Downfall (Der Untergang)
2004
2 hrs. 36 min.
Directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel
Plot Outline: Traudl Junge, Hitler's secretary, tells of story of the last days of Nazi Germany in Hitler's Berlin bunker at the end of WWII.
First of all this is not a documentary, it's a drama. This was one of the best war movies I've ever seen! And as the woman in front of me said as we left the theater, "well that was disturbing." That pretty much sums up the movie. It's a distrubing look at the last days of the German high command as the Russians encircle Berlin that cover only the last week of the war in Europe. Most of the film takes place inside the bunker but there are also great scenes that show the destruction of Berlin and the effects on German civilians.
Great acting and great cinematography. The 2 1/2 hrs just flew by. I would recommend this film to everyone.
MarxistGopher's Rating: ******** (8 of 10 stars)
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
I've heard it claimed that this movie portrayed Hitler "sympathetically." Having seen it, what do you think?
I thought that it did at points in the movie, but then it also portrayed him as a raving madman...so I guess I would say that it didn't. It kind of took the line that 'he was an caring person with those close to him, but really a ruthless nut when it came to the everyone else.' If you're looking for the movie to say that he was pure evil...it doesn't do that.
I would say, however, that it does portray many of the German generals sympathetically. But I guess others not so much.
What i took away from it was that the filmmakers were trying to say that Hitler and the Nazi's were 'bad' but the Germans are 'good' people. I mean...it is a German film.
Post a Comment