Conspiracy (film)

Conspiracy is a 2001 Dramatization of the Wannsee Conference, the 1942 meeting of German officials that formalized and developed the "Final Solution of the Jewish Question."

Starring an Ensemble Cast, including Kenneth Branagh, Colin Firth and Stanley Tucci, the film follows SS-Obersturmbannführer (Lieutenant Colonel) Adolf Eichmann as he organizes the meeting itself. Various members of the German government and military authority, including Nazi Party officials and members of the SS-Gestapo, have been recalled to the Berlin suburb of Wannsee from their duty stations for a conference, but very few have heard what the conference is actually meant to cover. After a round of genial introductions and conversation over appetizers, SS-Obergruppenführer (General) Reinhard Heydrich, the conference's ranking member, arrives and explains that they are there to discuss what to do with the Jews that are currently in Germany, as well as what to do with all the Jews that are in neighborning countries that Germany is in the process of annexing.

Though the meeting is phrased as a discussion panel for the formulation of policy, Heydrich quickly makes it clear that the policy has already been decided and he is there to inform everybody of their roles: Namely, the Jews are to be exterminated, not simply evicted from German territory, and the various departments represented at the conference are to defer to the SS as the ultimate arbiter of Jewish fate. Those who argue against this policy, either because they feel the mass execution of Jews goes too far or because they feel the policy has been poorly thought out and will have negative consequences for Germany, are persuaded or threatened by Heydrich into agreement in a series of private conversations during brief lulls in the meeting.

All portrayed characters were actual German officials who took part in the real Wannsee Conference, with their accurate ranks and areas of responsibility.


 * Black and Black Morality: All named characters, includuing those who argue most stenuously against the Final Solution, were Nazi officials who had implemented and carried out systematic persecution of Jewish peoples, including several war crimes that had already taken place before it became official policy.
 * Brick Joke: In the opening scene, of the background characters and staff preparing for the meeting, one waiter accidentally drops a tray of glassware and Eichmann instructs the head waiter to make sure that the dropper stays out his sight for the rest of the meeting. Towards the end of the film, Eichmann goes into the kitchen for a drink and medicine to calm his nerves and stomach after giving the details about gassing the Jews, and sternly remarks "I wasn't talking to you" when the dropper tries to offer him a glass.
 * Department of Redundancy Department: Otto Hofmann introduced himself as being from the Race and Settlement Department, then explains that they deal with race and settlement.
 * Even Evil Has Standards: Dr. Friedrich Wilhelm Kritzinger seems to come the closest of any man present to actually saying that the mass execution of Jews is wrong, to which Heydrich mocks him by pointing out that he seems to be fine with excluding them, arresting them, pressing them into forced labor and sterilizing them. In Real Life Kritzinger tried to resign immediately after the conference, although historians are conflicted on whether it was because he truly felt the Final Solution was morally wrong or if the timing was just a coincidence.
 * Evil Lawyer Joke: When the law keeps being brought up as an obstacle to the proposed policies, Dr. Gerhard Klopfer remarks that they will just change the law. After all, how many of the people here are lawyers? When the majority of members of the conference all raise their hands (Including himself) he laughs and remarks that it was even worse than he thought.
 * Fat Bastard: Klopfer, overweight and vile.
 * Final Solution: Follows the detailed formulation and dissemination of the plan for the Final Solution.
 * I'd Tell You, But Then I'd Have To Kill You: When everybody is introducing themselves to the group, SS-Sturmbannführer Dr. Rudolf Lange gives his title and says "among other things." Heydrich responds that they all have "other things."
 * Meaningful Echo: Before the meeting begins, Dr. Kritzinger comments on how the SS always want more, even though they already have everything. When Heydrich later demands Kritzinger's support for his plans, Kritzinger explains that he will not oppose him, but Heydrich says that he needs more. Kritzinger's only response is "Of course."
 * Obfuscating Stupidity: It's not so much 'obfuscating,' since he really is a nervous guy, but as the movie progresses Erich Neumann slowly loses his unconfident way of talking and speech repetition as the conference begins to infringe more and more on his areas of work.
 * Pragmatic Villainy: Multiple characters point out that it takes away resources, personnel and time to kill all the Jews, when they need all they can to resume the offensive in Russia after their offensive stalled in the winter.
 * Sand in My Eyes: When they finally get past the preamble of the meeting and Eichmann begins describing, in detail, the method of mass gas extermination, Otto Hofmann becomes visibly sickened and excuses himself to rush to the bathroom. He at first claims it is because he mixed wine and whiskey while eating, and then that it was probably a bad cigar.
 * Shame If Something Happened: When talking to Dr. Wilhelm Stuckart, who opposed any sort of ad hoc policy that looked to make a mess of German law, Heydrich convinced him to stop opposing the Final Solution by off-handedly mentioning how he would hate for the bullies in the SS to take notice of his obstruction.
 * Threat Backfire: When Dr. Wilhelm Stuckart explains, almost ranting, why the Final Solution policies are a bad idea (Because of all the German laws they are violating and the mess they would create), Dr. Gerhard Klopfer leans across the table and says, very lowly: "I'll remember you." Stuckart responds "You should. I'm very well known."
 * Where Are They Now? Epilogue: Heydrich and Eichmann get a brief narration at the end describing what happened to them during the remainder of the war. The entire cast each get a brief text exposition, with a picture of the real person, explaining their ultimate fate after the war.