Conspiracy (2001) (TV)

User Rating:

7.8/10   

Director:

Frank Pierson

Writer (WGA):

Loring Mandel (written by)

Release Date:

19 May 2001 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | History | War

Tagline:

One Of The Greatest Crimes Against Humanity Was Perpetrated In Just Over An Hour.

Plot:

A dramatic recreation of the Wannsee Conference where the Nazi Final Solution phase of the Holocaust was devised.

Plot Keywords:

Nazi | Conference | Holocaust | SS | Jew

Awards:

Won Golden Globe. Another 6 wins & 17 nominations

Cast

Kenneth Branagh	...	Reinhard Heydrich
Clare Bullus	...	Maid (as Claire Bullus)
Stanley Tucci	...	Adolf Eichmann
Simon Markey	...	Stenographer
David Glover	...	Supervising Butler
David Willoughby	...	Orderly #1
Tom Hiddleston	...	Phone Operator
David Spinx	...	Cook
Dirk Martens	...	NCO
Barnaby Kay	...	Rudolf Lange
Peter Sullivan	...	SS.Col. Eberhard 'Karl' Schöngarth
Ben Daniels	...	Dr. Joseph Bühler
Andreas Günther	...	NCO2 (as Andreas Guenther)
Ewan Stewart	...	Dr. Georg Leibbrandt
Brian Pettifer	...	Dr. Alfred Meyer
Kevin McNally	...	Undersecretary Martin Luther
Florian Panzner	...	Luher's Driver
Ross O'Hennessey	...	Adjutant #1
Colin Firth	...	Dr. Wilhelm Stuckart
Nicholas Woodeson	...	SS Lt.Gen. Otto Hofmann
Jonathan Coy	...	Erich Neumann
David Threlfall	...	Dr. Wilhelm Kritzinger
Hinnerk Schönemann	...	Stuckart's Driver (as Hinnerk Schonemann)
Ian McNeice	...	Dr. Gerhard Klopfer
Owen Teale	...	Dr. Roland Freisler
Brendan Coyle	...	SS Maj.Gen. Heinrich Müller
Sebastian Jakob	...	Maid's boyfriend (as Sebastian Jacob)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Paul Bannon	...	Orderly (uncredited)
Nick Brown	...	Orderly (uncredited)
Terence Mustoo	...	Orderly (uncredited)

Directed by
Frank Pierson

Writing credits (WGA)
Loring Mandel		(written by)

Produced by
Frank Doelger	....	executive producer
Nick Gillott	....	producer
C. Cory M. McCrum-Abdo	....	associate producer
Frank Pierson	....	executive producer
Rudi Teichmann	....	service producer
David M. Thompson	....	executive producer
Peter Zinner	....	executive producer

Cinematography by
Stephen Goldblatt

Film Editing by
Peter Zinner		(co-editor)

Production Design by
Peter Mullins

Art Direction by
Kenneth Wheatley

Set Decoration by
Brian Savegar

Costume Design by
Rosalind Ebbutt

Makeup Department
Polly Earnshaw	....	assistant hair stylist
Polly Earnshaw	....	assistant makeup artist
Tina Earnshaw	....	makeup supervisor
Jeffrey Haines	....	assistant hair stylist
Jeffrey Haines	....	assistant makeup artist
Frances Hannon	....	key hair stylist
Frances Hannon	....	key makeup artist
Carol Hemming	....	hair stylist supervisor
Tony Tahir	....	wig maker
Kate Thompson	....	hair trainee
Kate Thompson	....	makeup trainee

Production Management
Markus Bensch	....	production manager: Germany
Kristov Brändli	....	unit production manager
Ray Freeborn	....	production manager
Diana Tauder	....	post-production supervisor: USA

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jerry Daly	....	second assistant director
Tim Daukes	....	third assistant director
Daniela Jerassek	....	third assistant director: Germany
Dan Knight	....	third assistant director
Barry Langley	....	first assistant director
Meno Sellschopp	....	second assistant director: Germany
Guy Travers	....	first assistant director

Art Department
David Ball	....	supervising carpenter
Helen Dolan	....	production buyer
Helen Dolan	....	set decoration buyer
Robert J. Dugdale	....	painter
Michael Fechner	....	art director: Berlin
Michael Finlay	....	painter
James Gemmill	....	scenic artist
John Godfrey	....	construction manager
James Lewis	....	set designer
Christopher Mason	....	painter
Nick Mollo	....	dressing props
Joe Monks	....	head painter
Wolfgang Osterholzer	....	carpenter
Russel Oxley	....	scenic artist (as Russell Oxley)
Philip Richardson	....	storeman
Hauke Richter	....	assistant art director
Brian Savegar	....	set dresser
Terence Shaw	....	stand-by stagehand
John Shergold	....	painter
Alfie Smith	....	assistant art director (as Alf Smith)
Tony Teiger	....	property master
Kevin Wheeler	....	assistant art director

