Final Account (film)

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Final Account
Final account.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed byLuke Holland
Produced by
  • Luke Holland
  • John Battsek
  • Riete Oord
CinematographyLuke Holland
Edited byStefan Ronowicz
Production
companies
Distributed byFocus Features
Release dates
  • September 2, 2020 (2020-09-02) (Venice)
  • May 21, 2021 (2021-05-21) (United States)
  • December 3, 2021 (2021-12-03) (United Kingdom)
Running time
90 minutes[1]
Countries
  • United States
  • United Kingdom
LanguageGerman
Box office$314,939[2]

Final Account is a 2020 German-language British-American documentary film directed and produced by Luke Holland, who died shortly after post-production was completed on June 10, 2020. The film follows the last living generation of German participants in Adolf Hitler's Third Reich.

Final Account premiered at the 77th Venice International Film Festival on September 2, 2020. It was released on May 21, 2021, by Focus Features.

Plot[]

Over a decade in the making, the film raises questions about authority, conformity, complicity and perpetration, national identity, and responsibility, as men and women ranging from former SS members to civilians in never-before-seen interviews reckon with – in very different ways – their memories, perceptions and personal appraisals of their own roles in the Nazi war crimes.[3]

Production[]

Beginning in 2008, Luke Holland conducted over 300 interviews with witnesses, guards, farmers, soldiers and participants of Adolf Hitler's Third Reich.[4] Holland began working on the project after discovering his grandparents were murdered in a concentration camp, and his mother had fled Austria before the Germans arrived.[5] Many interviewees were skeptical and hesitant to go on camera, as Holland knew many did not want to share what they knew or were responsible for.[6] In June 2020, Holland died after the film had cleared post-production.[7][8]

Release[]

The film had its world premiere at the 77th Venice International Film Festival on September 2, 2020.[9] In January 2021, Focus Features acquired distribution rights to the film, and set it for a May 21, 2021, release.[10] The film was released in the United Kingdom on 3 December 2021.[11]

Reception[]

The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a 92% approval rating, based on 62 reviews, with an average rating of 7.8/10. The website's consensus reads, "Final Account falls shy of the definitive statement suggested by its title, but the belated reckoning on display remains chillingly valuable viewing."[12] According to Metacritic, which sampled 16 critics and calculated a weighted average score of 74 out of 100, the film received "generally favorable reviews".[13]

References[]

  1. ^ "Final Account". Venice Film Festival. 14 July 2020. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
  2. ^ "Final Account (2021)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved June 4, 2021.
  3. ^ Vivarelli, Nick (July 29, 2020). "Submarine, Cinephil Team With Participant to Distribute Nazism-Themed Doc 'Final Account' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
  4. ^ Alexander, Bryan (May 21, 2021). "'Final Account' Holocaust documentary is the searing last mission for late director Luke Holland". USA Today. Retrieved May 22, 2021.
  5. ^ Simon, Scott (May 22, 2021). "A Generation Of Germans Give 'Final Account' Of Living Through Nazi Germany". NPR. Retrieved May 22, 2021.
  6. ^ Features, Focus (May 19, 2021). "Luke Holland's Legacy: Recalling Final Account's Remarkable Journey". Focus Features. Retrieved May 22, 2021.
  7. ^ Fraser, Nick (5 July 2020). "Luke Holland obituary". The Guardian. London, United Kingdom. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2021-12-03.
  8. ^ Brooks, Xan (3 September 2020). "Final Account review – German war testimonies chill the blood". The Guardian. London, United Kingdom. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2021-12-03.
  9. ^ Tartaglione, Nancy (July 28, 2020). "Venice Film Festival 2020: Competition Light On Studios, Strong On Global Arthouse & Women Directors – Full List". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
  10. ^ McClintock, Pamela (January 27, 2021). "Focus Sets Summer Release for Doc 'Final Account'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 22, 2021.
  11. ^ Lynskey, Dorian (2 December 2021). "'It became crystal clear they were lying': the man who made Germans admit complicity in the Holocaust". The Guardian. London, United Kingdom. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2021-12-03.
  12. ^ "Final Account (2020)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  13. ^ "Final Account Reviews". Metacritic. Red Ventures. Retrieved 22 May 2021.

External links[]

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