Fascinating Depiction of Nazis

This movie was pretty good, but for me it stands out because it represents Nazis in a three-dimensional way. Did anyone make such a rounded Nazi like Rossdorf before this movie? I think of Roma, Città Aperta, for instance; it's a so-called neorealist movie, but the way the Nazis behave is all cliches, they're paper-thin monsters. Rossdorf is not a sadist, he's a politician who cares only about public order, and puts authority above law and justice. And still he can also enjoy a good party and women. It makes it harder to define him.

I think it wasn't until the '70s that mainstream cinema began looking at Nazis as complex characters instead of stereotypes. For me this movie was ahead of its time.

This world is a comedy to those that think, a tragedy to those that feel.