Before the Fall

[PopHistorian]

Interestingly, I rented this movie thinking I'd seen it recommended here, but I find no review. The summary from Netflix:

When Friedrich Weimer (Max Riemelt), an aspiring young boxer from a small German village, is recruited by the Nazis to come train in one of their Napolas, he eagerly accepts -- despite the objections of his father (Gerald Alexander Held), who adamantly opposes Hitler. But inside the Napola, Friedrich's training quickly shifts from fighting to killing, and he's not sure whether his conscience can take it.

I found this film to be an astoundingly clear look at the workings of the ponerization process, step by step. You can see it unfolding, beginning with the protagonist being lured by the prospect of becoming one of "the elite" in society -- thinks it's cool, etc. It just happened to be Hitler's societal elite. Very strong stuff. Very highly recommended. Maybe the best I saw this year. It's in German with subtitles, but please don't let that deter you.

The movie goes by the title NaPolA in some countries.
_http://imdb.com/title/tt0384369/ has a comment from someone who was actually enrolled at a NaPolA.

There is a brief excerpt on YouTube of just one stirring scene. _http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WOgu-yhzR8