "Borat" where you know that it's just Sasha Baron Cohen pretending to be from Kazakstan, in this film Masucci plays it as if he really is Hitler and never breaks character. When the film begins, he is inexplicably transported from Germany in 1945 to the present day. At first, he's very confused. Then, he develops a plan...to return to politics and take Germany into the future! To do this, he enlists the help of an unemployed filmmaker, Sawatski...and together they travel throughout the country...meeting people, talking politics and becoming an internet phenomenon! Where does all this lead to? See this very insightful film.

The idea of this film is thoroughly distasteful and I actually thought might be illegal in light of German laws about the portrayal of Nazis and Hitler. However, the film manages to somehow be funny, great political commentary and not as distasteful and awful as you might imagine. This is because some of the folks in this film are not actors...and their reactions to Hitler are incredibly telling. Many of them seem to like Hitler and his message...especially regarding the negative influence immigrants have made on Germany. Again and again, folks agree with 'Hitler' and his crazy ideas while others just think it's a funny or incredibly unfunny joke...and these reactions are indeed fascinating. In addition, the way that television takes to him and his crass message is a real indictment of the moral bankruptcy of many in the media...and one that is highly reminiscent of the great 70s parody, Network.

Before you start sending me hate mail, I suggest you try seeing this odd and incredibly offensive film for yourself. While it clearly is wrong on one level...it manages to actually have some incredible political and social commentary...making it clever and a sad indictment of the culture and the media. The film's contention, amazingly, is that he'd probably fit in just fine if such a thing actually did happen! What an unusual and compelling movie...and one that just debuted on Netflix this month. Clearly, you ain't seen nothing' until you've seen this one!

A Daring and Dark Comedy that makes Light of History's Worst Man

[rolfesam · 7/10 · 7 October 2017]

Look who's back is an entertaining dark Comedy that plays out the scenario of what if Hitler just came back in 2015? The answer that the film comes to is that he would simply be regarded as a comedian that is simply going for a shock value in his work, and the public just eats it up.

This is where the social commentary of the modern day comes into effect and, with the hindsight of the last couple years comfortably behind us, turned out to be pretty much dead on with its assumptions of 21st century society as a whole. The idea that a person like Hitler would not only be considered popular and funny enough for people to go along with the gag until it is too late and they realize that the monster that they have fed and helped grow is now too big to kill is really almost prophetic now looking back on it in a post-nationalist movement USA and Europe.

As a whole though, if you ignore the feeling like the point of the movie may have been rendered mute by society just 2 years after its release, you will have watched a very entertaining comedy about the worst human to ever be born.

I really have to hand it Oliver Masucci for really taking a very difficult role in the role of Hitler himself, and making him simultaneously hilarious and terrifying as well as nearly making the monster that is Hitler likable. I wouldn't have believed that sentence unless I'd seen the movie but Masucci really does that good of a job in the movie.

It's just a shame that the direction and pacing of this movie aren't worth Masucci's talent.

The direction of this movie is all over the place and it can hit a lot of really funny, saddening, and scary moments but it fails to find a solid path to lead us from one scene to the other. instead of making a road that leads from scene to scene in a way that feels natural the pacing of this film feels more like each scene is a stepping stone in the middle of a stream and the audience is forced to awkwardly hop from one scene to the next with no set goal in its delivery other than to go from start to end.

Overall the movie is worth your time, it makes a really solid point about how modern society seems more willing to accept people saying really horrible things so long as we assume them to be comical and like I said before Oliver Masucci really does some amazing stuff with his role in the movie.

Current day Hitler

[thomasldolman · 10/10 · 12 December 2015]

The movie shows Hitler in a current day setting. Which at first is very humorous, but during the movie it turns from just funny into awkward and beyond. There are great scenes in which the movie refers to other movies about Hitler, like "Der Untergang", but also hilarious scenes in which the absurdity of a present day Hitler are just fun. The turn of the movie is subtle and fascinating. You only notice it after it has already happened, which to me reflects the real way this would occur. It even happens that at some point the audience questions its own laughter. This movie is fun to experience, but also confronting in the upcoming changes in political landscape.

