Kurt Gerstein—a member of the Institute for Hygiene of the Waffen-SS—is appalled to discover that a poison gas he helped discover is being used to kill Jews. Driven by his conscience to alert the rest of the world, Gerstein teams up with a young Jesuit priest, Riccardo Fontana, but their protestations fall on deaf ears in the Vatican.
Acting
Ulrich Tukur's desperate eyes will haunt you.
Direction
Costa-Gavras makes paperwork feel like genocide.
Writing
Dialogue that weaponizes politeness against humanity.
Director
Costa-Gavras
Ulrich Tukur
Kurt Gerstein
Mathieu Kassovitz
Riccardo Fontana
Ulrich Mühe
The Doctor
Michel Duchaussoy
Thr Cardinal
Marcel Iureș
The Pope
Ion Caramitru
Count Fontana
Friedrich von Thun
Gerstein's Father
Antje Schmidt
Mrs. Gerstein
Günther Maria Halmer
Pastor Dibelius
Hanns Zischler
Grawitz
Sebastian Koch
Höss
Monica Bleibtreu
Mrs. Hinze
Justus von Dohnányi
Baron von Otter
Pierre Franckh
Pastor Wehr
August Zirner
von Weizsäcker
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Based on Rolf Hochhuth's 1963 play 'The Deputy,' which caused international scandal by accusing Pope Pius XII of Nazi collaboration. The Vatican still hasn't fully opened its WWII archives.
The real Kurt Gerstein died in French custody in 1945—officially suicide, possibly murdered. His reports became crucial Nuremberg evidence, but his family was ostracized for decades.
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