Watch 08/15 at Home For Free

Why so much hype?

So much average

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

After playing with our expectations, this turns out to be a very different sort of film.

"08/15 - In der Heimat" or "08/15 at Home" is a German 90-minute movie from 1955 and the third and final part of the "08/15" trilogy by Paul May, Ernst von Salomon and Hans Hellmut Kirst. So, like the previous entries it is a black-and-white sound film and this one had its 60th anniversary two years ago. The film is basically on the level of the two previous entries I think, but I must say that I was not a fan of these either sadly, so it's just the case that the entire series is truly mediocre and forgettable. Maybe people saw it differently back then as it took place merely a decade after the end of World War II, but it probably hasn't aged too well. If you look at the cast and know a bit about German film, then you will certainly recognize the names of Blacky Fuchsberger and Mario Adorf, maybe even Gustav Knuth or O.E. Hasse. Or maybe even Austrian actor Hannes Schiel who is over 100 years old now. Impressive stuff. I wish I could say I was as impressed by this movie here, but it is one of many World War II themed film from the black-and-white era that stayed mostly underwhelming. Sure there are okay films too from this time, but it's unfortunately a case of quantity over quality and this film here is just another example of this. Maybe the trilogy should have been a duology with more crucial moments and less lengths and it would not only have helped the last installment, but the entire thing. I have to give this one a thumbs-down. Don't watch.

I should write this review in German - because although this movie has been translated into English as far as i know, it's really pointless to watch it if you don't know about the era, don't understand the historical context and don't understand the real meaning of certain terms - and i don't mean your standard 08/15 schoolbook knowledge.This movies was made by those who experienced it FOR those who experienced it. And it's not at all (as some people nowadays claim) sympathetic with the Germans. But it doesn't categorically vilify all Germans either. We are all human and there are some good guys and some assholes in every country and you can't devalue people based on their country or race or profession etc.. That's a lesson people learned the hard way after WWII. But nowadays we claim to be so much smarter - but we really aren't and we are still devaluing people. And such prejudiced, standard 08/15 people won't get this movie - they won't even get the meaning of the title and they will think of it as a movie portraying the Nazis in a good light -when it really is one of the most ingenious anti-Nazi movies there are.

What is there to say about the intentions of the makers after parts 1 and 2? Let's stick to the story here; the idea was nice and it does show some of the chaos of the last war period, but it all looks as if the film was hastily shot and finished. There is never real tension. The cast is only okay, with disappointing acting by O.E. Hasse (as if he were still in a "Durchhaltefilm" of the Nazi period) and Gustav Knuth. That makes part 1 the better of the 3.