The Commandante’s Shadow- Profound, Heavy, and Timely, and One Of The Best Films Of 2024
Quick Take: I’m really disappointed that this documentary didn’t make the Oscar shortlist. Sometimes, documentaries are born out of a world on fire, and sometimes they are reflective of a world that was. The Commandante’s Shadow is one that takes a look at a time when the world was on fire, specifically the Holocaust, and uses the lens of generational trauma. One woman seeks to find her Jewish and German roots, as her mother survived a death camp, and did not like to talk about it. While her mother may not be looking to relive those memories, her daughter is seeking for answers to her questions. On the other side, we also follow an elderly, yet still alive, pair who are the son and grandson of Rudolph Hess, the man who designed Auschwitz. He discusses what he remembers from being a young boy just outside the wall, something depicted in films like The Zone Of Interest and The Boy in The Striped Pajamas. He seemingly thought his childhood was normal, and his parents were too, until his world was turned upside down. As time progressed, and as he got knowledge as he distanced himself, he feels tangental responsibility, even though no one would expect a child to have stopped the Nazi’s. But, these two converge, people who are connected through a terrible event, and it is the lightning in a bottle documentary that works when you have the right people who can tell a very specific story.
This is my favorite documentary of 2024. I don’t expect that to change. it is currently on MAX with audio description, and there are several strong contenders really close. Some of them don’t have audio description like No Other Land and Sugar Cane, and perhaps the audio description is what puts this somber reflective look at the reverberations of evil as the most affecting documentary I’ve seen this year. For more, check out my video review, but definitely check this film out.
