History Film / Amen

[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/amen2002.png]]
[[caption-width-right:300:''"I have seen what was not meant to be seen."'']]

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/amen2002.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"I have seen what was not meant to be seen."'']]

[[caption-width-right:350: "I have seen what was not meant to be seen."]]

[[quoteright:349:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/KurtGerstein_8833.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:349: "I have seen what was not meant to be seen."]]

* EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep: Ulrich Mühe's character is known only as "the Doctor".

However, when Father Fontana (Mathieu Kassovitz) hears Gerstein's story, he vows to alert [[UsefulNotes/ThePope Pope]] [[UsefulNotes/PopePiusXII Pius XII]] in person, as the two men are certain that a clear condemnation from the Holy Father will rouse German Catholics into action once again. Meanwhile, Gerstein returns to Poland to observe the mass murder and provide further testimony. He tells Father Fontana, "I will be the eyes of God in that hell." But he quickly finds himself unable to passively watch, and begins risking his life to sabotage and slow down the killing in any way he can.

* DatedHistory: There's been enough historical research since the play ''The Deputy, a Christian Tragedy'' and this film that adapts it to prove that the Vatican was ''not'' inactive against the Holocaust despite UsefulNotes/PopePiusXII's apparent silence. Well researched and well reviewed books on the subject include ''The Myth of Hitler's Pope'' by David Dalin and ''Church of Spies'' by Mark Riebling.

* HistoricalVillainUpgrade: A minor example: the film suggests that the Allies' failure to bomb the extermination camps was a result of indifference. In reality, the bombing of Auschwitz in particular was considered several times but was not undertaken because it was felt that all bombing would achieve was killing the prisoners anyway and destroying the gas chambers, thus [[NiceJobBreakingItHero destroying the Holocaust]].

* ArtisticLicenseHistory: In the movie, Kurt Gerstein is depicted as more or less loyal to the Nazi regime until he learns what Zyklon B is ''really'' being used for. The real Gerstein opposed the Nazis as early as 1936, and was a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confessing_Church Confessing Church]] member who only joined the SS to collect evidence of Nazi atrocities and try to save as many people as he could.

* RaisedCatholic: The Doctor claims to be "a bit Catholic". It's unclear if he's just being sarcastic, though.

* TheIdealist: Both protagonists sincerely believe in the power of public opinion and of the Catholic Church to put a stop to the atrocities. [[DespairEventHorizon At first.]]

In 1942, Kurt Gerstein (Creator/UlrichTukur) of the [=SS=] Hygiene Institute travels to Poland to instruct the troops in the safe storage and purification of water, and to observe the use of the new form of the chemical Zyklon B he has developed to eradicate typhus. However, accompanied by a sinister [=SS=] doctor, he is taken to the newly established Belzec extermination camp to witness his creation being put to [[UsefulNotes/TheHolocaust its true, grisly use]]. A [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone horrified]] Gerstein returns to Germany and, despite having been sworn to secrecy, he begins desperately attempting to inform the international community of the atrocities. Mindful of the successful campaign against the Aktion [=T4=] program spearheaded by the Catholic Church, he tries to convey the message to the Vatican, but finds his local bishops unmoved.

''Amen'' is a 2002 German/French/Romanian film directed by Costa-Gavras which explores the RealLife attempt by SS officer Kurt Gerstein to inform foreign powers about the [[UsefulNotes/TheHolocaust Death Camps]] of UsefulNotes/NaziGermany during UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, notably by trying to reach [[UsefulNotes/VaticanCity the Vatican]], with the help of a fictional young Jesuit priest named Riccardo Fontana.

* ReverseMole: What Gerstein becomes in his efforts to expose the Holocaust.

''Amen'' is a 2002 German/French/Romanian film directed by Costa-Gavras which explores the RealLife attempt by SS officer Kurt Gerstein to inform foreign powers about UsefulNotes/TheHolocaust committed by UsefulNotes/NaziGermany during UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, notably by trying to reach [[UsefulNotes/VaticanCity the Vatican]], with the help of a fictional young Jesuit priest named Riccardo Fontana.

In 1942, Kurt Gerstein of the [=SS=] Hygiene Institute travels to Poland to instruct the troops in the safe storage and purification of water, and to observe the use of the new form of the chemical Zyklon B he has developed to eradicate typhus. However, accompanied by a sinister [=SS=] doctor, he is taken to the newly established Belzec extermination camp to witness his creation being put to [[UsefulNotes/TheHolocaust its true, grisly use]]. A [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone horrified]] Gerstein returns to Germany and, despite having been sworn to secrecy, he begins desperately attempting to inform the international community of the atrocities. Mindful of the successful campaign against the Aktion [=T4=] program spearheaded by the Catholic Church, he tries to convey the message to the Vatican, but finds his local bishops unmoved.

However, when Father Fontana hears Gerstein's story, he vows to alert [[UsefulNotes/ThePope Pope]] [[UsefulNotes/PopePiusXII Pius XII]] in person, as the two men are certain that a clear condemnation from the Holy Father will rouse German Catholics into action once again. Meanwhile, Gerstein returns to Poland to observe the mass murder and provide further testimony. He tells Father Fontana, "I will be the eyes of God in that hell." But he quickly finds himself unable to passively watch, and begins risking his life to sabotage and slow down the killing in any way he can.

''Amen'' is a 2002 German/French/Romanian film directed by Costa-Gavras which explores the RealLife attempt by SS officer Kurt Gerstein to inform foreign powers about UsefulNotes/TheHolocaust committed by NaziGermany, notably by trying to reach [[UsefulNotes/VaticanCity the Vatican]], with the help of a fictional young Jesuit priest named Riccardo Fontana.

