The Captain (der Hauptmann) Apr 2026

Originally stolen just to stay warm, the uniform quickly becomes a shield. Herold discovers that soldiers, desperate for leadership in the chaos of a lost war, will follow anyone wearing the right insignia without question.

Robert Schwentke's 2017 film, ( Der Hauptmann ), is a chilling descent into the psychological horrors of World War II, based on the true story of German war criminal Willi Herold . Shot in stark black-and-white, the film serves as a brutal commentary on blind obedience and the ease with which ordinary people can transform into perpetrators of evil when given authority. The Descent of Willi Herold The Captain (Der Hauptmann)

The Hollow Uniform: Power and depravity in Robert Schwentke's The Captain Originally stolen just to stay warm, the uniform

Reviewers from Eye for Film note that the movie "debunks the debunking," leaving nothing charming in its "all-is-lost" scenario where decency is nowhere to be found. Shot in stark black-and-white, the film serves as