Death Is My Trade

7.1 / 10

(9 votes)

“Death is my Trade” centers on the life of Rudolph Höss, the commandant of Auschwitz II-Birkenau for the majority of its existence. The main character's name in the film is Franz Lang. This name change was deliberate to ensure that the character is not automatically viewed as being some sort of villain or demon. Franz is an average German kid growing up during World War I. The film follows Franz as he grows up and becomes a hard, efficient, organized worker who eventually joins the National Socialist party in Germany. Impressionable young Franz takes orders as one of the utmost points of honor and duty, so when he is eventually asked by Heinrich Himmler to become commandant of the largest extermination camp built during WWII he barely hesitates to consider how heavy such a burden will be.

Country:

Germany

Genre:

War,

Drama

Duration:

145 minutes

Year:

1977

Director:

Theodor Kotulla

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Company:

Iduna Film Produktiongesellschaft,

WDR

Cast:
Götz George

Franz Lang als Erwachsener

Kai Taschner

Franz Lang als Jugendlicher

Elisabeth Schwarz

Else

Hans Korte

Heinrich Himmler

Kurt Hübner

Oberst von Jeseritz

Crew:
Theodor Kotulla

Director

Dieter Naujeck

Cinematography

Eberhard Weber

Music

Theodor Kotulla

Writer

Robert Merle

Novel