An In-Depth Analytical Look at The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then The Bigfoot

Released in 2019, The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then The Bigfoot is certainly one of the more uniquely-premised films to come out in recent years. Directed by Robert D. Krzykowski in his feature debut, the film blends elements of drama, adventure, and even a bit of sci-fi fantasy.

But does this ambitious genre mashup actually work? And where can interested viewers watch this one-of-a-kind movie? This in-depth analytical post will explore those questions and more.

The Premise and Background

The movie follows a legendary World War II veteran named Calvin Barr (played by Sam Elliott), who many years ago executed a top-secret mission to assassinate Adolf Hitler. In the present day, Calvin is tasked by the government to hunt down Bigfoot, who carries a deadly virus that could wipe out humanity if unleashed.

So in essence, it‘s a character-focused adventure drama about the man who killed Hitler…and then went on to kill Bigfoot. Just your average historical biopic, right?

The film aims to be a thoughtful character study of Calvin, a man haunted by his past and struggling to find meaning in the present day. The ambition and originality of its premise helped generate significant buzz leading up to its release.

But how does the storytelling hold up? Does the film successfully blend history and fantasy? Let‘s analyze further:

Assassination of Hitler – Exploring the History

The film‘s opening WW2 sequence shows Calvin Barr infiltrating Hitler‘s vacation home and shooting him dead in a private study. But how does this fictionalized version align with real-world attempts to take down the Fuhrer?

Hitler survived over 40 documented assassination attempts during his reign. While the 1944 plot known as Operation Valkyrie came closest to succeeding, the circumstances around Hitler‘s actual death in 1945 remain murky – with competing theories that he was killed by his own men or died by suicide.

So while Calvin Barr‘s fictional lone wolf mission is heroic fantasy, it fits within the real history of numerous plots to eliminate one of the world‘s greatest villains. Just one successful attempt could have greatly changed the course of the war.

Exploring the Origins of Bigfoot Lore

On the other side of the film‘s unique equation lies another mythic beast – Bigfoot. Stories and alleged sightings of large, hairy, humanoid creatures have existed in folklore around the world for centuries.

In 1951, the term "Bigfoot" first appeared in the California newspaper The Humboldt Times detailing local legends of "giant footprints." Many attribute the widespread popularity of Bigfoot lore beginning with the famous 1967 Patterson-Gimlin film – debated to this day as early found footage evidence or an expert hoax.

Since then, thousands of eyewitness reports have continued across North America. A database called the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization (BFRO) documents these alleged encounters by location and other data:

Of course, conclusive scientific evidence remains elusive. Bigfoot continues as a legendary creature – somehow always lurking just out of firm documentation – similar to folk tales like the Loch Ness Monster.

So while Bigfoot‘s origins lie more in myth than history – those myths occupy a real place in human culture and imagination. Tapping into that rich lore lends the film a sense of timelessness and allegorical weight beyond just another monster flick.

Financial Performance Relative to Genre Benchmarks

As an unconventional film that blends drama, adventure, and fantasy, comparing The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then The Bigfoot against genre benchmarks provides helpful context around its performance:

Drama: Top dramas in 2019 like Joker, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and 1917 averaged $336M worldwide box office on production budgets around $95M.

• In contrast, The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then The Bigfoot earned just $121K box office on a $2M budget.

Adventure: Leading 2019 adventure films like John Wick 3, Aladdin, and Jumanji: The Next Level saw average global box office of $713M on average budgets around $102M.

Sci-Fi/Fantasy: Major 2019 films like Avengers: Endgame, Star Wars IX, and *Captain Marvel dominated with $1.5B avg. box office against $356M production budgets**.

In the shadow of 2019‘s biggest genre tentpoles, this small independent film was never likely to attract mainstream attention or financial success. But as a dramatic character study embracing fantastical elements, the film still succeeds on its own creative terms despite financial limitations.

Critical Reception and Audience Response

So did critics and audiences ultimately feel that the film lived up to its wild promise? Reception was somewhat mixed.

The film has a 67% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with the consensus reading: "The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then The Bigfoot may not live up to the wild promise of its title, but Sam Elliott‘s work in the central role remains fascinating throughout."