So watch out, it is not just a comedy!

Good movie, but would have been better as 100% comedy

[Horst_In_Translation · 6/10 · 2 November 2015]

"Er ist wieder da" is the newest movie by writer and director David Wnendt and just like his last one "Feuchtgebiete", it is based on a novel. It's Wnendt's 3rd pretty well-known movie and just like with the one I already mentioned and with "Kriegerin", he cast a fairly unknown actor as the lead actor again. I am not aware with Oliver Masucci, but according to his filmography he has not been in movies/television since 2011. Still, he did a pretty good job here. As the film continues during its almost 2 hours, it becomes more and more dramatic while still containing comedy elements. I am not saying it was a failure dramatically as there is an interesting take on our society today and also on the quality of German television at this point that is very critical and inspires you to think. However, I believe this film works best during the funny parts.

For example, Hitler hanging out all day long in paper stores or him mistaking "Arbeitslage" für "Arbeitslager" was hilarious. And Christoph Maria Herbst imitating the famous meltdown by Hitler from "Der Untergang" was just priceless. I also found the quote funny that "Jews" are not funny and should not be part of the comedy program/movie, which was quite an interesting reference in terms of us actually watching the movie and they included it the very same moment they criticized it allegedly. Yes this is certainly a film which is not particularly politically correct, not to say not politically correct at all. Just remember the racist jokes scene. Still, this is exactly my kind of humor and I enjoyed most of the comedy in here. However, I felt that some of the dramatic sequences lacked focus or just relevance other than making this film look more significant than it actually was. I am not sure why these were included. The are so many serious German films about Nazis, not only historical ones, so it was really not too necessary to add this one to the list. I would have preferred a 100% comedy movie. And I did not like the ending at all, possibly the weakest part of the film. It felt like Wnendt/Vermes wanted to go out on a boom, but it was just a big mess in my opinion with the boundaries between reality and fiction blurring more and more until they disappear to the audience. Not very convincing here. Too smart for its own good. Still, as a whole, this was a good film, entertaining 115 minutes and I recommend it. If you like it, also make sure to check out Helge Schneider's Hitler film. Very funny as well.

Brilliant blend of humor and brutal seriousness

[fredrik-118-277895 · 9/10 · 23 April 2016]

In the very start the movie seems so innocent and a little silly. The colors are all bright. The humor though is really entertaining and i like that the Germans can joke about this topic themselves. As the movie goes on we see a lot of footage of ordinary Germans saluting Hitler and complaining about the immigrants, it connects really good with the time we live in. The movie gets more and more serious, and the main character finds out it's the real Hitler. I think the well made transition from being all innocent and humorous describes Nazi Germany. No one thought it would go this far. Really touched me even though i've seen quite a lot of movies about Nazi Germany. 9/10

A silly satire with a serious edge and compelling critique of humanity

[ameliacolb · 7/10 · 30 November 2016]

"Look Who's Back" is a film that follows the resurrection of Hitler in modern day Germany. Through the use of satire, the film shows how Hitler becomes acquainted to the modern world, and follows his rise to fame after being discovered by a filmmaker who mistakes him as a comedy act. As ridiculous as this concept sounds, I found this film to not only be immensely entertaining, but also successful in conveying a greater message regarding our society.

The film starts out fairly lighthearted, featuring comedic scenes as Hitler interacts with people of the public. Initially, I found it quite uncomfortable to watch, since morally it seemed wrong to laugh at Hitler and his ideas. Regardless, the absurdity of some of the scenes was so funny that I couldn't help but immerse myself in the comedy, and not focus on the controversy behind it. It is clear that the offensive jokes are meant to be purely satirical and not taken seriously (however if you are easily offended by this subject matter, this film may not be for you). As the film progresses, however, this tone quickly changes as the focus shifts onto bigger issues making the viewer once again question their own laughter.

