You are here:

The Decent One

Name: The Decent One
Director: Vanessa Lapa
Released: 2014
Duration: 94 min

Representation Score

3.6/10

Limited

2014

Not Rated

Director

Vanessa Lapa

Runtime

94 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

The Decent One provides a detailed look at the domestic life of Heinrich Himmler, using private archives to challenge the notion of the banality of evil. By focusing on personal documents, the film offers a nuanced perspective on historical figures. The documentary's strength lies in its ability to use intimate records to dismantle monolithic historical narratives. It brings to light the connection between private individuals and systemic oppression, questioning traditional understandings of history. Although the film does not explicitly represent several modern diversity categories, its narrative structure is focused on critiquing traditional Western moral and institutional hierarchies.

Watch this, not that →

Category Breakdown

Does The Decent One have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film does not include any LGBTQ+ characters or explore queer themes. Instead, it focuses on the domestic life of the Himmler family during a specific historical period.

How does The Decent One portray gender?

Fair

Through private letters and diaries, the film examines the roles of women within patriarchal structures. It highlights the consequences of traditional masculine leadership on the domestic front.

How racially and ethnically diverse is The Decent One?

Fair

The film critiques the exclusion of racial diversity inherent to Nazi Germany. It focuses on the homogeneous power structures of the time.

How does The Decent One represent religion and culture?

Excellent

By deconstructing the 'decency' of a figure associated with Western trauma, the film challenges the stability of traditional Western institutions. It exposes the internal decay of these institutions.

Does The Decent One include disability representation?

Minimal

There is no indication of the portrayal of neurodivergence or physical disabilities in the film.

Present on Screen

Uses personal archives to challenge monolithic historical perspectives.
Highlights the connection between private individuals and systemic oppression.
Offers a nuanced critique of traditional Western moral and institutional hierarchies.

Limited or Absent

Does not include any LGBTQ+ characters or explore queer themes.
Does not portray neurodivergence or physical disabilities.
Focuses on the perpetrators' lives rather than the diverse victims of the era.

Official Synopsis

Through previously undiscovered private letters, photos and diaries that were found in the Himmler family house in 1945, the "The Decent One" exposes a unique and at times uncomfortable access to the life and mind of the merciless "Architect of the Final Solution" Heinrich Himmler.

How are these scores produced? →