Adolf is back at his old tricks again. After inexplicably time traveling to 2014, Hitler struggles to acclimates himself to our topsy-turvy modern ways in Look Who's Back.
I don't even know where to begin with this movie. I was hooked straight out the gate, as Hitler attends finishing school and laments that nobody greets him with a proper Nazi salute. It's hilarious in a subtle, surreal kind of way. Look Who's Back is sort of like a toned-down (and scripted) version of Borat. Both are movies about outsiders shining a light on modern absurdities, butBorat has a more limited scope as it strictly focuses on highlighting actual xenophobia in America. Hitler, being displaced in both time and politics, (in addition to...you know, being Hitler) offers a unique perspective on a slew of topics including racism, populism, democracy, and the media's role in all of it.
Much of the comedy comes from the fact that nobody thinks our protagonist is the real Hitler. Why would they? It wouldn't be possible for Hitler to visit unless time travel were possible. (Spoiler Alert: It is, but don't think about it too much because it's not that important in the movie.) All they see when Hitler gives his trademark salute is a brilliant comedian/method actor reallycommitting to his role. Of course, the internet falls in love with him and Hitler becomes an overnight celebrity and comedy ensues.
From a cinematographic perspective, Look Who's Back is a well-crafted film. The director experiments with different perspectives and lighting, including several shots from Hitler's POV, which for some reason is in a fish-eye lens. The craziest thing about this script is about halfway through Hitler decides to make a movie about getting acclimated to modern times, of course with some slight alterations to the events we saw leading up to that point.
On the whole, this was a remarkable film and I can't recommend it highly enough. It will make you laugh, but it will also make you think about the state of modern politics and the media's role in it. After I watched, I had a better understanding of how people can latch onto magnetic personalities with the hopes of making their country great again. Even if you're not the type of person who normally watches movies with subtitles, give this one a shot. You won't regret it.