The satirical tone is maintained for most of the film, but starts to fade as Hitler gains more power towards the end of the film. By using the public's comical view of him to his advantage, Hitler gains huge popularity on television and the media, which forms a platform allowing him to express his ideas to a larger population. The gullible consumers soon begin to view Hitler's points as more than just a comedy act, which leads them to adjust their mindsets to fit Hitler's radical political beliefs. At this point, the viewer is raised to question the influence media has on the public eye. Exposure of the wrong figures can lead consumers to the wrong ideas, as media nowadays has the potential to reach a wide range of invested people. As the social commentary starts to unfold throughout the film, it becomes clear that the purpose of the film is not just to create a humorous caricature of Hitler, but to rather use him as a tool of controversy and a representation of power gained at the hands of media influence.

This also leads viewers to question the values of society today. As displayed and mocked in the film, controversial content gains the most attention, and broadcasting platforms such as television or news channels will go to great lengths to gain this attention to maximize profit. Because of the massive influence media has on society today, where should the line be drawn when it comes to what is publicly broadcasted? This is another question fostered from this thought-provoking film.

From a cinematic standpoint, I think the movie is very well done, especially in terms of the acting and filming. Hitler's character, though exaggerated, is realistically portrayed in his imposing attitude towards others and confusion/disorientation in the time period. Additionally, the makeup and costumes make the film more believable. When it comes to the cinematography, I think that the variety of filming techniques implicated greatly enhance the film. I think it is interesting how the camera angles shift from looking down on Hitler at the beginning of the film to looking up at him at the end, which could signify Hitler's gradual rise to power. My only critique of the movie is that it is sometimes awkwardly paced and becomes confusing towards the end.

In conclusion, "Look Who's Back" is a very unique film, tackling deep issues and social/political commentary amidst an air of satire and comedy. I would definitely recommend it for its original plot and compelling critique on human nature. As long as you keep an open mind about the controversial topics mentioned, this film is definitely worth your time.

Painfully bad novel adaptation

[bungulahouwagadou · 2/10 · 4 August 2019]

"Look who's back" turned out to be a fine novel maybe lacking some in-depth knowledge about Hitler, yet a very interesting idea to portray current Germany through Hitler's eyes in this satire.

The movie, however, fails in adapting the novel adequately. In addition to that, literally every change is bad. One of the emberassing highlights is a scene that parodies (or so?) a famous scene from "Downfall". Its humor fails completely to be funny, and unwillingly funny are the "dramatic" scenes. An interesting part is there, however, when we get to see documented scenes of Hitler meeting with people from all over the country.

In conclusion, if you're interesting in this topic, I recommend rather reading the novel. It's worth its time more than the 2 hours it would cost you to watch the film adaptation.

Thought Provoking But Deeply Biased

[edwindsor-20680 · 20 February 2017]

This film is intended to be about the way modern German society deals with important issues facing them, and they way they can quickly come under the spell of a "strong leader" ETC. Unintended by the film makers I suspect, was the way the modern left exposed themselves in the way they see those who dare to disagree with their positive views on globalisation and internationalism.

The main message of the film seems to be that those Germans (or Europeans in any European nation) who believe that Germany isn't some giant refugee centre for the rest of the planet, and that Germans have a right to their own indigenous land, not the rest of humanity, are just like Der Fuhrer.

An example of this can be seen in real time news footage of a Swede making the suggestion that asylum seekers, heaven forbid, should actually accept the cultural and societal norms of Sweden. Oh how "Evil" of that "intolerant" man! The film is well made and funny (who'd a thought Germans had a sense of humour?) in places. But take the leftist political message with a grain of salt. Europeans have EVERY RIGHT to be concerned about their demographic integrity and migration from the developing world that never seems to cease. They have the right to be concerned about these things without being demonised as Nazis or anything else.

