My honor was loyalty movie

Discussions on WW2 and pre-WW2 related movies, games, military art and other fiction.
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Sauerteig
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My honor was loyalty movie

#1

Post by Sauerteig » 15 Mar 2017, 17:56

Has anyone seen this? It looks very amateurish. The child singing Das Lied der Deutschen is a non native speaker. I am deciding to skip it but wonder if someone has seen it and if I should change my mind.

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Re: My honor was loyalty

#2

Post by shamirnewell » 16 Mar 2017, 00:15

Sauerteig wrote:Has anyone seen this? It looks very amateurish. The child singing "Das Lied der Deutschen" is a non native speaker. I am deciding to skip it but wonder if someone has seen it and if I should change my mind.
It popped up on Netflix so I tried to watch. I was unable to finish it. Not recommended at all.


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Sauerteig
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Re: My honor was loyalty

#3

Post by Sauerteig » 16 Mar 2017, 08:05

What was so bad about it?

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Re: My honor was loyalty

#4

Post by shamirnewell » 16 Mar 2017, 23:00


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Sauerteig
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Re: My honor was loyalty

#5

Post by Sauerteig » 17 Mar 2017, 18:19

That review focuses on production values and casting. It seems a shame if the narrative and plot has something to it. We certainly need a good movie from the German side, even a few more narratives...

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Re: My honor was loyalty

#6

Post by shamirnewell » 19 Mar 2017, 13:45

Sauerteig wrote:That review focuses on production values and casting. It seems a shame if the narrative and plot has something to it. We certainly need a good movie from the German side, even a few more narratives...
I found the narrative and plot to be worse than the production values and casting.

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Re: My Honor Was Loyalty

#7

Post by eisenbahn9 » 27 Mar 2017, 08:03

I just saw this tonight on Netflix. It's worth viewing, but bear in mind this is Alessandro Pepe's first feature-length film, with all the shortcomings that often implies. His budget was necessarily very small since it's an independent production: no sponsors and no studio backing. And yes, he relied heavily on eleven different Italian, Czech and French WWII reenactment groups for the battle scenes, so some of the reenactors look less than authentic as far as their physical appearance (overly peacetime plump rather than wartime lean and mean). Also, the four main characters (Herckel, Steiner, Scholl and Kolbe) are all played by non-actors. They do a creditable job, but don't expect them to deliver the kind of riveting and convincing performances top-level professional actors are capable of.

The story itself follows the exploits of a soldier of the 1st SS Panzer Division (Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler or LSSAH), Untersharfuhrer Herckel, as his unit fights on various fronts, starting at the Battle of Kursk in 1943, then moving to Italy and France and finally retreating into Germany itself. Herckel's staunch patriotism and fervent loyalty begin to waver as the war drags on, senseless killings escalate and Germany's fortunes decline precipitously. By the end, he openly questions what he and his kameraden are fighting for, much to his superiors' consternation. The ending is decidedly and appropriately downbeat.

The main actors (mostly Italian) have their own voices dubbed into German, though this was no real distraction and actually added believability to their portrayals (how many times have we watched war movies where the "Germans" speak perfect English?). You also get to see some interesting German, Russian and American equipment in action (a replica Panther and Tiger tank, Sherman tanks, a Marder III, Hanomag halftracks, Schwimmwagen, nebelwerfer, etc.).

The overall tone of the film reminded me a lot of Terrence Malick's "The Thin Red Line". However the, in my view, negative traits of that film (a narrator to voice the character's inner thoughts, overly intrusive music and rambling "poetic" musings) don't serve this one well either. The story line lacks an overall sense of cohesiveness, both in the action sequences and the bonds between the four main characters. It's also too long at nearly two hours. Scenes become overly repetitive in nature and one wishes the editor had judiciously trimmed some of them out. Finally, there's a preachy, clumsily written and completely unnecessary narration at the beginning and end of the film delivered by what sounds like a 12-year-old girl. I suppose the director felt this would be a profound commentary on the nature of war but it comes across as sophomoric rhetoric instead.

Despite these reservations, I would not dissuade anyone from giving it a go. Just keep your expectations low.

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Re: My honor was loyalty

#8

Post by Wolf » 22 Apr 2017, 21:42

I agree with eisenbahn9 - you can watch it but one must remember the minimal budget. I found Herckel's take on the Jews interesting as I imagine it is a sensitive element to include in any movie focusing on the German forces, perhaps more so than the portrayal of POW killings. Not too much of the otherwise in war movies pretty common "small group behind enemy lines" set up...

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Re: My honor was loyalty movie

#9

Post by Felix C » 21 Aug 2017, 02:21

previously there was that storm of steel primarily reenactor based film

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Re: My honor was loyalty movie

#10

Post by ecksdee23 » 20 May 2018, 21:10

I personally think, that although the acting and or the voices might have been horrible, I liked the movie. It certainly gave off a "All Quiet On The Western Front" vibe, where main character dies at the end. I mostly just enjoyed the movie, mainly because its rare to get a view of the German side, especially with movies such as "Fury" and all the other American/British/Allied sided movies. Anywho, thats just my opinion. Cheers! :milsmile:

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Re: My honor was loyalty movie

#11

Post by Henderson » 13 Jun 2018, 21:41

I agree with eisenbahn9 - budget is low, but value is high.
Maybe next time we will play there together. But first I'd like to learn more facts about those games. What do you think about that place?

