Inferior
A paranoid lawyer must confront his own personal demons when his elderly client strikes comparisons with Adolf Hitler, raising a dangerous hate mob.
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The themes are looking at how people are judged & condemned instantaneously without evidence to support theory. In this case (as you said above) people will question that Hitler couldn’t possibly be alive but in terms of the story it highlights how this man is condemned as soon as he is linked with the name, without allowing room for proof.
The protagonist is facing his own personal issues which he learns to overcome through witnessing how people react to such a theory and how regardless of that this elderly man’s wife still loves him. It shows him that no matter how bad a person you are believed to be there is always someone out there who will think the world of you.
Hope that all makes sense. Thank you for the time in writing back.
Doh! Correction:
…the question of Hitler?s ID is a gimmick, a tool, to explore some larger theme or issue. What exactly is the theme you wish to explore? What is the itch you’re trying to scratch in the story?
Kriss:
I’m guessing the question of Hitler’s is a gimmick, a tool, to explore some larger theme or issue. What exactly is the theme you wish to explore?
That’s fine I appreciate the feedback as this is what it is about. I have done a lot of research into the ‘conspiracies’ of Hitler and the South American conspiracies were often mentioned and I do refer to them in the script. The point of the film is the questions as to whether this man is Hitler and how people have jumped on the bandwagon due to the name without uncovering any truth.
Of course then if he actually is Hitler is an answer for the end of the film but the story is there to allow people to question it and on how a name means more than an identity.
I did consider setting it in America, with ‘him’ having traveled into the country from the South but moved it to London as it was easier to write seeing as I am English.
I will have a think about it all though so thank you for the feedback. I knew this was a questionable topic when I thought it up but using Hitler was more because the name has so many evil connotations.
Re: the era. Can’t win for losing can you?
All I can say is that in the year 2013, 124 years after Hitler was born, if not clarified in the logline, I have no option but to assume it’s set in the present. Which makes the whole Hitler mistaken-identity issue unbelievable.
But then I find the London setting in the 80’s unbelievable, too. Argentina, Paraguay, Brazil — I can suspend disbelief. But England?
One person’s opinion.
I posted a logline for this idea months ago and included the era and was advised to leave it out as at this stage it wasn’t overly important. As for the hate mob it is set in London and the mob is risen via a war veteran who knows no other way to fight for justice unless it involves conflict. This is a subplot to the main plot but the hate mob are members of the general public angry at this man being defended despite this conspiracy.
Then the time frame probably ought to be shoe-horned into the logline to make it credible.
Another is the setting. The “angry mob” would be contingent on where the story is set. Ex-Nazis were able live in obscurity and serenity in German communities in other countries after World War II.
That is better because now it’s more clear the client is accused of being Hitler, which wasn’t clear in the first attempt.
It is to be set in the 80’s. The fact he will be really old, so much so that it is questionable, is part of the themes that it is the name people react to as opposed to the person.
What is time frame of story set? (Hitler is the convenient, all-purpose, uber-villain, but he’s been dead and burned for 68 years now.)
A paranoid lawyer fights for his own safety from a vengeful hate mob when he uncovers a conspiracy accusing his latest client to be Adolf Hitler.
Is this any better?
I don’t believe confronting personal demons is a compelling plot for a logline, it’s too vague. Confronting his past as a skinhead would, on the other hand be more specific.
Also how does someone strike comparisons with Adolf Hitler? Does he attack Poland? Does he kill innocents with gas? If so, I would add it into the logline and take away the vagueness.
Finally you add ‘raising a dangerous mob’. If this is the main conflict then I would say, A lawyer must confront a dangerous mob, if not, I would leave it out.
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“When a lawyer who’s a former skinhead defends a client who attacked Poland, he must protect him from an angry hate mob.”
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Not the best logline. for sure. because I don’t know how your client strikes comparisons with Adolf Hitler, but if you were to change that part I think it might work.
Hope this helped, good luck with this!