Springtime For Hitler In Germany

[modernmonstersdotnet · 7/10 · 21 September 2016]

"Even Poland still exists! This war has been useless!" erupts Adolf Hitler not too long after the movie has started. This is one of the many instances one has to fight the urge to spit one's drink all over the place. A fish out of water if there was ever one, Look Who's Back puts an outrageous twist on the stuff of legend (Elvis not dead, neither Marylin, or MJ) and precipitates a resurrected Hitler in contemporary Germany. The Fürher still thinks he's on command; harsh reality quickly enlightens him: he is a laughing stock, with a future in stand up comic.

This movie is way better that it should be, a miracle walk on a very, very tight rope. The first reason is of course the delightful performance of Oliver Masucci, unrecognisable behind his moustache. Compared to him, the rest of the cast is a bit run-of-the-mill, but most of the scenes involving public appearances have been improvised, and what the common German people have to say about a Hitler comeback is as hilarious as it is frightening.

What could have been a series of vignettes à la Sacha Baron Cohen takes the trouble of developing a plot and various characters, to whom Hitler reacts with a mix of genuine passion for "the German people" and a sly denial of anything racist or xenophobic. He's the perfect politician, with an answer to any question and at least three escape routes planned for any quagmire.

Carefully editing a mix of newsreel (the Angela Merkel cameo, gratified with "the charisma of a cold noodle", is priceless), movie references (the Leni Riefenstahl opening title, the now-iconic Bruno Ganz' bunker scene, except it's oh so cleverly attributed to the villain of the piece) and guerrilla-style impromptu meetings, Look Who's Back manages to balance serious issues (far too many to list) and fleeting fads shedding a cruel light on our social networking culture. From an online "Adolf Hitler make- up tutorial" to a "I hate everyone but Hitler" tweet and the demonstration that Facebook is useless at recruiting Hitler Jungen, naturally springs the conclusion – it shames one to write it – that "no one ever stay mad at Hitler for very long".

Chaplin's The Great Dictator was a brave movie because it was fighting on the front of an ugly war. Look Who's Back adapts this sense of emergency and combativeness to our desperately stupid modern times. The worst thing Hitler can do is kill a puppy. Gasing whole families was "all a joke", as asserted by the latest generation of one of said families.

What to think of the world we live in, the duty of memory, the atrocities that constellated the 20th century, when one pees itself watching the most reviled person in history punctuating his nazi salute by the phrase "See you soon, Nigga"? If this blog has a meaning at all, it has found his first authentic modern monster. Bad news is it's a real one; good news is it's desperately funny.

Brilliant, funny, but very scary

[donb-519-335075 · 9/10 · 27 February 2017]

How to make a comedy out of very tragic events and characters? Adrian Brody did it in "Life Is Beautiful" about life in a concentration camp. "Look Who's Back" does it via the premise that Adolf Hitler returns to modern day Germany. Of course everyone believes that he is an actor - one who disturbingly never steps out of character. The audience knows that he cannot - as he actually is Hitler. Much of the film is humorous as Hitler tries to reestablish himself as "The Fuhrer" and tries to understand and cope with modern day technology and attitudes.

Oliver Masucci is brilliant as Hitler -playing the role so straight that he became very scary near the end. The brilliance of Hitler was aptly demonstrated as people began responding to the hate - filled rhetoric he employed on various television shows. In real life the industrialists supported Hitler because they were sure they could control him - they could not. The church supported him because they thought he would be useful to them and that they could control him - they could not. Finally the German Army threw in with him because they wanted to get rid of their rivals - Hitler's "brown shirt" Army - the Sturmabteilung (SA). He got rid of Strasser and Rohm and thousands of others as he dismantled the organization which carried him to power. But alas the Army also could not control him.

In the movie, he becomes a media star because of viewership and ratings. We see glimpses of the audience saying like "I think I agree with him, and he makes a lot of sense." The TV moguls are building their careers on his outrageousness and resulting popularity.

