Der Große König (The Great King) - 1942 film

«Der große König ist ein deutscher, propagandistischer Monumentalfilm von Veit Harlan aus dem Jahr 1942. Der Film wurde im Auftrag von Joseph Goebbels gedreht und sollte während des Zweiten Weltkriegs zum psychologischen Aufbau der Bevölkerung dienen. Der Film wird als letzter der sogenannten Fridericus-Rex-Filme gezählt, Historienspielfilme um die Person des preußischen Königs Friedrich II. zwischen 1923 bis 1942. «The Great King (German: Der große König) is a 1942 German drama film directed by Veit Harlan and starring Otto Gebühr. It depicts the life of Frederick the Great, who ruled Prussia from 1740 to 1786. It received the rare «Film of the Nation» distinction. It was part of a popular cycle of «Prussian films». The film is a depiction of the Führerprinzip, with the analogy to Adolf Hitler being so clear that Hitler sent a print to Benito Mussolini, and Joseph Goebbels warned against the drawing of the comparison in print, in particular, because of the pessimistic mood that opens the film. After a sergeant gives an unauthorised order, the king orders him simultaneously promoted and punished. His decision to desert after this results in his death, because no disobedience is justified. Goebbels declared that the parallels were not a matter of propaganda, but an obvious result of the parallels of history.