The year is 1964. In order to celebrate Hitler's 75th birthday, U.S. President Joseph Kennedy, Sr. will be arriving in Berlin, Germania, hopefully ending the Cold War between the two former foes, and freeing Germany to fight on its eastern front a war, that has run over twenty years, with the Russians. SS Inspector March (Rutger Hauer) is a weary Nazi party detective who must investigate some murders in the beautiful capital of Berlin. The investigations are hurried, as western reporters are arriving for the big summit. One reporter is Charlie (Miranda Richardson), an American who was born in Germany and left when she was a child. She is approached by Luther (John Woodvine) and given some photographs and cryptic clues to a Nazi war secret. The Gestapo begins taking over assorted murder cases, and dumping March, which only heightens his suspicions. He keeps making inquiries into why retired top level Nazi bureaucrats keep turning up dead, and crosses paths with Charlie, who finds one man and his prostitute shot to death. Luther tries desperately to get close to Charlie to feed her additional information, but March is there in full Nazi regalia. We do find March is a good man at heart, and the pain in his eyes is obvious as his young son says dinner grace to the Fuhrer, not God. On the eve of Kennedy's visit, March and Charlie discover the truth.
While it might be easy to dismiss this alternate history story, novelist Robert Harris has put a fresh spin on the "what if?" aspect of World War II. Hauer is excellent in his role, he is our hero in the repulsive Nazi uniform, and Hauer proves he could have been doing more than direct-to-video thrillers. His breakdown in the park, and his scenes with his son, are great all-around acting. Richardson is good as the American reporter, with her hair teased and always on the lookout for a story. March and Charlie share many scenes together, but the film makers wisely do not force a romance. The production design is spectacular. Nazi architect Speer's designs are brought to life, via special effects, and location shooting in Prague totally convinced me. I never doubted that the film was set in a 1964 where we beat the Japanese and not the Germans, that Eisenhower and Churchill died in exile, and detente exists between us and Germania, with an elderly Stalin still holding on to his Russian front. Jean Marsh also has a chilling scene, postulating to Charlie if Americans still have a "Jewish problem." This is not just an old fashioned murder mystery, but the finale at the Nazi/American rally needed to have a bit more suspense. This is a small quibble, otherwise. "Fatherland" is a chilling look at an alternate universe that thankfully did not come to fruition. We cannot foresee the future, but preparing for it by studying history can only improve our reactions to inhumanity by others. All this from a cable film? This film is good, and if it can get you thinking along these lines, it has more than done its job. I highly recommend "Fatherland."
