Review of The Captain (2018) by John M — 24 Jan 2019

Oh captain. Set in the final two weeks of World War II, this is about a Nazi deserter (Max Hubacher). He barely escapes with his own life, but his luck may be about to change. He stumbles upon a captain's uniform, and the clothes fit decently enough.

He starts to impersonate an officer, only to find himself starting to become the awfulness that was the reason why he ran away in the first place. Now this was another one of those recommendations that I got from a credible source, and the plot description really grabbed me.

Breaking it down to basics, it sounds like something that Tarantino would direct. Even though I am a fan, I'm glad that it is Robert Schwentke in the director's chair, because this is exactly the movie that it is supposed to be.

Now this really doesn't waste any time messing around, and it launches you right into it with a foot chase. It keeps that tension high throughout the entire film, and it does a really good job of working different angles to the story.

This man has to play the part, and he always takes and extra two seconds sizing someone up. There is always that uncertainty on who has him figured out, as the outfit he is advertising isn't exactly a perfect fit.

Then there is the morality behind it all. You have to decide what that tipping point is for you; when does it stop being "doing what it takes to survive" and start to become truly monstrous.

Only you can make that call. You will assuredly get there, though, as it does breach a territory of being atrocious; these are war crimes we are talking about, and you will cover your mouth in shock. Like most war movies out there, this is a lot to deal with, so I don't know if I will ever go back and revisit this.

I was even more flabbergasted when this was wrapping up, because apparently this was actually a true story that I had no idea existed, which makes it all the more horrifying. I like the craft behind this and the minimalist soundtrack is effective when it is used.

It's a really worthwhile movie if you can stomach it. Watch it if you can, but I totally get it if this isn't your thing.