Secrets of the Dead: The Hunt for Nazi Scientists (2005)

As WWII entered its final year, British and American teams of agents forged their way into Germany ahead of the front lines, hard-pressed to locate and capture the German scientists and materiel key to advanced Nazi war technology: the first ballistic (suborbital) V-2 rocket, a snub rocket-powered Messerschmidt that could fly 120 mph faster than any other warplane, the largest (and secret) underground munitions factory in the world, and a nuclear reactor with thousands of pounds of enriched uranium. This documentary tells the fascinating story of Operation Alsos -- detailing each objective and challenge, often in the agents' own words -- with able narration and augmented with official and rare newsreel footage. For just one example, the only Allied test pilot to fly the Messerschmidt after its capture -- after all ten German test pilots died trying -- describes the experience for several minutes as we witness the harrowing flight record on original documentary footage. We learn how close Germany was to winning the air war and building a nuclear bomb -- though more importantly, how close Russia was as we promptly entered the Cold War. This documentary is also sensitive about slave-labor-camp survivors who were exploited by the Nazis and (not unwittingly) the German rocket scientists yet who 25 years later saw Werner von Braun hailed as an American hero for putting men on the moon. Very nicely done with an intelligent and suspenseful narrative. 4 stars. (2-4-09)