Downfall

[Foxbat]

Directed by Oliver Hirchbiegel

Starring Bruno Ganz, Alexandra Maria Lara, Corinna Harfouch, Ulrich Matthes

Region 1 DVD German audio with English Subtitles.

Running at 157minutes, Downfall chronicles the last few days in Berlin as the Third Reich enters its death throes. Much of the source material comes from the memoirs of Trudi Junge (Hitler’s young and impressionable secretary played by Alexandra Maria Lara) and gives us an insight into life in the bunker during the last two days of Hitler’s life.

Berlin is being reduced to rubble as two massive Russian armies are converging on the German capital. The city people are starving, terrified and subject to ever increasing measures of madness and extremity of reason as the whole Nazi machine crumbles into a ruin as complete as the decimation of the city itself.

Through the claustrophobic corridors of the Fuhrer Bunker, we see Hitler (Bruno Ganz) as a shambling, broken man – and yet still livid with power and able to order people to their deaths with no compassion whatsoever. And this is where Downfall dares to tread on ground many others have shied away from - in the quieter moments, we see Hitler fight with his doubts, surface momentarily from his self-delusion and show a touch of tenderness to those around him.

Through the Camera’s eye, we follow the movements of a young Volkstrum member who takes umbrage at his father telling him he fights for a hopeless cause. Yelling ‘Coward’, the boy takes off into the Berlin night and finds for himself the terror that his father spoke of.

Another scene – Magda Goebbels (Corinna Harfouch) quietly poisons her six children – made all the more horrific by the natural elegance of this fine actress.

As the Russians draw ever closer and Hitler faces his very own Gotterdamerung, madness and debauchery breaks out in his lair. People are constantly drunk or committing suicide. Others like Himmler make their escape and sentenced to death in absentia by the increasingly unstable Fuhrer.

Make no mistake, this is an anti-war movie (one of the finest I’ve seen) that dares to strip away the demonisation of Adolf Hitler and look at the reality – which is that of a man. He eats, sleeps, has doubts and dreams just like the rest of us. And yet, this man responsible for such horror, such brutality is, for all that, just a piece of flesh and bone – Homo Sapien – one of us. And that is the most horrific thing about this movie.

The direction is top class as is the poignant soundtrack. I don’t think there was one bad performance in this masterful and intelligent piece of cinema. This is a movie to watch again and again with always something else to learn coming through the scenes.

9 out of 10

[I, Brian]

This sounds really interesting - what year was it made?

[Foxbat]

This sounds really interesting - what year was it made?

2004.

Ironically, it was filmed in St Petersburg because parts of it looked similar to 40s Berlin.

[I, Brian]

For some reason I thought it would've been a 1950's b/w - will definitely watch out for this, though. Thanks for the heads up on it.

[Foxbat]

I should probably add that, for anybody interested that does not have a multi-region DVD player, a Region 2 version is due for release in september.

[Winters_Sorrow]

I heard about this when it came out, sounds interesting if for no other reason in that it's German produced and is directly with Hitler, not just WW2.

Do they re-enact that infamous last ever filmed scene of Hitler handing out Iron Crosses to Hitler Youth?

[Foxbat]

Do they re-enact that infamous last ever filmed scene of Hitler handing out Iron Crosses to Hitler Youth?

Yes and part of the movie follows the fate of the boy who had his cheek patted by Hitler in that same piece of footage.

[Winters_Sorrow]

cool!
will definately have to catch this on dvd when it comes out then

[terryweide]

A very well written review. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Terry

[Foxbat]

Glad you enjoyed it Terry