Good [DVD]

John Halder (Viggo Mortenson) is a respected professor of literature, who once wrote a novel about compassionate euthanasia. He now juggles his mother suffering from TB and dementia, his neurotic piano-playing wife, 2 boisterous children, a female student he's very attracted to, book burning, and Proust being eliminated from his curriculum. He regularly escapes life for beer-fuelled heart-to-hearts with his friend, Jewish psychoanalyst Maurice (Jason Isaacs), whose early concern over Hitler is brushed aside: "Hitler's a joke... he'll never last."

When Hitler's chancellor summons Halder to write a report on the "case for an enlightened approach to mercy death on the grounds of humanity" there's only one problem... Halder isn't a member of the party. In a sudden sweep, Halder becomes an "honorary" member of the SS, with all its subsequent privileges, separates from his wife, and begins a new and successful life - albeit at the expense of his friend, and his conscience. As Hitler's Germany takes shape, Maurice's situation becomes increasingly unstable, and when he finally comes begging for help to leave the country, Halder is placed in an impossible position.

The movie, based on a stage play by C P Taylor, moves slowly, as Halder is assimilated into the role of unwilling Nazi; and though he never stops doing "good", he finds himself on dangerous, ethically ambiguous ground, as he is forced to weigh up his friendship with Maurice against his own survival. The climax of the movie has a harrowing, nightmarish quality, as Halder's conscience, which inserts itself very occasionally in the form of music, as members of the cast break out in fragments of song (reminiscent of Dancer in the Dark), leads him to face the consequences of his decisions.

Mortenson, ever serious and versatile, plays his role with excellent subtlety, letting his character do the talking. The mainly British supporting cast, headed by Isaacs indignant with rage, are also convincing in a way that foregrounds the bleak reality of their respective situations. 1930s Germany is authentically reproduced visually, though not in the language, which will always be a point of contention for moviemakers and movie viewers alike.

Good is a movie that asks its audience to consider notions of goodness and complicity, and how far, by doing nothing against the system, Halder has in fact allowed the evil regime to establish itself and flourish. This isn't an original idea, by any means, but watching it happen still makes for a very sobering viewing experience.

Viggo Mortenson plays an academic, a likeable guy who doesn't want to make trouble, but doesn't feel strong enough to risk his livelihood and position by standing up to the rise of the Nazis in Germany.

When they burn books, he stands by. When his Jewish friend begins to be stripped of his fundamental human rights, he stands by, and says "why don't you leave. You don't have any ties here", forgetting that his friend is a native German, and has just as much right to stay as he has.

Then, he is co-opted by the SS to vindicate their hateful policies, and again, he doesn't feel it will hurt.

It is a slippery slope, and at the end of the film, he discovers just how deep the hole at the bottom of that slope can get. I won't put in spoilers, but this film is a serious warning of how things can start small, and grow big, and then spiral of the control of anybody who recognises what is happening.

As some people might put it, the road to hell is paved with good intentions, and that is just the message that this film is trying to teach.

Just as "Nazis: A Warning From History" The Nazis - A Warning From History [DVD] [1997] shows, once irrational hatred takes hold, it takes on a life of its own. And if you look at the news today, you can see that it IS starting to happen again, so it's a warning we all need to heed. This time around, don't just be "good", be better!

I bought this movie primarily because I am a big Viggo Mortensen fan, and the film delighted me and also surprised me in many ways.

It is like watching a play rather than a movie, as so much of the content is in the dialogue and in the relationship between the character Viggo plays and his friend played by Jason Isaacs - who is absolutely excellent. It is chilling to see how someone who is intrinsically 'good' can be coerced and threatened, by a regime such as the rising National Socialist part in Germany, into taking actions which he cannot really justify or understand. It is a fascinating study of the struggle between a man's conscience and his fear for the safety of himself and his family.

It made me think about what fear does to a person, and to a nation when they are in the grip of dictatorship, and how incredibly brave people can be when they do take a stand and often sacrifice their lives. It's beautifully acted, and paced but not for anyone who is looking for a war film or an action film.