Moloch

Alexander Sokurov (Russian Ark) reinvents the private life of Hitler in a weird if ultimately rather banal spin on domestic angst in 1999's Moloch. Despite the stellar guest lineup at the Nazi chief's Berchtesgaden retreat during a 1942 gathering (Joseph Goebbels, his feisty wife Magda, and Martin Bormann), not to mention the presence of Eva Braun as hostess, Hitler is just not having that much fun. Yes, he pretends to conduct an onscreen orchestra during a film presentation, and enjoys a hearty laugh as the oversized Bormann falls off a chair, but--overall--Hitler (or "Adi," as Eva calls him) seems to be more neurotic than usual, pontificating endlessly on the virtues of a vegetarian diet, angrily debating a visiting priest on the persecution of Catholics, and walking around in his underwear babbling about the alleged master race. Meanwhile, Eva, who is bored by politics and not even sure which countries the Germans are fighting, does nude cartwheels outdoors. Unfortunately, Sokurov's daring attempt to send up the Nazi elite never rises to the outlandish heights scaled by Mel Brooks with his “Springtime for Hitler” sequence in The Producers, and--not unlike many Sokurov films--it's weighed down by funereal pacing, uneven acting (Leonid Mosgovoi is too hammy as Hitler), and a general feeling that there's a good idea buried in here somewhere. Optional. [Note: DVD extras include a 49-minute subtitled "making-of" featurette and interview with director Aleksandr Sokurov, and trailers. Bottom line: a small extras package for a so-so film.] (P. Hall)