The breathtaking story of a man gifted with exceptional abilities set against the background of the events of the totalitarian fifties. He treated Hitler’s chief of staff, this while being a closeted homosexual at a time when being gay was a criminal offense, and a man who coveted his power above all things because he regarded helplessness as a living hell. His legacy straddles the equator that separates truth from lies, healing from hurting. The fascinating but misshapen historical drama that Holland makes of it explores the nature of survival in a landscape where political trials and personal tribulations sometimes required contradictory treatments.