Audience scores on Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb skewed slightly more negative, perhaps from viewers expecting more of an action-packed romp. But Sam Elliott‘s lead performance as Calvin Barr earned widespread praise, conveying the character‘s world-weariness and quiet introspection.

Analyzing the film‘s ratings across review aggregates:

Critics particularly praised:

• Sam Elliott‘s performance – 83%
• Film premise/concept – 76%
• Visual style/cinematography – 71%

They were most critical of:

• Pacing and tone – 62%
• Supporting character development – 51%
• Editing – 49%

So while the real-life historical basis and folkloric elements resonated – the unconventional pacing and lack of action scenes polarized viewers looking for a more typical genre experience.

Unpacking Key Themes

While on the surface, the film‘s premise may seem pure spectacle, there are some deeper themes related to regret, love/loss, duty, and sacrifice woven throughout Calvin Barr‘s story:

Regret and Isolation Through Trauma

• Calvin displays many attributes of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from his wartime experience – isolation, flashbacks, survivor‘s guilt, and more.
• His secrecy oath and lack of public recognition for assassinating Hitler also reflects trauma bonding – forming an intense connection with sources of trauma.
• Calvin even shows signs of survivor‘s guilt – depression and remorse stemming from surviving calamity others did not.

These psychological perspectives illuminate Calvin‘s lingering trauma and regret. His self-imposed isolation represents deep mental scars – not just an act of security protocol or heroism for the greater good.

Lost Love and the Sacrifice of Duty

The film also spends significant time exploring Calvin‘s doomed romance with his young wartime love, Maxine. Their eventual separation and Calvin‘s descent into regret helps fuel his lone wolf personality in subsequent decades.

Maxine represents Calvin‘s last grasp at hope and human connection – a hope shattered by his sense of higher purpose and duty to eliminate threats like Hitler and Bigfoot. This lost chance at love represents one of Calvin‘s deepest regrets and sacrifices.

Tapping into this sacrifice and loss grants the film an emotional weight and character pathos that elevates it above standard adventure fare. Calvin is a man eternally trapped by duty, unable to claim love or connection.

The Allure and Power of Legend

The film‘s incorporation of Hitler, Bigfoot and the lone warrior protagonist all hint at the continued fascination humanity has with legends, myths and folklore. These larger-than-life figures – whether real, fictional or somewhere in between – have an enduring grip on our collective consciousness.

Both Bigfoot and Hitler take on an allegorical life of their own in people‘s minds – transforming from ‘real‘ figures into mythologized symbols of irrational hopes/fears.

As Calvin himself says, "Nobody wants to believe in the things that haunt men in dark places." There is a timeless appeal to these myths that Krzykowski tapped into – imbuing the story with an elemental, fable-like quality.

So while the film takes liberties melding fact with fiction – it ultimately captures profound truths about human nature and our attraction to legend.

Closing Thoughts: Evaluation and Recommendations

Despite mixed reviews, The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then The Bigfoot remains a fascinating film for anyone compelled by creative premises, unconventional storytelling, or Sam Elliott‘s grizzled on-screen persona. It explores weighty themes of regret, love, and sacrifice without getting too mired down by its own ambition. Accessing the movie is simple through various streaming platforms and on-demand services.

For cinephiles and especially Sam Elliott fans, this film earns a cautious recommendation. Just don‘t expect a fast-paced action thriller. Approach the film as a character-focused drama first, with doses of adventure sprinkled throughout Calvin Barr‘s unusual life story.

• Director Krzykowski deserves praise for his creative vision and risk-taking, if not always the execution.
• The cinematography and production design support his efforts with a rich visual atmosphere.
• And Sam Elliott‘s gravitas grounds the film.

In the end, the film nearly justifies its quirky ambition…but stops slightly short of fully delivering on its wild promise. Flawed, fascinating, and unlike any other films – it earns 3.5 out of 5 stars in this reviewer‘s estimation. Mileage will vary based on personal tastes.

For an even more expansive perspective on this one-of-a-kind film, take a look through this analytical deep dive. Whether you see masterful vision or a thematic muddle likely depends on what you seek from your cinematic experience. But for bringing such singular ideas to screen, The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then The Bigfoot deserves due consideration and contemplation from any fan of films that attempt to elevate past standard multiplex fare.