This inventive, exhaustive seven-hour film looks at the rise, reign and demise of Adolf Hitler. German director Hans Jürgen Syberberg, who was a child during World War II, doesn't try to recreate history to the letter. Instead, he places his actors -- many of whom play several roles -- on a stage and has them reenact events based on and inspired by Hitler's life. The action combines traditional narration and historical characters, but also idiosyncratic tweaks, like the use of puppets.

• BBC
• WDR
• Harry Baer
• Heinz Schubert
• Peter Kern
• Hellmut Lange
• Rainer von Artenfels
• Peter Moland
• Johannes Buzalski
• Alfred Edel