His grasp on people is creepy, insidious and feels quite realistic. This film shows you how riveting he could be - and gives you a glimpse into how he came to power.

So, beyond laughs - the message clearly is that this could happen again. We must be aware of potential dictators in our midst. A few people in the movie saw that he really was Hitler - and they were discarded at the end of the movie.

This movie is not a condemnation of Germany - past or present. Hitler in the movie postulates at the end of the film that we cannot get rid of him - because he is a part of us. I hope that is not true.

You're probably thinking it's like 'The Visitors' but with Hitler, well it's NOT

[Jerghal · 7/10 · 1 June 2016]

The Real Hitler arrives in 2014. Should be funny. Like the movie The Visitors, but then with Hitler. A fish out of water kinda flick. Well it's NOT that kind of movie (well maybe just a little). This one tries to be more of a social commentary: it alludes to the rise of right wing parties (no alcohol required) and right wing sentiments among civilians fueled by the constant influx of Islamic immigrants and the (often not working) multicultural society. It suggests people would forget history all to easily and back a man (who they know is evil) simply because he can be quite convincing and opportunistically promises to finally do right by the people and clean up the place so to speak. I won't say it's left wing propaganda, but it certainly tips over that way in it's commentary and the filmmakers do have a point, we should not forget history all to easily but we should not ignore our problems either and hope they will simply go away but do something before it goes too far. Purely as a film I would say they could have done more with the subject. You could probably make an endless series of films about how it would be for Hitler in the 21st century, some more comical or dramatic then others. I would call 'Er est wieder da' a honorable try but it leaves potential on the table. I would say give it a go if the subject fancies your interest or if you just like films with Hitler in them, but know what to expect.

Must see

[juleshoov · 9/10 · 8 December 2015]

"Er ist wieder da": he is back again in English is a MUST SEE. First of all it is a really good insight in how Hitler influenced the German people and finally gained their trust. It is black humor but one of a amazing reality at that time and with a bitter similarity with the social status in Germany and Holland due to the huge flow of asylum seekers. A film to see for the young and the old. and good to see with your children ( like we did) Do'nt be foled by frustrated reviewers who have an opinion without having seen the movie. ( I call this " the Caligula " syndrome ,also one of the most underrated movies of all time: showing the reality of history !!!)

A Comedy with a Serious Message

[Uriah43 · 7/10 · 7 May 2016]

This movie begins with the person of "Adolf Hitler" (Oliver Masucci) being resurrected in 2014 from the exact place where his body was doused in gasoline and hurriedly buried. As he awakens he discovers that things are not the same as when he left. However, although the Germany he knew no longer exists the ideals that he once possessed still remain and he immediately goes about assessing his new environment in order to adapt his message to the people of today. At first everybody assumes that he has merely assumed Hitler's image in order to facilitate his role as a comedian. But the more he speaks to mass audiences the more people realize that he is quite serious-and they like what he has to say. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that, although this movie certainly has its share of humor, it also contains a much deeper message which some people may not be able to understand. For that reason this film is much more than a mere comedy-it's a warning of what can happen when people allow politicians to manipulate their darker impulses in order to gain power. And Germans aren't the only people capable of falling into that trap. At any rate, all things considered this turned out to be a pretty good movie and I have rated it accordingly. Above average.

More impactful than expected

[sergi_translate · 8/10 · 16 December 2016]

I like movies that make me think. Er ist wieder da, was suggested to me as a comedy, and not being particularly fond of comedies, what I got was way more than expected.

The movie treads a sensitive line with sufficient care, but what is most important to me, with plausibility. Even the few places where the script becomes "unreal", in general the coherence and treatment of the insertion of THE character in present society is preserved, and that is for me an enormous value in itself. The probing of current times by the use of this major historical character is remarkably able to become an exercise of philosophy and even introspection.

In my opinion an extremely challenging script becomes here alive by his own merits, and the acting supports this substrate quite solidly.

