What would happen if the biggest nightmare of the 20^th century, known as Adolf Hitler, came back to life? What would his reaction be after witnessing the defeat of Nazi Germany? And what about those people who would get a chance to meet their führer in person? In the age of social network it would take only minutes to revive his ideology, that maybe, and only maybe, never died in the first place? “Look Who’s Back” from director David Wnendt is a comedy but if you pay close attention to it, you will find it hard to laugh because the prevailing issues of our society is touched upon through laughter which, trust me, won’t be easy to digest quickly…

Set in modern Berlin, in an abandoned wasteland, Adolf Hitler (Oliver Masucci) returns to life. He instantly becomes a modern hit, famous and highly discussed by everyone. Many see him as a joker or a clown, artist or someone who pretends to be a person who Germany is trying to leave in the past. But as soon as he takes center stage, he quickly begins using the tool known as TV to promote his propaganda. But through what he says, he cleverly observes the issues of the society, highlights immigration issues, intolerance, inability to manage time, and moreover, lost ideology and the belief that Germans was, is and will always belong to Germans.

It’s all okay though, except one thing, this Hitler has no money, change of clothes or place to live. But everyone who knows him well is clear that he knows how to climb up from the bottom and how to use people’s minds to idealize what is being demonized in any other part of the world. He soon gets an excellent platform, thanks to the struggling filmmaker Fabian Sawatszki (Fabian Busch) who takes him to TV from where he can talk about nonsense of current TV, programs they promote or even the information they deliver that ruins what Germany or humanity stands on.

Sounds right, doesn’t it, when for instance, you turn on the TV and they talk about cooking? Who cares about cooking? Why do we need to watch someone live on tv who teaches us about the right ingredients? But to use the ingredients metaphorically, this world is all about now, when we spice up the things we are not supposed to, fail to season the relationship properly, over-dressing things that are supposed to be simple and straightforward.

Sounds dramatic, doesn’t it? But “Look Who’s Back” is what will make you think about it. Through a rather dark humour it shows how much we people can be manipulated, misinformed and yet take it for an undeniable fact. Indeed, giving a second chance to revive Hitler’s ideology is dangerous, but do we really think that way, and if yes, how many of us really oppose the past? How many of us, regardless of whether we’re old or young stand behind what assaulted human dignity?

In conclusion, David Wnendt as a director gives the right direction to his film that always looks terrifying no matter how funny it is. As for the performance, Oliver Masucci’s portrayal of Adolf Hitler is quite outstanding and maybe the best delivered in modern cinema. The way he walked, the way he talked, look, gestures are enough to cause goosebumps. And that’s truly remarkable. In the end, David Wnendt’s piece is an educational, masterful, intelligent horror-comedy, if you will allow me to call it that way, and something you should never miss. Because missing it will be akin to committing a crime, which I am sure, none of us wants to do in the cinematic world, right?