Sound Department
Christopher Ackland	....	supervising sound editor
Natalie Bayford	....	assistant adr mixer
Benjamin Bober	....	boom operator
Sandy Buchanan	....	adr mixer
Ed Colyer	....	sound mixer (as Edward Colyer)
Felicity Cottrell	....	foley artist
Gillian Dodders	....	dialogue editor
Andrei Gillott	....	cable person
Peter Glossop	....	production sound mixer
John Hayward	....	sound re-recording mixer
Shaun Mills	....	boom operator
Alan Paley	....	dialogue editor
Richard Pryke	....	sound re-recording mixer
Sandra Roth	....	foley editor
Jason Swanscott	....	foley artist
Kevin Tayler	....	sound re-recording mixer
Andrew Caller	....	sound technician (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Paul Dunn	....	special effects supervisor
Wilma Dunn	....	special effects coordinator
Lucien Stephenson	....	snow effects supervisor

Visual Effects by
Shawn Broes	....	digital film mastering editor
Fiona Chilton	....	visual effects producer
Jeff Christopherson	....	engineering staff: Cinesite
Kimberly Covate	....	digital mastering operations manager: Cinesite (as Kim Covate)
Daphne Dentz	....	digital effects producer
Julia Egerton	....	scanning and recording
Ian Fellows	....	digital paint artist: CFC
Darrel Griffin	....	data support: CFC
Andy Hague	....	visual effects
Merrin Jensen	....	scanning and recording
Roz Lowrie	....	visual effects
Dennis Politakis	....	engineering staff: Cinesite
Pat Repola	....	vice president of digital imaging: Cinesite
Joshua Roberts	....	recording coordinator
Brian Shows	....	datacine assistant
Alan Silvers	....	director of technical services: Cinesite
Jennifer Simonds	....	scanning and recording
Randy Starr	....	vice president of business development: Cinesite
Maria Stroka	....	digital lab operator
Ed Thompson	....	datacine assistant
Gavin Toomey	....	senior compositing artist: CFC
Mike Tosti	....	imaging engineer
Jean Usi	....	digital imaging operations manager: Cinesite

Camera and Electrical Department
Craig Blankenhorn	....	still photographer
Michael Brown	....	electrician
Floyd Burks	....	digital imaging technician
Trevor Coop	....	camera operator
Adam Dale	....	aerial director of photography
Carlos De Carvalho	....	first assistant camera
Guy Frost	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
Andy Gardiner	....	electrician
Alan Graham	....	electrician (as Alan McKay Graham)
Pip Hare	....	trainee assistant camera
Rab Harling	....	additional clapper loader
Nick Kenealy	....	video assist operator
John King	....	electrician
Steve Mcleod	....	assistant chief lighting technician
Peter Moc	....	digital imaging technician
Stephen Morley	....	still photographer
Peter Myslowski	....	key grip
Glenn Parker	....	still photographer
Brian Pickett	....	electrical rigger
Terry Potter	....	gaffer
Stuart Pring	....	electrician
Nick Schlesinger	....	camera operator
Sky Sharrock	....	assistant camera

Casting Department
Annette Borgmann	....	casting: Germany
John Brace	....	casting: USA
Meg Leonard	....	casting: London
Linda Lowy	....	casting: USA
Derek J. Marquardt	....	casting assistant: Los Angeles
Iris Müller	....	extras casting
Gilly Poole	....	casting: UK
Suzanne Smith	....	casting: UK (as Suzanne Crowley)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Chris Groucutt	....	costume assistant
Chris Groucutt	....	wardrobe assistant
Natalie Humphries	....	wardrobe trainee
Melissa Layton	....	costume assistant (as Melissa Layton-Skorepa)
Malaika Rönneckendorf	....	dress maker: Germany (as Maleika Rönneckendorf)
Meike Schegel	....	assistant costume: Germany
Meike Schlegel	....	costume assistant: Berlin
Mike Skorepa	....	key costumer

Editorial Department
Candace Austin	....	post-production assistant
Mike Bellamy	....	senior digital film colorist
Philip Harrelson	....	post-production services
Scott Hinchcliffe	....	on-line editor
James Howe	....	associate editor
Vivien Jordan	....	post-production coordinator
Chris Miller	....	post-production services
Brenna Rangott	....	second assistant editor
Claus Wehlisch	....	assistant editor
Sylvia Wheeler	....	negative cutter

