AniInterview Sorry, this movie sucks

Dorathen Better Late Then Never

Sameer Callahan It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

Cody One of the best movies of the year! Incredible from the beginning to the end.

DKosty123 In 1943, Hollywood needed to keep pushing to make sure here at home that we understood there could be no sympathy to the Nazi cause. This movie is not just effective, but shockingly effective. It does avoid mostly the Jewish / Nazi Holocaust, which even though by 1943 we knew it was going on, this book it is based upon did not make this as a central theme. This one concentrates more on National Socilism brainwashing themselves as the ultimate solution to fix world problems. On this point, it is shockingly effective.Bonita Granville and Hans Conreid, both who were in the excellent 1942 film "Now Voyager" are here with a shockingly different role for cowboy fixture Tim Holt. The weakest point of the film is the love story between Granville and Holt which is typical for this period, but had to be here to round out the movie.The strongest point is having the American University in Nazi Germany and how as Hitler took more control, how they tried to really indoctrinate children into their view of world domination. It is shocking even now to think of what they are trying to accomplish. There is even a Hospital Operation Sequence which points out how the Nazis were using Medicine to try and accomplish their goals.This predates the Boys from Brazil, and for shock value is a valuable film to see. Granville and Holt get a lot of support in a well directed RKO effort that sold a lot of tickets when it was released.

bkoganbing The very much critically acclaimed Hitler's Children is still quite a powerful film today. Potential lovers Tim Holt and Bonita Granville can never quite get together because of the Nazi ideology that Tim espouses.The film has certain similarities to MGM's The Mortal Storm though without the A list cast of that one. The two go to different schools across the street from each other. Bonita is German born, but a naturalize American living with her grandparents while she attends the American school run by Kent Smith. Tim goes to the German all boys school for the new Hitler Youth and it was new when this film's action starts in 1933.It's no accident that this was a boys school for the German youth. The Nazi ideology was firmly patriarchal and eloquently expressed the fact that women were child bearing vessels and nurturers of future Nazis and nothing more. No accident when you see Nazi rally newsreels for the young and old it's an all male cast. Hitler's Children explores that issue far more than most wartime films made by the Allies.Kent Smith has the Nick Carroway narrative part in the story, we see it through his eyes up to the moment he departs for Paris and knowing full well the Nazis will be there shortly.Holt and Granville are an attractive pair. Hitler's Children has aged far better than most American war films of the World War II era.

Wizard-8 A modestly budgeted "B" movie, "Hitler's Children" generated a lot of controversy and publicity when it was released to theaters - which of course meant that the movie ended up being a giant financial success to RKO Pictures. Seen today, what was undoubtedly controversial at the time such as state-dictated breeding, forced sterilization, and whippings as depicted by this film comes across as very tame by today's standards; fans of exploitation material will no doubt be let down. Another disappointment is that while the movie promises to show just how German children were converted to loyal Nazis, the movie leaves out a lot of the steps the Nazis took to slowly convert children to the cause. Still, the movie's central story definitely isn't boring (though it is kind of predictable). The movie also has additional interest to World War II buffs who may be interested in seeing another example of how Hollywood fought the war on the home front. If you are such a person, and/or interested in seeing what was considered exploitation by a major Hollywood studio more than 70 years ago, there's probably enough here to interest you.

knutsenfam I used to think this film quite dated, but still moving.Now that I know more about Hitler Youth and about "lebensborn", forced sterilization, training in cruelty, and other Hitler Youth goals, this film stands up extremely well. ***What was 'lebensborn'? Basically, those considered "racially pure" were encouraged to have tons of kids...in or out of wedlock. About 10,000 born in Germany & 10,000 born in Norway from German soldier fathers, per one Internet source. Do your own internet search to learn more about "lebensborn". In the movie, Bonita Granville's character refuses to deliberately sire a child out of wedlock even with her love, Tim Holt.***Forced sterilization. Bonita's character is threatened with forced sterilization since she is not cooperative. Again, this was a historical Nazi tactic. She would rather undergo the procedure than bring a child into such a regime. ***Hitler Youth cruelty...One sees some of the Hitler youth trained tobe cruel. One need only listen to the old former Hitler Youth speak (some with tears & great sorrow) about various ways they were so abused (i.e. trained to be cruel) by the Nazi regime.***Harrassment of Christians...The resistance of some Christian leaders to the Nazis. Near the end of the movie, the priest rebukes the Nazis who apparently dare not carry him off for punishment. This happened sometimes...A Christian leader might rebuke the Nazis such as Bishop Von Galen who stood against the destruction of retarded, etc. Some Christian leaders went to jail like Pastor Niemoller. Some Christian leaders were martyred for their stance against Nazis (including anti Jewish policies) like Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Here again, the movie is quite timely.From these main examples, I conclude that this movie is **not** merely propaganda but reflects many historical accuracies (at least what was known at the time). Does it cover all the Nazi atrocities? No. (One movie alone wouldn't be long enough to do so.)***************************Hitler's Children could be shown on a "Movie in Time" sequence on History Channel. The corrections, amendations to it based on actual history, I predict, would be slight. It's from a book on Nazi education of youth written by educator and correspondent Gregor Ziemer who also taught in the American School in Berlin. (Hit Ziemer's name in the credits for details!)Don't let the black & white film & slightly older dialogue deter you from using this film to teach yourself (or your kids, or your class) as to how German youth were abused thru Hitler Youth and lebensborn programs. Do your own research. Verify for yourself. While Hitler's concentration camp murders were the most cruel of his abuses, his other abuses of even the so called "nordic" peoples, especially women and girls, should also be REMEMBERED! (PS real life Hans and Sophie Scholl, college age German resisters to the Nazis, would also be a great research topic!)