box office

A Lot of German People Saw a Borat-Style Comedy About Hitler This Weekend

Look Who’s Back. Photo: Mythos Films

You know who else saw a movie about Hitler this weekend? Everybody in Germany. The satirical comedy Look Who’s Back (Er Ist Wieder Da) hit No. 1 at the German box office, pulling in more than 10 million euros and unseating another film about a dictatorial ruler, Inside Out. The film is based on a controversial 2012 novel that imagines Hitler waking up in modern Germany like a sort of Fascist Encino Man; like Borat, the movie version puts its Hitler (Oliver Masucci) among real people to capture their reactions. “It was incredible, I was suddenly the attraction, like a popstar,” Masucci told The Guardian of the frenzy his presence inspired. “People clustered around me. One told me she loved me, and asked me to hug her. One, to my relief, started hitting me.” Director David Wnendt told the paper his aim was to make people realize the feelings that led to Hitler’s rise haven’t completely gone away: “We’re highlighting that the danger of a resurgence is very much alive.”

Hitler Comedy Takes No. 1 at German Box Office