Product Details

• Actors: Rutger Hauer, Miranda Richardson, Peter Vaughan, Michael Kitchen, Jean Marsh
• Directors: Christopher Menaul
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Original recording reissued, NTSC
• Language: English, German
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Good Times Video
• VHS Release Date: May 15, 2001
• Run Time: 106 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00000EZTR
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #9,765 in Video (See Bestsellers in Video)

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  Video > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Futuristic

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
This retro-futuristic adventure depicts a 1964 in which Hitler won the war and Joe Kennedy Sr. is U.S. president. Europe is known as Germania and opens its borders to American journalists, hoping to line up the U.S. as an ally against Russia. Set design and costumes very effectively create a potent and prosperous state, culled both from imagination and the history books. More downbeat and perhaps more effective than Robert Harris's chilling novel, Fatherland is brought to life by Rutger Hauer as an SS officer who stumbles onto eye-opening secrets. Miranda Richardson is the tough-cookie American caught up in a web of lies made all the more intriguing by a superb supporting cast. They hook up to solve a murder and uncover an atrocity dating back to World War II. Watch for a particularly nasty Jean Marsh in a supporting role; she steals every scene in which she appears. --Rochelle O'Gorman

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb speculation about our world as it might have been., May 22, 2004

By	Roger J. Buffington (Huntington Beach, CA United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

The theme of "Fatherland" is imaginative, and constitutes one of the best "alternate history" scenario stories I have ever come across. Without giving away any spoilers, it is simple: the Normandy invasion of France is an utter failure, and Nazi Germany ultimately becomes the master of Europe, as America turns away from the European war to concentrate on defeating Japan. By 1960, the "Cold War" between Germany "Germania" (still ruled by the 75 year-old Adolf Hitler) and the United States is in full swing. The novel is set in Berlin. The plot centers on a political murder being investigated by Sturmbahnfuhrer Xavier March, of the German SS Criminal Police. More would be telling.

This is a very well done film, and I agree with some of the other reviewers that this film is even better than the book. (By the way, the book is superb as well, and also merits five stars). This is one of those wonderful films in which the musical score adds an extra dimension to the mood, and Gary Chang deserves kudos for his work here. Rutger Hauer turns in an outstanding performance as Xavier March, once again proving that this underrated actor is a considerable talent. Overall this movie absolutely convinces the viewer about how our world might have been. And thank God is not.

I trust that this superb film will soon be available on DVD.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars One of Hauer's Better Roles In A Chilling "What If" Movie..., February 2, 2000

By	Armando M. Mesa (Chandler, AZ) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This is a very chilling and vivid tale of the world in an alternate historical path; What if Hitler had been the victorious hero and lived to see his vision of the Third Reich come to fruition for the rest of Europe and possibly the world ! With this in mind, Fatherland is a true suspense thriller with awesome actors and a believable 60's set design and nostalgic, yet somewhat futuristic wardrobe ( although the film's events take place in an alternate past). Rutger Hauer is one of today's most underappreciated actors and Miranda Richardson is very convincing as an American journalist. The most disturbing role of all is played by Jean Marsh as an extremely bitter Nazi actress; Listen to a very chiling line about the "resettling" of the Jews. This one particular line is very shocking and haunting ! It serves as the underlying basis for the plot in this film.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What happened if we lost the war?, January 29, 2000

By A Customer

This movie is a great cinematic release of the origional text. The book is, by far, better than the film, however the film paints a vivid, picture of what Nazi Germany would look like if it had lived to the 1960's - with color video and sound. Excellent viewing, recommended. A+ for HBO.