Amen

Kurt Gerstein, an SS officer in the Hygiene Institute, designs programs for water purification and vermin destruction. He is shocked to learn that Zyklon B, intended for disease control, is being used to exterminate Jews and other undesirables. The revelation unsettles him and sets the stage for his moral conflict during the war.

Gerstein attempts to inform Pope Pius XII about the gassings, hoping for decisive action. He is appalled by the lack of response from the Catholic hierarchy, as condemnations feel timid and vague. The only person visibly moved by the tragedy is Riccardo Fontana, a young Jesuit priest.

Fontana aligns with Gerstein to raise awareness and push for stronger condemnation. They persist in appealing to church leaders, seeking a more forceful stance from the Vatican. Their collaboration marks a fragile bridge between religious conscience and wartime atrocity.

Gerstein travels to Rome to speak directly with the Pope and present his evidence, but the German occupation blocks him from meeting the Pope. The obstacle underscores the reach of Nazi power even within the heart of the Catholic world. The mission illustrates the peril of crossing authority during the war.

As the Germans tighten their grip, Rome begins deportations of Italian Jews to death camps. The deportations unfold rapidly, signaling a grim acceleration of the genocide under Nazi occupation. The city becomes a frontline of moral crisis for those resisting the orders.

To protest the deportations, Fontana places a yellow Star of David badge on himself and presents at the train station to be deported with the Jews. He chooses solidarity with the victims over personal safety, drawing attention to the atrocity. His act becomes a potent symbol within the collapsing moral order.

At the camp's crematorium complex, Fontana is interrogated by the camp's powerful Doctor but is allowed to stay with the Jews and work there. Ultimately, the Doctor orders that Fontana be gassed, sealing his grim destiny. The encounter highlights the precarious position of individuals who resist the regime.

Gerstein attempts to intervene for Fontana, but the Doctor remains unmoved by his pleas. The Doctor escorts Gerstein out of the camp as the murders continue, illustrating the limits of individual action against totalitarian machinery. The scene underscores the mass scale of the genocide unfolding around them.

The perspective witnesses German troops digging up and burning bodies in a mass grave near the camp. The Doctor asks Gerstein if he knows anyone who could help him escape Germany, revealing the desperation and danger that persist even as the war presses toward its end. The moment tightens the sense of impending catastrophe.

Gerstein returns home and compiles extensive documentation of Nazi atrocities, delivering it to Allied authorities. Despite their willingness to review the material, he remains at risk under German authority. The act represents one last bid to awaken the world to the crimes being committed.

Despite cooperating with the Allies, Gerstein is arrested and, after the charges are read, is found hanged in his cell. His death underscores the peril faced by those who sought to expose the truth and hold the perpetrators accountable. His sacrifice casts a long shadow over the narrative’s moral arc.

In the aftermath, the Doctor is seen speaking with a Cardinal in Rome, asking for help leaving the country. The Cardinal agrees to assist in sending him to Argentina, seeking safety after the war. This closing note leaves a glimmer of possible refuge amid the collapse of the regime.