Watch Conspiracy?

Conspiracy is a historical drama television film directed by Frank Pierson and produced by HBO and BBC Films. The show was released in 2001 and features a talented cast of renowned actors, including Kenneth Branagh, Stanley Tucci, Colin Firth, Ian McNeice, Kevin McNally, and David Threlfall. It's a dramatization of the Wannsee Conference, a meeting that was held in January 1942 to discuss and coordinate the implementation of the "Final Solution" plan of Nazi Germany, which aimed at the deportation and extermination of millions of Jews.

The film opens with a view of Berlin in 1942, where high-ranking Nazi officials are preparing for a conference to discuss the "Jewish problem". The meeting is called by Reinhard Heydrich (played brilliantly by Kenneth Branagh), who was the head of the Reich Main Security Office and one of the architects of the Holocaust. Heydrich wants to bring together senior officials from various government departments to discuss and finalize the plan to systematically exterminate Jews from Europe.

The film depicts the meeting in an almost real-time manner, and we see the attendees arriving and settling in at a grand house in Wannsee, a suburb of Berlin. The attendees include Heinrich Müller (played by Ian McNeice), the chief of the Gestapo; Wilhelm Stuckart (played by Colin Firth), a lawyer who was instrumental in drafting the Nuremberg Laws; and Adolf Eichmann (played by Stanley Tucci), who was responsible for managing the logistics of the extermination of Jews.

The first part of the meeting is conducted in a formal manner, with Heydrich outlining the purpose of the meeting and presenting a detailed agenda. The attendees are uneasy, and their discomfort is palpable as Heydrich matter-of-factly presents the statistics of Jews in Europe and the logistics of deporting them to concentration camps. The men then break for lunch, during which they engage in small talk and reveal their prejudices about Jews and other groups.

Later in the afternoon, Heydrich presents a film about the extermination of Jews, and we see the attendees watching in silence as graphic images of mass killings and cremations are shown. The men then discuss the practicalities of the Final Solution plan, including how to allocate resources and deal with mixed-race Jews and those in mixed marriages.

The tension in the meeting room is palpable, and the men constantly disagree and argue with each other over the technicalities and feasibility of the plan. They also express concern about the international legal ramifications of the plan and the potential backlash from the German public.

The film is a bold and unflinching portrayal of one of the most heinous crimes of the 20th century. It's a relentless examination of the banality of evil, as we see how these men, who were once ordinary citizens and bureaucrats, became co-conspirators in genocide. The production values are excellent, and the recreation of the Wannsee Conference is meticulous and authentic, capturing the grandiose surroundings and the bleakness of the occasion.

Overall, Conspiracy is a gripping and thought-provoking drama that sheds light on a dark chapter in human history. It's a must-watch for anyone who wants to understand the roots of Nazi Germany's genocidal policies and the complicity of its high-ranking officials. The film is a testament to the power of cinema to educate and enlighten, and it's a devastating reminder of the horrors of the past that we must never forget.

Conspiracy? is a series that ran for 2 seasons (21 episodes) between October 3, 2004 and on A&E