In late 1918, Max Rothman (John Cusack), a Jewish art dealer in Munich, meets young Starving Artist Adolf Hitler (Noah Taylor). Although Hitler's realistic art looks nothing like the modern art on display in Max's gallery, Max thinks he has talent and tries to mentor him, encouraging him to go deeper and draw what he feels, not what he sees. However, Captain Karl Mayr (Ulrich Thomsen), noticing Hitler's talent as an orator, tries to persuade him to join the German Workers' Party and make a career out of anti-semitic propaganda.
Max contains examples of:
- Analogy Backfire: In an attempt to reassure Hitler:Max: It's easy to fight the bull from the barrera.
Hitler: Bullfighting is completely immoral! It's vile and disgusting!
Max: No, no. It means it's easier to be a critic than an artist. - Blood from the Mouth: Max bleeds from the mouth as he lies dying in the snow.
- Career-Ending Injury: Max was an artist, until he lost his right arm during the Third Battle of Ypres.
- Character Tics: Hitler nervously touches and smoothes his hair.
- Facepalm: Max buries his face in his hand as Hitler goes into yet another rant about blood purity.
- Failed Attempt at Drama: Hitler attends a
narm-filled puppet show about the contamination of the Aryan bloodline. As the Jewish puppet humps the Aryan puppet while Jewish caricatures gleefully dance around them, the audience roars with laughter. Only Hitler takes the show seriously, angrily shushing the people around him. - Foregone Conclusion: Will Hitler ultimately make his career in art or politics?
- Kick Them While They Are Down: Early in the movie, Hitler sees some men kicking a "Bolshie" who's lying on the ground while German soldiers look on and do nothing. At the end, the same fate befalls Max, who is beaten to death by some of Hitler's new followers.
- Opening Scroll: Played a few minutes into the movie:In the summer of 1917 the German Imperial Army lost the disastrous offensive known as The Third Battle of Ypres.
Germany begged for peace having suffered two million dead and four million wounded in World War One.
100,000 German Jews served in the Imperial German Army.
40,000 volunteered. - Title In: "Munich, Germany 1918"
