American Traitor: The Trial of Axis Sallyis a 2021 Americanhistorical dramafilm directed byMichael Polish,from a screenplay by Vance Owen and Darryl Hicks, based on the bookAxis Sally Confidentialby William E. Owen. It is based on the life ofMildred Gillars,an American singer and actor who, duringWorld War II,broadcastNazipropaganda to American troops and their families back home. The film starsAl Pacino,Meadow Williams,Swen Temmel,Thomas KretschmannandMitch Pileggi.
| American Traitor: The Trial of Axis Sally | |
|---|---|
 Film poster | |
| Directed by | Michael Polish |
| Screenplay by |
|
| Based on | Axis Sally Confidential by William E. Owen |
| Produced by |
|
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Jayson Crothers |
| Edited by |
|
| Music by | Kubilay Uner |
Production companies |
|
| Distributed by | |
Release date |
|
Running time | 108 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
It was released on May 28, 2021, byVertical EntertainmentandRedbox Entertainment.
Plot
editThis articleneeds an improvedplot summary.(February 2025) |
An American woman named Mildred Gillars broadcastsNazi propagandaduring World War II. She is dubbed "Axis Sally" by the AmericanG.I.s who simultaneously love and hate her. The story plunges the viewer into the dark underbelly of theThird Reich's propaganda machine, Sally's eventual capture, and her subsequent trial for treason in Washington D.C. after the war.
The court trial intends to prove that Axis Sally is a traitor to her country. Other Americans who have contributed to Nazi propaganda are called to testify during the trial. The defense is, if one had not done as instructed, the penalty would be deportation to aconcentration camp.Her actions were allegedly 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
edit- Al Pacinoas James Laughlin, an attorney who represents Gillars after she is put on trial for treason
- Meadow WilliamsasMildred Gillars
- Swen Temmelas Billy Owen
- Thomas KretschmannasJoseph Goebbels
- Mitch Pileggias John Kelley, the prosecutor at Gillars's trial
- Lala Kent as Elva
- Carsten NorgaardasMax Otto Koischwitz
- Drew Taylor as Randy
Production
editIn May 2017, it was announced thatEFO Filmsacquired the screenplayAxis Sallyby Vance Owen and Darryl Hicks, based on the bookAxis Sally Confidentialby Willem E. Owen.[1]In November 2018,Al Pacino,Meadow Williamsand Swen Temmel joined the cast, withMichael Polishdirecting.[2][3]In February 2019,Thomas Kretschmann,Mitch Pileggiand Lala Kent joined the cast.[4]In April 2019,Carsten Norgaardjoined.[5]It was also announced that Kubilay Uner would compose the film's score.[6]
Principal photographytook place inDorado,Puerto Rico, in February 2019.[7]
Release
editIn April 2021,Vertical EntertainmentandRedbox Entertainmentacquired the North American distribution rights to the film, which had been retitledAmerican Traitor: The Trial of Axis Sally,and prepared for its release on May 28, 2021.[8]
Reception
editThereview aggregatorwebsiteRotten Tomatoessurveyed21 criticsand, categorizing the reviews as positive or negative, assessed three as positive and 18 as negative for a 19% rating. Among the reviews, it determined an average rating of 3.7 out of 10.[9]
Hope Madden ofUK Film Reviewsaid, "Aside from Pacino, the cast is uniformly awful."[10]
References
edit- ^Hipes, Patrick (May 17, 2017)."'Axis Sally' Story To Be Broadcast Wide Via Emmett/Furla/Oasis ".Deadline Hollywood.RetrievedJuly 4,2020.
- ^Fleming, Mike Jr. (November 1, 2018)."Al Pacino, Meadow Williams Star In MoviePass Films Drama 'Axis Sally'".Deadline Hollywood.
- ^Fuster, Jeremy (November 1, 2018)."Al Pacino, Meadows Williams Join MoviePass Films' 'Axis Sally'".The Wrap.
- ^Hipes, Patrick (February 11, 2019)."MoviePass Films' 'Axis Sally' Adds Trio To Cast".Deadline Hollywood.RetrievedJuly 4,2020.
- ^N'Duka, Amanda (April 12, 2019)."'Axis Sally': Carsten Norgaard Joins Al Pacino In Drama From MoviePass Films ".Deadline Hollywood.RetrievedJuly 4,2020.
- ^"Kubilay Uner to Score Michael Polish's 'Axis Sally'".Film Music Reporter.March 5, 2019.RetrievedJuly 4,2020.
- ^"MoviePass Films Begins Principal Photography on Axis Sally".Business Wire.February 12, 2019.RetrievedJuly 4,2020.
- ^Hipes, Patrick (April 22, 2021)."Michael Polish's 'American Traitor: The Trial Of Axis Sally' Gets U.S. Release Date In Vertical-Redbox Deal".Deadline Hollywood.RetrievedApril 27,2021.
- ^"American Traitor: The Trial of Axis Sally (2021) Reviews".Rotten Tomatoes.Fandango.RetrievedFebruary 23,2025.
- ^Madden, Hope (28 May 2021)."American Traitor: The Trial of Axis Sally film review".UK Film Review.