Two men meet in a train station. One believes he’s Hitler, the other Christ.
Their unusual pairing brings together the two most controversial figures in
human history. Shot entirely in black-and-white, 16:9 mini-DV format, Hitler
and Christ follows two mentally-ill, homeless men as they wander through
Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. Hitler is waiting and, at times, begging for
death, all the while enraged by Christ’s unceasing love. Former Law & Order
star Michael Moriarty takes on the role of the simultaneously tragic and
comic Hitler figure. Wyatt Page, a local Vancouver actor, plays an equally
obstinate and blissful Christ. According to Moriarty, the film is about the
tenacity of Christ and Hitler’s agony in the face of his love.
Director and Producer Brendan Keown believes mini-DV is the best medium for
a non-commercial art film like Hitler and Christ. “You can take the time to
rehearse in the environment you’re going to shoot in. You can change set-ups
very easily. Technically, it’s quicker.” Keown stresses that there was also
artistic motivation in choosing DV. “It’s affordable, but it’s also
unusualit offers a gritty realism. I think it’s a purer film because of
that.”
