Nazi Titanic (2012)

6.7/10 120 min Documentary History War

Overview

During a bizarre chapter of WWII, Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels decided to make a movie based on the sinking of the Titanic. This epic film was so large in scale that the Nazis were forced to divert men, material and ships from the war effort in order to complete it. Titanic was filmed aboard cruise ship SS Cap Arcona in the Baltic Sea. The movie’s director Herbert Selpin was arrested by the Gestapo over comments he made about the ship’s crew and he was questioned by Goebbels. Selpin was found dead the next day in his cell. The Gestapo’s verdict was suicide. Titanic never received the impressive premiere that Goebbels intended, being first shown in Nazi-occupied Paris in 1943. We reveal this little known but fascinating story by looking at the making of the film, as well as the fate of the German ship Cap Arcona.

Cast

Lee Williams

Narrator (voice)

Adolf Hitler

Self (archive footage)

Joseph Goebbels

Self (archive footage)

Rolf Giesen

Self

Recommendations

The Soviet Story
For Sama
They Shall Not Grow Old
Why We Fight: Prelude to War
Trinity and Beyond: The Atomic Bomb Movie
The War on Democracy
2000 Meters to Andriivka
The Age of Stupid
Korengal
The Bloody Hundredth
Virunga
Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound
Los Angeles Plays Itself
20 Days in Mariupol
The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing
WWII From Space
Let There Be Light
Five Broken Cameras
Father Soldier Son
Nail Bomber: Manhunt