Transportation Department
Michael Fechner	....	action vehicle coordinator

Other crew
Andrea G. Axelrod	....	historical advisor
Michael Berenbaum	....	historian (as Dr. Michael Berenbaum)
Debbie Brodie	....	home economist
Deborah Burrett	....	assistant: Mr. Pierson
Stephanie Dölker	....	production secretary
Tina Ellis	....	assistant accountant
Suzanne Freeborn	....	unit nurse (as Suzanna Freeborn)
James Gierman	....	location consultant
Jonathan Godfrey	....	production runner
Constantine Gregory	....	dialogue coach
Jason Guberman	....	assistant to executive producer
Lisa Heathcote	....	food stylist
Vivien Jordan	....	assistant: Mr. Gillott
Silke Krüger	....	location manager: Germany
Tali Lipa	....	production accountant
Laura Luchetti	....	assistant: Mr. Tucci
Sylvia Mackintosh	....	assistant accountant
Tracey Marsh	....	unit nurse
Andrew Mollo	....	military consultant
Terry Pritchard	....	assistant: Mr. Branagh
June Randall	....	script supervisor
Julie Rasmussen	....	assistant to vice president of production
Christoph Renger	....	production coordinator: Germany
Teja Schwede	....	production assistant
Joyce Turner	....	production coordinator

Production Companies

• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
• Home Box Office (HBO)

Distributors

• Home Box Office (HBO) (2001) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• RTL Klub Televízió (2006) (Hungary) (TV) (original airing)
• Argentina Video Home (2005) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (2005) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Big Time Pictures (2002) (Spain) (DVD)
• Egmont Entertainment (2002) (Finland) (DVD)
• Home Box Office Home Video (HBO) (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Laurus Entertainment (2002) (Netherlands) (DVD) (VHS) (rental)
• Video Film Express (2002) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Warner Bros. (2005) (Argentina) (all media)

Special Effects

• Computer Film Company, The (CFC) (visual effects)
• Snow Business (snow effects)
• Special Effects UK

Other Companies

• Shepperton Studios  movie studio
• B&T Film  production services: Germany
• Big Time Picture Company  post-production services
• Global Entertainment Partners  film editing
• Hypnosis VFX Ltd.  titles
• Lee Lighting  lighting equipment
• Pinewood Studios  sound re-recorded at
• Sapex Scripts  post-production script services

MPAA:

Rated R for language.

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English | German

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Iceland:12 | Finland:K-3 | Canada:14+ (Ontario) | Australia:M | Singapore:PG | Spain:13 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Berlin, Germany

Company:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Trivia:

This production used an almost theatrical performance style during shooting. The performers stayed in costume and character from the start to the end of each day of filming. A set was used with solid (non-moving) walls and ceilings, to reinforce the reality of the setting, and eliminate any delays for changing camera or lighting setups. The action was filmed in extremely long sequences, sometimes 20 pages or more of script at a stretch, which is unusual in this type of production. However many of the actors have a Shakespearean background, and having to memorize this amount of dialogue was not a new experience for them. The production style required the use of the Super 16 film format. This was needed because of the longer film magazines available for those cameras, and also the smaller size, allowing the cameras to get in very close to the performers sitting around a conference table, the setting used for the bulk of the story.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Heydrich announces that from "England, from Lapland to Libya, from Vladivostok to Belfast: no Jews. Not one", the others knock on the table with approval. At the point, Kritzinger can be seen standing and looking out of the window, but a split second later he is seated again.

Quotes:

Dr. Joseph Bühler: If it is already built, WHY this meeting? Why BOTHER?

Movie Connections:

Version of Die Wannseekonferenz (1984) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Adagio from 'String Quintet in C Major', D. 956, op. post. 163

Powerful and Chilling

This movie could have been entitled, "how to chair a board meeting" or "how not to chair a board meeting" - given that the outcome of the meeting was the "final solution".

Gen. Heidrich with consumate skill and care manipulated the gathered Nazi hierarchy to the pre-arranged and pre-destined solution to the Jewish question.

There are a number of moments of exceptional power in the movie - one is where Kritzinger realises the truth, another is where Heidrich makes it clear to Shtukhard that he will be victimised if he does not cooperate. But the best moment must be when even those in favour realise that they are not there to decide the matter but to be to lend their complicity to the pre-made decision.

The psychology of the writing is insprired. I have never been so totally captivated by the mix of acting, subject matter and drama. This is a must see.