Robert Carlyle's Hitler

The CBS miniseries "Hitler: The Rise Of Evil" explores the life of Adolf Hitler from childhood through his ascent to power in the German government.

Critics have praised the television miniseries. And the largest acclaim seems to be directed at actor Robert Carlyle for his performance in the title role.

He visited The Early Show Friday to discuss the movie and the methods he used to play Hitler.

The four-hour miniseries explores Hitler's rise to power in an embittered, politically fragmented and economically hurt Germany during the years prior to World War II.

In the movie, Hitler is portrayed as antisocial as a child and destructive to those around him. As a young man, Hitler's (Simon Sullivan) aspiration to be a great artist is snubbed when his application to the Academy of Visual Arts in Vienna is rejected. He soon becomes bitter, angry and homeless. He later joins the German army with little fanfare and a less than extraordinary military career.

On September 12, 1919, in Munich, Germany, Hitler first meets members of The German Worker's Party when he serves as a spy for the army, keeping tabs on possible civil uprisings. He finds an avid audience, however, when he is invited to speak. He takes the opportunity to speak out against Jews and foreigners — blaming them for Germany's poor condition. Slowly Hitler (Carlyle) adopts his trademark mustache and the swastika symbol as he gains power.

Carlyle says playing the infamous character was a challenge because he has never played a person that had existed in real life. He says the movie does not take a sympathetic look at Hitler, but it does try to portray the events of the dictator's life accurately.

Carlyle's feature film credits include "The Full Monty," for which he won The London Critics Circle Film Award for British Actor of the Year and shared in The Screen Actor's Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast. Other film credits include "Trainspotting," "Black and White," "The Beach," "Once Upon a Time in the Midlands" and "To End All Wars."

Part one of "Hitler: The Rise Of Evil" airs on CBS 9 p.m. ET Sunday. Part two airs 9 p.m. ET Tuesday