1.10.06
Untergang, Der (Downfall)
Downfall – 2004
A brilliant German film of der Fuhrer, Adolf Hitler's final moments. April 1945, Germany faces inevitable defeat. Hitler is not well and still convinced the war can be won, calling on armies of reserves that simply no longer exist in a working state and talking of bringing back the powerful Luftwaffe (pretty much obliterated by April 1945). He orders his closest generals and political aides to fight to the very last man. We see him appear to give up on Germany, calling his own people weak and thinking what could have been; what great plans he thought he had. Those closest to him do not want to live in a world without National Socialism and without him, and so they kill themselves. Some of his officers are fanatically devoted to him like Joseph Goebbels, others betray him like the powerful and initially most loyal Heinrich Himmler, Albert Speer and Goring. Some are lost and unsure as to what can be done. Some simply turn to alcohol. The actors who play the various officers resemble the real people (check out the photos on wikipedia) so they clearly went to some effort with the casting in this film.
It's a fascinating movie and possibly the only accurate (as possible) telling of what happened in that bunker.
The film realises the war outside the bunker too with effective scenes of fighting in Berlin, where we see brainwashed German children taking up arms and destroying Russian tanks. We see make-shift hospitals full of the wounded and dying.
You may even feel sorry for the Nazi leader especially the scene where he has his beloved dog killed before he himself commits suicide with Eva Braun. Hitler was a great lover of animals, a vegetarian and hated smoking. This film shows the softer side to Hitler (this angered some critics who took it for an attempt to humanise Hitler), but mostly we see the extreme anger and paranoia. Once Hitler is dead the film continues on a while longer to show how the others close to him deal with the defeat and surrender.
Swiss Bruno Ganz plays Hitler in a quite stunning and fascinating performance. The other key character is Traudl Junge played by the pretty Alexandra Maria Lara. Junge was Hitler's last PA and was quite close to him and she appears in the film at the start and finish and takes some of the writing credit. A must see film. 9/10
It's a fascinating movie and possibly the only accurate (as possible) telling of what happened in that bunker.
The film realises the war outside the bunker too with effective scenes of fighting in Berlin, where we see brainwashed German children taking up arms and destroying Russian tanks. We see make-shift hospitals full of the wounded and dying.
You may even feel sorry for the Nazi leader especially the scene where he has his beloved dog killed before he himself commits suicide with Eva Braun. Hitler was a great lover of animals, a vegetarian and hated smoking. This film shows the softer side to Hitler (this angered some critics who took it for an attempt to humanise Hitler), but mostly we see the extreme anger and paranoia. Once Hitler is dead the film continues on a while longer to show how the others close to him deal with the defeat and surrender.
Swiss Bruno Ganz plays Hitler in a quite stunning and fascinating performance. The other key character is Traudl Junge played by the pretty Alexandra Maria Lara. Junge was Hitler's last PA and was quite close to him and she appears in the film at the start and finish and takes some of the writing credit. A must see film. 9/10
