The Nazi propaganda mastermind Joseph Goebbels speaks for himself through this film's only narration: voice-over readings of his personal diaries by actor Kenneth Branagh.

The Nazi propaganda mastermind Joseph Goebbels helped launch Hitler's rise to power. In this film, Goebbels speaks for himself through the film's only narration: voice-over readings of his personal diaries by actor Kenneth Branagh. Rare historical footage from German archives traces the life of the second most powerful man in the Third Reich, detailing his initial attraction to the Nazi party and his adoration of Hitler. The film offers a chilling glimpse into Goebbels' brilliant but disturbing mind, revealing how he continually stage-managed his life and reinvented himself - from his early days as a radical "popular socialist" to his tragic end.