My Nazi Legacy

Be prepared. The DVD extras are lengthy and mirror the film, time-wise.

Indulgent? Of course. What they demonstrate is the craft of the documentary maker because these are the offcuts, the scenes that were not used, with written explanations by (one assumes) the director as to why they ended up on the cutting room floor.

Are you interested that there are no shots of Philippe Sands talking direct to camera? They were given the snip. Deliberately.

Here's a shocker. The Frank family gather every year on the 16th of October to remember the hanging of Hans. His son Niklas found the pressure of this celebration unbearable and so privately responded in the most disrespectful way imaginable. He masturbated.

The section that goes on longer than "a bit" is the Purcell Room Debate. This, as Owen Van Spall relates, is the most uncomfortable part of the film. Horst is nailed to the boards by Niklas, Sands and members of the audience for not accepting the inevitable that his father was responsible for thousands of deaths and he knew exactly what he was doing. Watching Horst squirm and fidget is like watching a boy being bullied in the changing rooms. The extras give you more, the stuff the director could not use. It feels unnecessary. Even cruel.

The trailer is a work of art. Usually these things bash you over the head to demand attention and give away the best bits. This one seduces you with delicacy.

Does the film live up to its trailer? Not possible.