The Unknown Soldier is a German documentary about a controversial 1997 Munich exhibit called “War of Extermination – Crimes of German Armed Forces 1941-44” and the public’s reaction to this exhibit. Because The Unknown Soldier is made for a German audience, it assumes that viewers will be able to distinguish between the neo-Nazi protestors and those who were relatives of WWII veterans and offended by the implications that a family member could be a Nazi. Or perhaps there is no distinction, and I perfectly received the message of The Unknown Soldier: that the evil of Nazi Germany still exists.
The Unknown Soldier has subtitles so even though my mom was interested in the subject matter, she decided to skip it. The Unknown Soldier needed a better editor. For example, there is a specific problem about the exhibit-whether or not Nazis or Communists were guilty of certain depicted atrocities, but it is not clear if there actually is a mistake or if this problem represents further efforts to deflect guilt. The archival footage was striking, but not well placed amidst the contemporary footage. When the talking heads such as historians and other experts appeared, The Unknown Soldier improved substantially.
The Unknown Soldier may be a necessary documentary, but it can only be fully understood by those familiar with the exhibit and Munich local figures.