American Traitor: The Trial of Axis Sally (2021)

This is the based-on-a-true story of Mildred Gillars, a failed American actress who headed to Europe at the age of 29. Unfortunately, her timing was poor, arriving just as the clouds of World War II were gathering. The film follows her journey as she lands a job as an announcer - and alleged Nazi propagandist - with German State Radio in Berlin. It then tracks her eventual capture at the end of the war and the treason trial she faced back in America.

After moving to France in 1929, she again failed to find acting work and took on ordinary jobs until, six years later, she moved to Germany to study music and teach English. Her big break came with an offer from the radio station, where she was required to broadcast pro-Nazi messages to demoralised Allied troops. The film portrays her as an actress living a glamorous life, mixing with high-ranking officials and moving in influential circles - all under the thumb of the head of Nazi propaganda, Joseph Goebbels.

The film depicts a situation where she was physically, psychologically and sexually abused by these high-ranking figures, though there is actually no historical evidence to support this. It also features her telling her lawyer that she was abused by her father and stepfather during her formative years - how much of this was added purely for dramatic impact is unclear.

Much of the past is delivered via long flashbacks from the 'present' during her 1948 trial. We see her apprehended by liberating Allied troops and forced to return home to 'face the music'. Consequently, a portion of the film is a courtroom drama led by Al Pacino as her defence lawyer. As expected, Pacino steals every scene he is in. He takes the case not because he is on her side, but because he believes in the principle of a fair trial for all. He is portrayed as a disorganised, socially incompetent, but brilliant lawyer - reminiscent of Peter Falk’s Columbo! He and the courtroom scenes are the stars of the show, especially in the final act as he closes proceedings with a moving speech.

The film leaps between two timelines and doesn't quite manage to nail either convincingly. It portrays her actions as a result of coercion, manipulation and survival instinct, rather than what may have been the reality - a woman not thinking clearly and an actress desperate for a stage and limelight, whatever the cost. At first, the audience is encouraged to dislike Mildred, but as her plight becomes clearer, her character evolves and our perspective shifts.

Meadow Williams provides a performance that is decent enough as Mildred, if only just. Thomas Kretschmann is chillingly effective as Goebbels, flying into rages when things go off-script. He is depicted as a man who is horribly manipulative but also controlled from above, ensuring there is no room for failure.

The production feels like a film that could have benefited from a larger budget - some sets and peripheral actors are not terribly convincing and the script is occasionally dubious. I believe it would have been better served either as a chronological biography or a pure courtroom drama where the background was left to the viewer's imagination. However, it does provide a fascinating history lesson. I knew nothing of this story here in the UK, and even my 90-year-old dad - who remembers the war well - confirmed he had never heard of her. While significant dramatic licence has been applied, it is worth a watch for the history lesson and for the chance to see the talented Al Pacino in full flight.