’13 Minutes’ Is a Moving Portrayal of Attempted Hitler Assassination

Alex Aronson

Hitler and the Holocaust are commonplace for cinematic wartime fare. While the subject has been captured on film numerous times from various angles, “13 Minutes” provides a distinct perspective on the topic.

Screened at Berlin International Film Festival last year, the film, directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel, gives a deeper look into the life of an unsung hero, Georg Elser – the man who attempted to assassinate Hitler. While Elser was probably not the only one to attempt an assassination on the ferocious dictator, he was certainly one of the closest to following through successfully.  

In 1939, Elser, a local German carpenter, came within minutes of killing Adolf Hitler with a hand-made bomb, which he planted inside a hall behind the auditorium where Hitler was giving a speech. Hitler left the building just minutes before the bomb ignited and killed several innocent bystanders. Should Hitler have stayed for a few more minutes, the bomb would have likely ended his life.

While “13 Minutes” could have easily fallen under the auspices of a typical war film, it serves a different purpose – more as a snapshot of the life of the real hero, Georg Elser (Christian Friedel).

The film’s narrative begins at the detonation of the bomb. The Nazi German officers quickly arrest Elser and, through extreme levels of torture and duress, he is forced to recount his tale, which inevitably digs up memories of better times that help to provide the character with further exposition.

As the film carries on, the viewer feels more connected to Elser. We learn more of his love for Elsa, a pregnant woman who is married to an abusive husband. The characters suffer in great strides throughout the film, which inevitably endows the viewer with an important characteristic: empathy.  

With a 114-minute runtime, the film can seem a bit prolonged at times, as the in-depth story and character development would have perhaps been better served under the confines of a mini-series and not a feature length film. Regardless, the production of the movie could hold up against any period Hollywood drama.

“13 Minutes” opens in limited release June 30.