Spoilers Within!
Lutze returns to the concentration camp he served at to reflect upon his past. He finds that his past has been waiting for his return.
The Twilight Zone steps into Tales From the Crypt country as a thoroughly nasty man is given his just deserts. Written by Rod Serling, it really should have been better than this.
First off, it takes Lutze far too long to tumble to what's happening to him. While showing the protagonist's skepticism at first reinforces the suspension of disbelief, taking it too far makes him look extremely stupid. Especially when the ghost he first encounters happens to be the last man he killed at the camp. One would have thought he might have remembered that, even after seventeen years.
Second, Lutze himself is sort of a waste as a character. During the trial, there should have been a moment where he literally defended himself, instead of simply hiding behind "I was just following orders." I believe a powerful scene could have been made with him spouting off the usual Nazi bilge while the ghosts of his victims continue relentlessly on with his trial, drowning out his words with a list of his crimes. It surely would have been better than watching Lutze scream in denial, and may well have increased the satisfaction level up a notch.
Finally, Lutze really has no chance the moment he steps in the camp. Such stories can work, of course. The protagonists in "Tales from the Crypt", to go back to my earlier comparison, seldom if ever had a chance themselves once the plot was in motion, and, like Lutze, seldom deserved any chances at all. However, there is a black humor present in the EC stories that Serling couldn't or wouldn't bring here. What's left is a long slog through preachy speeches and hysterics. Never a good thing.
This all sounds like a pan to me, and technically it is. This is one of Serling's duds. However, Lutze's final fate came as an unexpected pleasure to me. Having him suffer the tortures he inflicted on others for the rest of his life is ever so sweet a vengeance, and I wish it had been the conclusion of a better tale.
Second, Lutze himself is sort of a waste as a character. During the trial, there should have been a moment where he literally defended himself, instead of simply hiding behind "I was just following orders." I believe a powerful scene could have been made with him spouting off the usual Nazi bilge while the ghosts of his victims continue relentlessly on with his trial, drowning out his words with a list of his crimes. It surely would have been better than watching Lutze scream in denial, and may well have increased the satisfaction level up a notch.
Finally, Lutze really has no chance the moment he steps in the camp. Such stories can work, of course. The protagonists in "Tales from the Crypt", to go back to my earlier comparison, seldom if ever had a chance themselves once the plot was in motion, and, like Lutze, seldom deserved any chances at all. However, there is a black humor present in the EC stories that Serling couldn't or wouldn't bring here. What's left is a long slog through preachy speeches and hysterics. Never a good thing.
This all sounds like a pan to me, and technically it is. This is one of Serling's duds. However, Lutze's final fate came as an unexpected pleasure to me. Having him suffer the tortures he inflicted on others for the rest of his life is ever so sweet a vengeance, and I wish it had been the conclusion of a better tale.
End Notes
* All through the writing of this review, I couldn't help comparing this story to Serling's later "Escape Route", part of the "Night Gallery" movie. Joseph Strobe is a far more compelling a character than Lutze and his fate satisfies completely. Come on. You have to admit Strobe was just asking for it.
1 comment:
I agree with you on several points. Lutze was too one-dimensional. However, his ultimate fate was rather grisly and quite well deserved. This is an episode I didn't see too often in syndication. Probably the ending was a bit grim for audiences of the past.
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