Cinema surveillance images are loading at the bottom of the page

Mother night

Threat advisory: Elevated - Significant risk of entertaining activities

Movie propaganda

Howard W Campbell Junior is the most patriotic American in the Third Reich.

A provocative drama about a famous American playwright and spy in Germany during World War II. His mission: to assume the role of a Nazi sympathiser and gain access to the highest echelons of Hitler's hierarchy. Campbell (Nick Nolte) becomes a prominent spokesman for Hitler's anti-American and anti-Semitic agenda, gaining celebrity in Germany and notoriety back home.

Based on the novel by Kurt Vonnegut Junior, the story is a fascinating study of right and wrong as the protagonist, years later, must struggle to prove his innocence to the world - and to himself.

Intelligence analyst

Special Agent Matti

Theatrical report

This is a strange wee film full of twists and turns. It is also very eclectic, mixing black and white with colour, drama with comedy, passion with pathos.

If you know anything about the life of Tokyo Rose this film will seem rather familiar but it still stands up well as a ficto-documentary. If nothing else, it's interesting to see something from the Nazi side of the fence (those boys in black sure knew how to throw a party). The dirty dealings of the various spy forces as the movie ranges through time are wonderfully indicting of the whole industry (the spy one, not the movie one), making this an intriguing if long night out.

Nick is forced to act with one of the least convincing hair colours in cinematic history all in a futile attempt to make him look younger than he can ever remember being. But as an ageing, decrepit, cigarette-smoking, alcoholic nutter he is rather more convincing. Perhaps a little too convincing.

Kirsten Dunst has a wee cameo that knock the socks off everyone else. Sheryl Lee (Mrs Campbell) has one of the sexiest apple strudel accents this side of the Black Forest. The guy who plays the infamous Herr Eichmann is really spooky, but he's not on screen much.

Although I haven't read the book, it is obvious from the flow of the film that the story has been hacked to bits, but the cinematography ranges from good to impressive so that makes up for it a bit.

Security censorship classification

M (Adult themes, low level violence)

Surveillance time

113 minutes (1:53 hours)

Not for public release in Australia before date

Film: Undated 1997