American Traitor: The Trial of Axis Sally is a 2021 American historical drama film directed by Michael Polish, from a screenplay by Vance Owen and Darryl Hicks, based upon the book Axis Sally Confidential by William E. Owen. It is based on the life of Mildred Gillars, an American singer and actor who during World War II broadcast Nazi propaganda to American troops and their families back home. The film stars Al Pacino, Meadow Williams, Swen Temmel, Thomas Kretschmann and Mitch Pileggi.
An American woman named Mildred Gillars broadcast Nazi propaganda during World War II. She was dubbed Axis Sally by the American GIs who simultaneously loved and hated her. The story plunges the viewer into the dark underbelly of the Third Reich's hate-filled propaganda machine, Sally's eventual capture, and subsequent trial for treason in Washington D.C. after the war.
The movie is all about the court trial to prove that Axis Sally is a traitor to her country. Other Americans who also contributed to Nazi propaganda are called to testify during the trial. The defense was that if one didn't do as instructed, the penalty was deportation to a concentration camp; her actions were therefore done under force. Under this logic, she escapes the death penalty. However, she is convicted of treason and sentenced to 30 years in prison, with a possibility of parole after 10.
Cast
Al Pacino as James Laughlin, an attorney who represented Gillars after she was put on trial for treason
In May 2017, it was announced EFO Films had acquired the screenplay Axis Sally by Vance Owen and Darryl Hicks, based upon the book Axis Sally Confidential by Willem E. Owen.[1] In November 2018, Al Pacino, Meadow Williams and Swen Temmel joined the cast of the film, with Michael Polish directing.[2][3] In February 2019, Thomas Kretschmann, Mitch Pileggi and Lala Kent joined the cast of the film.[4] In April 2019, Carsten Norgaard joined the cast of the film.[5] Kubilay Uner will compose the film's score.[6]
In April 2021, Vertical Entertainment and Redbox Entertainment acquired North American distribution rights to the film, which had been retitled American Traitor: The Trial of Axis Sally, and set it for release on May 28, 2021.[8]
Reception
The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes surveyed 21 critics and, categorizing the reviews as positive or negative, assessed three as positive and 18 as negative for a 14% rating. Among the reviews, it determined an average rating of 3.7 out of 10.[9]
Hope Madden of UK Film Review said, "Aside from Pacino, the cast is uniformly awful."[10]
