Anise Starr's Blog: Movies, Books, & Other Musings. - DVD: The Downfall

The Downfall is the story of the last days of the Third Reich. It takes the viewer inside Adolf Hitler's bunker as the German armies collapse and the war in Europe comes to a close. It is told mainly from the perspective of Gertraud (Traudl) Junge, one of Hitler's last secretaries who remained in the bunker until the very end. The movie is in German with English subtitles.

The Downfall is absolutely gripping. It gives a detailed, up-close view of the final weeks of the fallen leader. Adolf Hitler had once stood atop one of the largest empires of history. Now it lay in ruins all around him as he takes refuge in a bunker 60 feet below the ground. As the Allied armies enter Germany, even the tiniest shreds of optimism for victory fade and the residents of the bunker (and the German people in general) have to face the grim reality of defeat. In his madness and desperation, Hitler examines his maps and gives orders for battles which the German army is no longer capable of fighting.

But in time even Hitler himself realizes that the war is beyond winning and makes the decision to end his life. The dark and grim atmosphere pervades every corner of the bunker as Hitler, Eva Braun, Josef Goebbels, and his wife Magda begin making preparations for their suicides. Josef and Magda Goebbels also make the chilling decision to kill their six young children as well. In a truly harrowing scene Magda Goebbels is shown in horrible detail as she kills her children before taking her own life. The stoic look on her face as she breaks a cyanide capsule into the mouths of each sleeping child makes the scene even more excruciating. She is shown killing each child one by one and there is no background music, the scene is silent except for the sounds of the cracking cyanide capsules as she breaks them between the childrens teeth.

Director Oliver Hirschbiegel really managed to bring forth the dark and chaotic mood inside the bunker in those final days. It does not even feel like you are watching a movie, it is very realistic. It is well researched and attention is given to historical detail. The cast is very strong and there are mesmerizing performances especially from Thomas Kretschmann as Hermann Fegelein (Eva Braun's brother-in-law), Alexandra Maria Lara as Traudl Junge, and Heino Ferch as Albert Speer. There is an absolute standout performance by Bruno Ganz as Adolf Hitler. He convincingly portrayed the many facets of Hitler's overpowering personality including wild tantrums, emotional hardness, deep sadness, and even fatherly kindness. Although he breaks into many loud and emotional tirades, Ganz also gives an incredibly strong performance when he's not even speaking - just the look in his eyes and the expression on his face sufficiently convey much emotion. Altough they were portraying some of the most infamous figures of history, the actors, including Ganz, wisely chose not to portray them as flat, one-dimensional "monsters". They added depth by showing them to be human which made their heinous behavior even more chilling.

The film also shows the incredible power that Hitler held over people until his dying breath. Although in his final days he was ill, stooped over, and limping, he still inspired fear and obedience. Some of his generals even wrote in their diaries about the tredpidation and dread they felt whenever they had to face him. Hitler always had a tenuous relationship with his generals and in the end when the war could not be won he put the blame on them, and they bore the brunt of his fury.

The Downfall is a truly amazing film, intense and often very dark and moody and takes the viewer to one of the most fascinating times in the 20th century and the downfall of one of the most notorious and powerful men in history.

Tags: adolf hitler, bruno ganz, gertraud junge, the downfall
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