Conspiracy: Rating: 5 stars

A dramatized account of the secret 1942 conference at which the Nazis came up with their infamous “Final Solution”.

Reviewed March 24, 2007

No blood, no guts, no screaming blondes; just a group of lawyers sitting around a table — and yet I have to rank it as one of the most nerve-wracking, stomach-churning horror movies I’ve ever cringed through. Kenneth Branagh is absolutely riveting as the affably charming “Butcher of Prague”, the leader of the conference, who steers the other men’s opinions with warm smiles and deadly threats; incredible supporting acting is provided by the rest of the top-notch cast, which includes Colin Firth and Ewan Stewart. The horror of the film lies in the the cold calculation of the genocidal plans, with the men discussing the elimination of the Jews as calmly and ruthlessly as if they were businessmen discussing stocks and products. It’s a necessary reminder that the Nazis were not psychopaths or madmen; they were ordinary men doing what, at the time and in that place, were considered ordinary, honorable things. A chilling portrait of evil and human nature, this is a must-see that ranks with Schindler’s List.