THE FOURTH REICH (1990) – This film’s greatest obstacle to greater renown is its own title. Anyone coming across the title The Fourth Reich will quite reasonably assume it’s a B-movie about Nazi war criminals in hiding trying to resurrect their rightfully defeated cause.
If someone rents or buys it expecting an espionage thriller like The ODESSA File, The Holcroft Covenant or even The Boys from Brazil, they’ll be disappointed that it is instead a quality dramatic account of a NON-FICTIONAL, real-life attempt by Nazi agents to assassinate South African leader Jan Smuts in 1942.
This movie – produced in South Africa – was partially based on the non-fiction book For Volk and Fuhrer, so even THAT title wouldn’t truly convey the subject matter to anyone outside of people who are so into South African history that they would recognize those words in the context of a thwarted Nazi assassin.
Enough preamble. I started my review this way to hopefully catch the eyes of readers who WERE assuming this is just more warmed-over, regenerate Nazi fiction. Please don’t dismiss this powerful movie due to false assumptions.
THE FOURTH REICH deals with South African boxer Robey Leibbrandt, who participated in the 1936 Olympics where he met and shook the hand of Adolf Hitler. Leibbrandt was strangely impressed with Hitler and his philosophy of hatred, and after becoming South Africa’s Heavyweight Boxing Champion in 1937 he returned to Germany in 1938.
Robey was studying at the Reich Academy of Gymnastics when World War Two broke out in September 1939, and volunteered to serve the Nazis militarily. After he completed his military training, his commanders felt Leibbrandt would be more effective as a Nazi agent in South Africa, promoting their cause and recruiting saboteurs.
Under the alias Walter Kempf, Robey was sent back to his native land as part of Operation Weissdorn, a plan to assassinate South African leader Jan Smuts for leading South Africa into World War Two as a British ally rather than remaining neutral like his opponents wanted. Continue reading
Balladeer's Blog 