The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot: Probably Not What You're Expecting, But Great Nonetheless
The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot: Probably Not What You’re Expecting, But Great Nonetheless
Yes, this is a real movie, but it’s also not what you’d expect. There are a lot of films out there that may try and hook people with their titles into anticipating a certain type of story once they sit down to experience it. Whether or not the quality of the film is on par with said title varies, as does the content of the story itself. Something can have a wacky, interesting title, but not be as wacky or interesting as the title itself seems. And while Robert D. Krzykowski’s feature-film directorial debut The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot isn’t as insane of a film as the title would suggest, it was also a very heartfelt film that I would recommend to anyone who thinks the title looks interesting.
It’s difficult to say much about this movie because the title says all you really need to know. Starring Sam Elliott as World War II veteran Calvin Barr, the film focuses on him…well, killing Hitler and then the Bigfoot. A series of flashbacks starring Aidan Turner as a young Calvin depict the former storyline involving his assassination attempt of Adolf Hitler, while Elliott’s performance in the modern-day centers around his character’s entanglement with the mythical Bigfoot. At the same time, however, the story introduces other elements that flesh out and humanize Calvin as a character, giving reason as to why certain things happen as well as a thematic undercurrent to the movie. And of course, two operations that have to do with trying to kill the leader of the Nazi party and a cryptid. Two completely unrelated beings that have nothing to do with one another in real life, yet are weaved together quite well in this film.
One of the important elements of this film that you should be aware of if it sounds interesting is to reel back any expectations of this being an action movie. If you’re going in hoping for Sam Elliott to be playing a badass Nazi hunter who must now hunt a cryptic creature in the forest, you won’t be entirely disappointed. But the film is less about the action contained within it and acts more like a character study for Elliott’s character Calvin. More specifically, the film utilizes a lot of thematic ideas and lessons in its narrative that take precedence over the plot. This film isn’t particularly fast-paced and there are many times where something seems like it’s about to happen when the film cuts to a flashback of Calvin while he was preparing for his attempt to kill Hitler. But everything in the film does serve its purpose and it does a great job of setting out to do what it wants to do. What that is, however, is something I don’t want to spoil here, no matter how simplistic it may be. If you go into this not knowing what to expect, that might be your best option. But if you go in looking for a fast-paced film, you may want to dampen your expectations.
Having gone into the film hoping for something more action-oriented given the teaser poster, I was surprised to find that it paced itself rather slowly. It’s a slow burn type of movie, but this lack of speed didn’t detract from what it set out to do. It wasn’t what I was anticipating, but it allowed the film space to breathe and for the protagonists’ introspective moments to take shape. Those moments were what built the film on a thematic level, as the flashbacks seen throughout not only depicted his attempt to kill Hitler, but also everything he left behind when he went to war. Interspliced with the story that takes place years after the end of World War II, and there is a tangible thread of characterization that the eventual scenario with Bigfoot manages to connect quite well with.
While I don’t intend to spoil much about the plot or characterization of Calvin outside of what I’ve said thus far, I do want to touch on just how much I enjoyed many of the film’s technical aspects. This included some great, snappy cinematography in mobile scenes when it was called for, contrasted by longer shots during tense sequences—including a specific, fantastically-performed monologue about two-thirds of the way in. There was a bit of cheesiness to some of the shots as well, indicating a form of self-awareness regarding the story being told. Luckily, however, these types of shots were few and far between, just enough to indicate to the audience that it’s understood how goofy this premise is on paper, but not enough to detract from the thematic elements the film built up during its run. This balance was appreciable and added to the dynamics of the cinematography. The different types of shots used flowed well enough to capture the audience’s attention whenever it wanted to emphasize something, whether it be dramatic or tongue-in-cheek.
The music in the film also stood out, as there was a lot of swelling instrumentals in many of the important scenes. At the same time, the film also knew when not to use music too much, with that previously mentioned monologue scene being a time where Elliott’s performance was enough to keep the audience engaged. The filmmakers knew this and made the right decisions for the soundtrack. Decisions like this were also done in other portions of the film, adding to the scene being presented without trying to overly dramatize it with background music. These considerations assisted the film in being an engaging, unforgettable experience with a unique title that’s sure to be remembered by everyone who’s seen the movie.
The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot fulfills the promised premise of its title while also being a character study into the psyche of a World War II veteran that pulled off the impossible. But it’s not his feat that truly eats away at him, something you’ll have to discover for yourself in watching the movie. Because I’m giving this film a high recommendation to anyone who’s okay with going into a film like this knowing the results will be surprising. I’ll say I was surprised, and quite happily so. I also have to give major credit to Robert D. Krzykowski for crafting such a fantastic piece as his feature-length directorial debut. While he has yet to direct another feature film since this one, I am patiently awaiting his next release should he decide to return to the director’s seat (assuming he’s not in the throes of a new project already). This was a worthwhile film and great for a director’s first. Looks can be deceiving when it comes to this movie, but in this case, it was a very pleasant trick. Well done.
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