Portoflio: Number 1 Movie in Germany is a Hitler Comedy
- Gary Miller
- Jul 11
- 2 min read
Written by Gary Miller – Originally published on BestComedyTickets.com, November 16, 2015
After tragedy, it can feel like laughter is gone forever. There’s a weight that settles, a belief that comedy can’t return. But as Mark Twain famously put it, “Humor is tragedy plus time.” Germany might be the latest case study in that equation.
Who says Germans don’t have a sense of humor?
In Look Who’s Back, a comedy from director David Wnendt explores one of the darkest chapters in human history through satire. Yes, a German made Hitler comedy.
“Germans should be able to laugh at Hitler, rather than viewing him as a monster,” Wnendt told The Guardian, “because that relieves him of responsibility for his deeds and diverts attention from his guilt for the Holocaust. But it should be the type of laugh that catches in your throat—and you’re almost ashamed when you realize what you’re doing.”
The film stars German actor Oliver Masucci as Adolf Hitler, and for three weeks straight, Look Who’s Back topped the German box office—outperforming Pixar’s Inside Out, bringing in $9.4 million.
The film blends scripted scenes with real interactions, à la Sacha Baron Cohen, in a fish-out-of-water narrative where Hitler wakes up in modern-day Germany, unaware of the events that followed 1945. Mistaken for a performance artist pushing the limits of satire, he rises through the ranks of entertainment and politics. People love the act—because they don’t believe it’s real.
The movie is based on the bestselling novel by Timur Vermes, which sold over 14 million copies. While the book is available in the U.S., there’s no word yet on an official American release for the film.
Comments