''Amen'' is a 2002 German/French/Romanian film directed by Costa-Gavras which explores the links between UsefulNotes/NaziGermany and [[UsefulNotes/VaticanCity the Vatican]] through the eyes of two characters - the RealLife [[ThoseWackyNazis Waffen-SS]] officer Kurt Gerstein, and a fictional young Jesuit priest named Riccardo Fontana.

2002 German/French/Romanian film directed by Costa-Gavras which explores the links between UsefulNotes/NaziGermany and [[UsefulNotes/VaticanCity the Vatican]] through the eyes of two characters - the RealLife [[ThoseWackyNazis Waffen-SS]] officer Kurt Gerstein, and a fictional young Jesuit priest named Riccardo Fontana.

In 1942, Kurt Gerstein of the [=SS=] Hygiene Institute travels to Poland to instruct the troops in the safe storage and purification of water, and to observe the use of the new form of the chemical Zyklon B he has developed to eradicate typhus. However, accompanied by a sinister [=SS=] doctor, he is taken to the newly established Belzec extermination camp to witness his creation being put to its true, grisly use. A [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone horrified]] Gerstein returns to Germany and, despite having been sworn to secrecy, he begins desperately attempting to inform the international community of the atrocities. Mindful of the successful campaign against the Aktion [=T4=] program spearheaded by the Catholic Church, he tries to convey the message to the Vatican, but finds his local bishops unmoved.

* BerserkButton: Like a flick of a switch after just being warm and fuzzily friendly towards him, hearing his friend Kurt Gerstein to be a SS member really ''blindly enrages'' Wehrmacht clerk Karl who NeverLiveItDown and bordered on BlackAndWhiteInsanity on vehemently and myopically refusing to acknowledge the actual good in Gerstein despite his membership.
* BlackAndGrayMorality: The horrific evil of Nazi atrocities is condemned in no uncertain terms, but on the other hand, the film explores the uncomfortable reality that, in terms of concrete action, the Allies were fairly ambivalent towards the suffering of the Jews, Gypsies, and others. The Swedish diplomat Göran von Otter tells Kurt that his efforts to get the Americans to accept 2,000 Jewish children have been in vain, and several times the Doctor at Auschwitz remarks, "German cities are bombarded every night, but here the heavens are clear."

* CorruptChurch / SaintlyChurch: Zig-Zagged. The film is certainly critical of the apathy of the upper echelons of the Catholic Church in the face of the mass murders, but also portrays the efforts of individual clergy to hide Roman Jews and Gypsies in monasteries and abbeys.

** The film opens with one of these, when the Jewish journalist Stephan Lux walks into the League of Nations and publicly shoots himself in protest against Nazi persecution and the world's silence.

** While in French custody, [[spoiler: Gerstein receives the judgement of the Denazification courts which denounces him for not having extricated himself from the system of death, and commits suicide out of guilt.]]
* DownerEnding: All of Riccardo and Kurt's efforts come to naught, [[spoiler: Riccardo is gassed at Auschwitz, Kurt is implicated by the Denazification Courts for his membership of the [=SS=], despite his efforts to expose the Holocaust, and he commits suicide out of guilt and despair. In the final scene, the Doctor is shown preparing to catch a boat to Argentina.]]
* DrivenToSuicide: Stephan Lux. [[spoiler: And later, Kurt himself.]]

* FauxAffablyEvil: The Doctor is quite handy with a [[SlasherSmile deceptively friendly smile]] or [[EvilHasABadSenseOfHumor a bad joke]], which makes his colleagues underestimate how nasty he really is. Heck, his EstablishingCharacterMoment has him smiling at a group of mentally handicapped children being led to their deaths.

* HeroWithBadPublicity: Following the war, Gerstein was implicated by the Denazification courts for his membership of the [=SS=] and for involvement in the Holocaust.
* TheIdealist: Both protagonists sincerely believe in the power of public opinion and of the church to put a stop to the atrocities. [[DespairEventHorizon At first.]]
* ImpliedDeathThreat: Rudolf Hoess expresses his annoyance with delays in shipments of Zyklon-B to the death camps by stating that industrialists who assist the SS with the killing of "undesirables" for reasons of profit while falsely espousing Nazi ideology have reason to fear: "We can always aryanize the aryanizers".[[note]]"Aryanization" was the Nazi term for ethnic cleansing through mass murder.[[/note]]
* InterserviceRivalry: Karl turns against his ex-friend Gerstein because of this between Karl's Wehrmacht membership and Gerstein's SS membership, however Karl is also an irrational and petty {{Hypocrite}} when he threatens to sic the [[StateSec Gestapo]] (another SS organization) on him if he doesn't get off his back.
* KarmaHoudini: [[spoiler: The Doctor finds a safe haven in the Vatican before finding a ship bound for Argentina. Also, the many people Gerstein tried to warned, but vehemently disbelieved him and remained ignorant of the then-impeding Holocaust were never seen punished neither.]]

* ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight: When one of the cardinals expresses outrage that Riccardo has requested a papal audience for a man who is not only an [=SS=] officer, but a traitor to his country, Riccardo replies;

* TheSociopath: The Doctor can make himself appear charming, but he's more or less just mimicing the emotions of those around him. He genuinely doesn't see any problem with exterminating millions of people--even his AboveGoodAndEvil speech to Gerstein seems rehearsed.
* TimeSkip: The film begins during the Aktion [=T4=] euthanasia programme, then jumps a couple of years ahead to 1942. Several jumps occur throughout the narrative until the timeline reaches mid-1945.

* MercyKill: The Doctor is shown complaining over the fact that the Catholic Church is ignorant about euthanasia after Archbishop von Galen helped get Aktion T4 halted, and justifies having gassed mental patients on this basis.