Sunday, November 15, 2009

The Architecture of Doom

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Undergångens arkitektur (The Architecture of Doom) is a 1989 documentary directed by Swedish director Peter Cohen and narrated by Rolf Arsenius (in the German version, narration is done by actor Bruno Ganz).

The film explores the obsession Adolf Hitler had with his own particular vision of what was and was not aesthetically acceptable and how he applied these notions while running the Third Reich. His obsession with art he considered pure, in opposition to the supposedly degenerate avant-garde works by Jewish and Soviet artists, reveals itself to be deeply connected to Hitler's equally subjective and strict ideal of physical beauty and health.

Hitler is shown as an amateur architect who spends a lot of time planning designs of new buildings for the Reich and acquiring paintings and sculptures that reinforce his vision. At one point in the film, Cohen questions Hitler's grasp of reality.

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