What attitude toward Nazi Germany and World War II does this movie reflect? How is the film influenced by the historical and cultural context in which it was made? What was Germany like right after WW II and how can we see this reflected in the movie?
Characterize Dr. Hans Mertens. What specific event during WWII caused his trauma? How is trauma depicted in the film? What effect has the war had on Merten’s mind and how is this represented on screen? What cinematic devices are used to visualize his trauma? How are his internal feelings externalized and how does this compare to the visualization of emotions in the Expressionist films that we have watched?
Do you think Mertens develops over the course of the movie, i.e. is he a static character (no development) or a dynamic character (noticeable development)? Why?
Please characterize Susanne Wallner. How is she introduced and what role does she play in the film? How are women depicted in the movie? What attitudes toward gender roles does the film reflect?
What part of the story told by the movie was the most powerful? Which scene of the film do you find most important? Why?
How is the potential for healing suggested in this film? What role does language play in the healing process?
Think about the title of the film – The Murderers Are among Us. What do you think the title might mean or symbolize? How does it relate to a main message or a theme in the film? Is this post-war German film relevant for us today? Why?
Do you like the ending of the film? Why or why not? What other ending would be possible? Why did Staudte let the film end the way he did?
If you had a chance to ask a character in this movie a question, what would it be? What do you think he or she might answer?