I laughed, and even if I today would better file it as a tragicomedy, For the sake of our times let's call it a comedy. And I very much hope, from the bottom of my heart that, in the next years to come we can continue to say, that it was so.

Not bad but not great either

[deloudelouvain · 6/10 · 14 February 2017]

Even though German is not the most pleasant language to listen to because it all sounds so aggressive all the time in this movie it works rather well because Adolf Hitler's speeches were also aggressive all the time. The movie itself is a dark comedy with sometimes a political view of modern society. It shows a lot of what is happening in Europe and what people complain about. Well at least what right wing people complain about and think about the situation because I couldn't care less about races and ethnicity's. You have good and bad people in all ethnicity's. The movie has some funny moments. I know I laughed a couple of times but for the majority of the movie I thought it was sometimes a bit long. Oliver Masucci as Adolf Hitler plays his role really good though. He has the physics and the perfect intonation in his voice to play Hitler. It's a good movie to watch once but I won't watch it a second time.

connecting Hitler to Europe's present immigration problems

[wvisser-leusden · 9/10 · 30 November 2015]

First of all, 'Er ist wieder da' (= German for 'Here he is again') stands out for the magnificent performance by Oliver Masucci of the Adolf Hitler-role -- which I think deserves an Oscar.

Carried by this, 'Er ist wieder da' makes a very German, if not European, film. Which, I guess, may be difficult to understand for Americans. In the end its plot focuses on European immigration, and everything that comes with it. Seriously presenting the issue in a neutral and correct way, indicating its big political complications.

But before we get there, the film offers plenty of fun. In particular in its beginning. Hitler wakes up on the same spot where he left in 1945: Berlin city center. And starts exploring the Berlin of 2014 with a full 1945-mindsetting. Thus releasing some great slapstick, which truly made tears of laughter stream down my cheeks.

However, it does not take Hitler long to discover email and internet. He understands its great potential very quickly, and gets on to a new huge career as a television-star.

So far the plot of 'Er ist wieder da'. As I said, a very German- styled film, that gradually goes down on the sensitive issue of connecting Hitler with Europe's present immigration problems. It does so in a credible way, thanks to Masucci's magnificent performance of the Adolf Hitler-role.

Can't Win An Argument? Make Stuff Up

[jjeng-39963 · 7/10 · 11 May 2017]

The funniest part of this movie is how the movie actually couldn't discredit anything that Hitler said, so they had to resort to insults and fabricated scandals that ignored established historical facts.

If your goal is to mock Hitler and you come across looking like the idiot, well then... you might want to reconsider your career.

Intriguing idea is handled inconsistently

[Wizard-8 · 5/10 · 11 April 2020]

The idea behind this movie - Hitler finding himself in the 21st century and reacting to (and using) modern day Germans and new technology - is one that's both very intriguing and full of potential satire and humor. However, the end results are kind of a mess. On the positive side, the movie's dark attitude to the drama sometimes really hits the target, revealing that some evil opinions are still in a lot of German citizens and could be reactivated easily, as well as giving a plausible look as to what Hitler would use in this day and age (such as the Internet) to get what he wanted. At the same time there is plenty of absurdity that prevent things from being so black that all the entertainment is sucked out.

But the movie has just as many flaws as it does virtues. One flaw for some viewers who are not German is that the movie seems squarely aimed at a German audience who will understand all the references to present (and past) German society. I admit that some references left me scratching my head. Another problem is that the story really jumps all over the place. Plot threads are dropped for a long time before resuming, the improvised bits don't really fit with the scripted material, and there are also a lot of unanswered questions here and there. A third problem is that the production values are quite often pretty tacky and cheap, which makes this world have less of a believability than what was intended.

So as you can see, the movie has its ups and downs. Is it worth watching? Maybe. I would recommend you start by watching the first thirty minutes. If you find enough interest (and also are able to look past the flaws), you might get enough out of the entire movie, especially if you can watch it for free. Though it may be best to watch the movie in thirty minute chunks so that the flaws don't get too overwhelming at any sitting.