The Captain

In the last weeks of 1945 a young German deserter finds a captain's uniform in an abandoned vehicle. He puts it on, and everyone he meets believes him. From there the film is not a comedy of identity but a study of how easily authority is manufactured: he gathers men, takes over the running of a camp and begins executions. Nobody asks for his papers because nobody wants to. Robert Schwentke wrote and directed, shooting in black and white. It follows the real case of Willi Herold. A real warning: mass executions and torture are shown directly. There is a deliberately disturbing sequence over the closing credits, and the film never lets you keep your distance.