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Re: My honor was loyalty movie

#12

Post by Johann_Hoffmann » 26 Nov 2018, 21:38

I have had the movie sitting in my watch list for a while now and I just watched it. I have had a good number of movies I just could not stomach to watch fully but I decided to watch it fully. Eisenbahn9's view of the movie is fairly accurate of it and I did not expect any major acting from any of the people. I would have said cut out the Jewish commentary scenes out and fully remove the at home scene where Herckel finds the guy's wife. I feel that element of it at times comes across as "well we have to address this part of the Third Reich" and it has no value for the movie itself. Overall I don't think its the worse movie on WW2 in the world but it definitely is not something you are missing out on if you do not watch it.

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Re: My honor was loyalty movie

#13

Post by nammie44 » 19 Sep 2019, 23:32

This movie review was taken from Storm Front....a neo-Nazi organization.


"My Honor Was Loyalty - film synopsis

I watched this movie in full and will give you my opinion about what I saw. I am pleased that Peppe made this movie because it actually does present men of the LSSAH in a good light. I am somewhat surprised that the film took on such a pro NS tone. The opening, with an attractive woman's voice speaking about nature and her laws was spiritual. The actors are a mix of Europeans and do a good job with portraying the average Waffen SS soldier. Kolbe, Herkel's officer was a perfect fit of what the ideal SS officer would look like.

The movie scenes are somewhat fast moving and the combat scenes look a little like the reenacting scenes on YouTube, but they did use some real armor. There is a nice looking Panther, Tiger, SPW's, Hetzer, and I believe a Marder was seen also.

So to the topic you all are discussing, is it pro SS or not. The movie does not take a "neutral" stance and if Peppe worked for Spielberg, I am sure he doesn't anymore. The movie begins with short snips at what they are fighting for, a united Europe, their families, and their country. There is even a scene where Herkel tells of his father going off to war and never coming back, Germany having land stolen by the allies, his mother being forced to flee their home ( I presume on the Polish border), and get this, Jews running the economy and giving all the good jobs to fellow Jews. When the NS were elected that all changed, his mother got a very good job and they had money again. He was accepted into NAPOLA and then the war broke out.

There are a couple of obligatory scenes that started him questioning what they were doing. He meets a Spanish volunteer who talks about seeing Jews killed, and he was scared for his Jewish wife (who Herkel later sees getting shot while trying to run from the Gestapo while they wanted to question her about the fake ID docs her husband made for her). The next instance is that another soldier tells of having to execute a husband and wife for having weapons on their property (presumably hiding them for the partisans) he was bothered having to kill having to kill a woman.

Herkel starts to question what they are fighting for and if the war is worth it, knowing they may very well loose and be seen as criminals by everyone. What is maybe missed by some is that these feelings are completely natural. How many times have we had to do something hard, and inside we cursed and questioned why? One of the leaders of the division, notices his wavering, (and other officers must have complained about him) and sits him down for what is a very quick talk. He tells him in this stage of the war there is no room for politics. they are only fighting for their families, and their land. The thought of enemies setting foot on German soil is the motivation now. Herkel then understands what his duty is, where his loyalty lies. To his wife, comrades, and nation.

SPOILER ALERT!!!!



The movies ends with Herkel and 2 of his comrades being surprised by a US patrol in Normandy. The US soldiers execute them all because they were SS, killing them. Herkel is shot in the back of the head. Then the best part of the movie starts (from our POV).

A Woman's voice narrates that the war was bad for everyone, the victors crimes go unpunished while the Germans were blamed for all the wrong. The quote "History is written by the victors" is used. The scenes show that even the young HJ were called to defend their noble land and protect their people from the masses of enemies that came. She mentions the allies hid their crimes and just kept telling the world the Germans were evil.

The voice ends up being the wife of a US soldier that Herkel would not shoot, as they surprised him alone in the woods. Herkel lets him go only to have him come back with other soldiers and kill Herkels best friend. She talks about how the world sees the Germans as evil, but the truth is they were not. She says "thanks to that "evil" German soldier, my husband is still alive." At the closing you see Herkel and Steiner in the next world (in SS uniform) welcoming another comrade who fell and helping him up and walking off into eternal glory together.

So this movie is not perfect, it's not Pro SS and debunking the lies spewed about them like I would love to see, but it is that first broadside in the battle to take control of movies and to tell the truth of what happened. Not the pro Jewish crap Hollywood spews out. It's main theme would be "The SS was like all other soldiers, their honor during and after the war was loyalty."

Any comments to the above synopsis?

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Dwight Pruitt
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Re: My honor was loyalty movie

#14

Post by Dwight Pruitt » 22 Sep 2019, 19:33

If StormFront likes it, that's reason enough for me to dislike it.

I tried to watch it but bad is an understatement.

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Re: My honor was loyalty movie

#15

Post by Ivan1987 » 27 Apr 2020, 09:17

I started watching this on Netflix, but stopped after a couple of minutes. This movie is really bad.

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