Hôtel Terminus: The Life and Times of Klaus Barbie

A long, sobering documentary that demands patience as it sifts through conflicting testimonies, leaving a lingering sense of moral unease.

Directed by

Marcel Ophüls

Genres

War, Documentary

Starring

Klaus Barbie, Marcel Ophüls, Serge Klarsfeld

Overview

Marcel Ophuls' riveting film details the heinous legacy of the Gestapo head dubbed "The Butcher of Lyon." Responsible for over 4,000 deaths in occupied France during World War II, Barbie would escape—with U.S. help—to South America in 1951, where he lived until a global manhunt led to his 1983 arrest and subsequent trial.

How it feels

Dark, tense, earnest and melancholic. Slow-burning and demanding.

About

Justice, guilt, power, corruption

Content

Mild violence and language. No gore or sexual content.

Note

Written by AI, so it can be wrong. Full breakdown

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Watch the trailer on YouTube (opens in a new tab)