I know they're both doctors, seeking pleasure in the darkest realms of the mind and life. As fascinating as Lecter is in "Silence of the Lambs", Mendele outdoes him by a mile in "The German Doctor", a chilling and observational adaptation of a true story. Lecter satisfies his gourmet needs through various methods which from seduction to sheer violence. Mendele's mind is a labyrinth, clouded by forces very few might ever understand. We just know he's one entity you don't want to be around, no matter whether you're in his good or bad graces. Either way, he'll draw you into hell.
An Argentinian family becomes the target of his latest project, and he wanders into their immediate circle, one that is already a bit complex because it is partly made up of a lady with German ties, something which makes us think she either has close ties or will become key to the eventual manhunt. This is the first act, and the mystery starts. This gets confusing because the doctor soon has his sights on the younger daughter in the family. She's his new experimental obsession, or maybe just a step along the way to his real targets.
The film explores the environment where a monster like him can survive and keep avoiding his capture. Blood chills when we watch the school which is educating the future German wave. This is more striking because this is all happening in a place which brings to mind paradise, until Mendele talks about it as home. We know this is problematic for everyone else.
We have a detective story, an expose of a dark world and the dark forces that manage to keep going and going. The film is presented in a very interesting manner because it is very controlled, never cold or distant, never too sensationalistic. We pick up the emotions from simple drawings, like being in a zoo and watching hunters and preys. It is impossible to look away. In addition, there is psychological and historical elements, and it all feels real.
A rare film, one which doesn't preach, or bore you. It lets you observe, study, meditate, and think about what happen, is happening, and might even happen again.
An Argentinian family becomes the target of his latest project, and he wanders into their immediate circle, one that is already a bit complex because it is partly made up of a lady with German ties, something which makes us think she either has close ties or will become key to the eventual manhunt. This is the first act, and the mystery starts. This gets confusing because the doctor soon has his sights on the younger daughter in the family. She's his new experimental obsession, or maybe just a step along the way to his real targets.
The film explores the environment where a monster like him can survive and keep avoiding his capture. Blood chills when we watch the school which is educating the future German wave. This is more striking because this is all happening in a place which brings to mind paradise, until Mendele talks about it as home. We know this is problematic for everyone else.
We have a detective story, an expose of a dark world and the dark forces that manage to keep going and going. The film is presented in a very interesting manner because it is very controlled, never cold or distant, never too sensationalistic. We pick up the emotions from simple drawings, like being in a zoo and watching hunters and preys. It is impossible to look away. In addition, there is psychological and historical elements, and it all feels real.
A rare film, one which doesn't preach, or bore you. It lets you observe, study, meditate, and think about what happen, is happening, and might even happen again.