Although they appear to have been remembered (vaguely) in Europe where they achieved genuine stardom, the Comedian Harmonists were essentially unknown in the United States before this excellent film. Their closest contemporary analogue may be the Kings Singers, a group which has actually recorded many of the Comedian Harmonists songs and, like the German group, sings in close harmony, blending their voices so that none stands out until it's required. The effectiveness of the film is immeasurably enhanced by the use of actual recordings, with the on-screen ensemble lip-syncing the words. The Comedian Harmonists came to the fore during the late twenties and were extinguished when the Nazis came to power because they sang many songs by Jewish composers and three of the six members were Jewish. Although certain liberties have been taken with the biographies of the individual singers, their story comes alive on the screen with faithful attention to period detail. The focus is more on two of the six musicians (and their girlfriend-in-common) than on the other four. Nevertheless, each of the six is realized as an individual. It's a splendid film, available on Netflix, and I found it sufficiently entertaining that I will search out their recordings. But, beyond being entertaining, it tells a moving story about the impact that the rise of Hitler had on the lives of individuals who were essentially apolitical beings with no agenda other than to entertain and to succeed.
Review of The Harmonists
