Truth & Conviction: The Helmuth Hubener Story (2002)

Helmuth Hubener was a teenaged German Latter-day Saint from Hamburg, who with the assistance of two fellow young Mormons from his branch, was a surprisingly accomplished anti-Nazi pamphleteer. Though once an apparently contended Hitler Youth, Hubener became convinced of the evils of Naziism by observing their treatment of the Jews and listening to forbidden British radio broadcasts. Recruiting two of his friends to assist him, Hubener composed dozens of anti-Nazi pamphlets which they distributed in fair numbers throughout the Hamburg area. Hubener and his friends were eventually captured by the Nazi’s and Hubener executed, though his compatriots lived to tell his tale.

I admit to being somewhat ill disposed to this story at first, feeling Hubener's tale to have been overplayed within LDS circles in recent years. I can’t help but feel hyping Hubeners story is a way some Latter-day Saints have come to retroactively insert themselves, and their faith into the understandably popular historical narrative of anti-Nazi resistance (in other words, we want in on the righteous indignation too). Truth is most of the relatively small group of Mormons in Germany at that time, like their fellow country men, made no active attempts to resist the Nazi movement. Also some Mormons were Nazi’s themselves, and I’m glade that this documentary addressed that issue. This being said I found Helmuth’s story more interesting that I thought I would, and found him to be a truly impressive individual who showed an unusual amount of courage and conviction, especially given his age. Helmuth’s is not a story of a particularly ‘Mormon’ kind of resistance, but rather of a kind of courage that sets apart valiant individuals from all backgrounds and creeds. Grade: B.

Soon to be a 'major motion picture' with Haley Joel Osment.

Pandora's Box (1929)

A series of G.W. Pabst references that I’ve encountered recently (notably in Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds) prompted me to see this, the Austrian directors signature film. American actress and sex symbol Louise Brooks plays Lulu, a character that comes from a series of plays on which the film is based. Lulu is ‘Pandora’s box’, without meaning to she unleashes chaos among the men (and one women in an early lesbian sub-plot) in her orbit, ultimately resulting in much suffering and death. Despite the significance of the film, and its strong statements about female sexuality and social dynamics in Germany between the wars, I find that I don’t have a lot to say about it, the two dulling film scholars who provide the Criterion collections audio commentary say it all (and then some). Still I recognize solid film making when I see it, and it was on the whole an interesting film to watch. So, grade: B.

Criterion release includes 1998 TCM documentary Louise Brooks: Looking for LuLu (Grade: B-)

The Unit: Season 1 (2006)

David Mamet created this bifocaled look at army life and all that is coveret. In essence it is two shows, one about an elite, officially nameless army ‘unit’ tasked with high risk, officially off the record operations around the globe; the other the home lives of the army wives back on base, and all the sacrifice and domestic drama that entails. The balance is kept remarkable well, very taught story telling, satisfying as both action adventure and melodrama. As much as I appreciated and enjoyed the show, and recognize its arguable greatness, I just felt a little held back from the proceedings, there’s not a character there I completely connect with, which I’m afraid takes what should have been an A- down to a B+ (which may be just a little harsh). The surprise ‘twist’ at the end of the season final however, couldn’t have been done better.

Yet More Recent Deaths

Ted Kennedy (1932-2009)

You can’t deny his iconic statues, one of a very small numbers of senators who will be remembered a hundred years from now.

Army Archerd (1919-2009)

Legendary Hollywood columnist, great name too.

Frank Batten (1927-2009)

Founder of The Weather Channel, I enjoyed his guest appearance on the Dennis Miller Show a few months back.

Larry Gelbart (1928-2009)

That guy in the M*A*S*H credits who you may have confused with a local weatherman.

Patrick Swayze (1952-2009)

I admit I was never much of a fan as I’ve seen very little of his work, but his unique supporting part in Donnie Darko legitimizes him for me.

Mary Travers (1936-2009)

Some Recent Deaths

Budd Schulberg (1914-2009)

Son of Paramount Studio head B. P. Schulberg, as a service man in WWII Budd was tasked with arresting Nazi propagandist Leni Riefenstahl. Bud became involved in far left politics including the Communist Party, and later ‘named names to HUAC’. He collaborated with director Elia Kazan on the screen plays to A Face in the Crowd (my favorite Kazan movie) and On the Waterfront, the latter story meant to glamorize the ‘stole pigeons’ that Kazan and Shulberg effectively were.

Dallas McKennon (1919-2009)

The voice of Gumby.

Henry Allingham (1896-2009)

The last British vetern of the first World War.

John Hughes (1950-2009)

Underapricated, a genious at what he did. Uncle Buck is pretty close to a perfectly executed comedy.

Les Lye (1924-2009)

Mr. Barths burger himself.

The Taco Bell chihuahua (1994-2009)

Hey Jackson, "Yo quiero auto bargins."

Marley & Me (2008)

Warm film based on author John Grogan’s memoir of his beloved lug of a dog Marley. One must admire the straight forward simplicity, and good natured sentimental honesty of this movie. While it breaks no new ground, it does tell a simple story well, and seems to purposively evoke memories of any viewers own beloved pets of yesteryear; for me that was an expectationly kind Shetland sheep dog named Kirby (1995-2007). Grade: B.

Fun short little movie reviews