"The People vs. Fritz Bauer" is an interesting film about a mostly forgotten piece of history. It seems that the Attorney General for Hesse (one of the most populous of the German states), Fritz Bauer, learned about the whereabouts of one of the most infamous Nazis in the post-war era. Yet, inexplicably, the folks in the government had very little interest in finding this man, as he could expose many in the Adenaur government who had Nazi ties--something that could prove embarrassing. So Bauer approached the Israelis with the information and ultimately the Nazi scum-bag was caught.
What makes this film so interesting is the ambivalence towards Eichmann in Germany. Instead, the Federal Police seem much more interested in prosecuting homosexuals and preventing Eichmann's capture! Overall, a very interesting portrait of a bygone day. While I knew a lot about the Eichmann capture already, I didn't realize that they might have never found him if it wasn't for Bauer- -and that the Germans themselves couldn't have cared less! Very well made and well worth seeing.
By the way, if you enjoy this film I also recommend you watch another exceptional German movie, "The Nasty Girl". It, too, discusses the German people and their ambivalence about confronting their Nazi past.
