THE 100 BEST WAR MOVIES: 10. Downfall (2004)

 

               “Downfall” (Der Untergang) is a German/Italian/Austrian production directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel.  It covers the last ten days of Hitler’s life.  It is based on historian Joachim Fest’s Inside Hitler’s Bunker  and Traudl Junge’s Until the Final Hour and several other memoirs.  It was nominated for Best Foreign Film.  Bruno Ganz studied Parkinson’s patients to get Hitler’s twitching down.  The opening and closing interviews with Junge are from the documentary “Blind Spot”.

                The movie opens with the real Traudl Junge wondering why she worked for der Fuhrer.  Then we are in November, 1942 and Traudl (Alexandra Lara) is among a group of women who are hoping to become Hitler’s secretary.  The 1942 Hitler seems like a nice guy who loves his dog Blondi (uncredited).  She types like me, but she gets the job from charismatic Hitler.

               The movie jumps to April, 1945 and Hitler’s 56^th birthday.  There is chaos in the streets and a fantasy world underneath in Hitler’s Bunker.  Hitler (Ganz) meets with Albert Speer and the delusional Hitler opines that the current rubblization of Berlin is perfect for clearing the city for renovations.   The callous Hitler rants that the German people are weak and don’t deserve to survive.  They are unworthy of his brilliance.  When urged to escape from the city, sinking ship’s captain Hitler refuses saying "I will defeat them in Berlin, or face my downfall."

               Meanwhile, in the streets of Berlin, Peter Kranz plays our “every man” (actually “every youth” – make that Hitler Youth).  His father is a disabled vet who wants him to come home, but indoctrination works and getting an Iron Cross from paternal Hitler seals the deal.  Peter represents the state of the German army as the Russians close in.  This must be like the Rebels in Richmond in 1865, except for the killing of unpatriotic civilians.

               There is a subplot involving SS doctor Schenck (Christian Berkel) who represents humanity in the midst of all the violence, death, and insanity.  He is one of the eye-rolling, do the right thing anyway characters.  The movie also has disgusted-look, follow orders types like Gen. Mohnke and Gen. Weidling.  And then of course there are the sycophants kissing Hitler’s ass and weathering his rants like Goebbels, Krebs, and Burgdorf.  This fascinating mix of role-players maneuvers through the madness. This all leads to the (spoiler alert) death of der Fuhrer, after the romantic marriage of Adolf and Eva. If you ever wondered what happened to the other denizens of the Bunker, this is the movie for you.

ACTING:   A+               

ACTION:   N/A

ACCURACY: A+     

PLOT:  A               

REALISM:   A 

CINEMATOGRAPHY:   A

SCORE:   B

SCENE:  Hitler’s rant about Steiner not attacking

QUOTE:  Hitler:   That was an order! Steiner's assault was an order! Who do you think you are to dare disobey an order I give? So this is what it has come to! The military has been lying to me. Everybody has been lying to me, even the SS! Our generals are just a bunch of contemptible, disloyal cowards.

General Burgdorf: I can't permit you to insult the soldiers.

Hitler: They are cowards, traitors and failures!

General Burgdorf: My fuhrer, this is outrageous!

Hitler: Our generals are the scum of the German people! Not a shred of honour! They call themselves generals. Years at military academy just to learn how to hold a knife and fork! For years, the military has hindered my plans! They've put every kind of obstacle in my way! What I should have done... was liquidate all the high-ranking officers, as Stalin did!

HISTORICAL ACCURACY:  “Downfall” is one of the most historically accurate films I have seen.  The research was exhaustive with six books being consulted.  Having read The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich by William Shirer (twice) and Cornelius Ryan’s The Last Battle, I can attest to the movie hitting all the highlights of the last ten days.  Also, having read Albert Speer's Inside the Third Reich,  I have to say you have to be a little skeptical about how some of the characters are protrayed based on how they wanted themselves to be portrayed.  Speer comes off very well in this movie as he does in his book.  Anyone not wanting to do all that reading can avoid it by watching this movie.  And yes I realize the movie has subtiltes, but it's not like you're having to read a whole book.  It is a better tutorial than any documentary could be.

               All of the characters are real people except Peter Kranz and his father.  Even Junge (who is reminiscent of Costner’s O’Donnell in “Thirteen Days”) is an actual person and her memoirs were one of the sources.  I was pleasantly surprised to find that Schenck was also a real person.  Normally, those roles are invented to enhance the narrative. The dialogue is as authentic as you can get given the circumstances.  Some of Hitler’s lines that showcase his philosophy are quotes taken from statements he made earlier in his life  A good example would be this: " Life doesn't forgive weakness. This so-called humanity is religious drivel. Compassion is an eternal sin. To feel compassion for the weak is a betrayal of nature. The strong can only triumph if the weak are exterminated. Being loyal to this law, I've never had compassion. I've always been ruthless when faced with internal opposition from other races. That's the only way to deal with it."

CRITIQUE:  Aside from the interview opening, the plot is linear with no frills.  In many ways the movie is a character study of not only Hitler, but also his inner circle.  Herein lies some controversy.  These individuals are portrayed as human beings, not demons.  Some reviewers had trouble with the multidimensional depiction of Hitler.  I would not go so far as to describe him as a sympathetic figure, but Ganz does give him a warped humanity at times.  As I noted, Hitler could be charismatic, delusional, callous , paternal, angry, disappointed, etc  Without this movie, many would be unaware of Hitler’s charisma and the fact that he had a powerful effect on women in particular.  It’s the females in the movie that are most loyal to him.  He is far from a one-dimensional villain.  In some ways, the subtitles are valuable because by forcing you to read the evil that comes out of his mouth, you can get past the malevolent charm.

               The acting is outstanding.  Ganz is amazing in one of the greatest performances I have seen.  It was a travesty that he did not get an Academy Award nomination.  He is mesmerizing.  Not surprising as he has a reputation as one of the best German actors.  The supporting cast is very strong.  The characters run the gamut of personality types.  There are no weak links  Watch the various looks on the inner circles' faces when Hitler speaks.  Priceless.  It’s one of the reasons why the You Tube take-offs on the” Steiner rant” can be hilarious.

               The cinematography is equal to the script and acting.  The movie flows seamlessly between the claustrophobic underground scenes and the chaotically violent outdoor scenes.  In the corridors of the impressively recreated Bunker, the camera often tracks the actors from behind and then reacquires them from in front.  Deftly done  There are lots of shots through doorways, giving the audience the impression of looking in on an evil dysfunctional family.  The outdoor scenes were filmed in Petersburg and look like Berlin in the last days.  The music is spare and does not steer our emotions.

               The movie does have some clear themes.  One is the delusion that persists in the upper levels of a government that is losing a war.  Probably a similar vibe was evident in Hirohito’s inner circle in August, 1945.  It is interesting how sane people (and you have to admit that regardless of your take on the portrayal of Hitler, he was not insane) can delude themselves when everything points to disaster.  What's more unbelievable, but true, is how soldiers will fight on in spite of the futility of it.  A second theme is how non-evil people will tolerate close contact with malevolent beings and even work hand in hand with them.  A subtheme would be the ability of some, but not all, of these to remain innocent.  Junge would be an example of this type of person, although her statements at the end of the film struck me as being a bit revisionist.  A third theme is the naivete of youth.  This is portrayed by both Junge and Peter.

CONCLUSION:  “Downfall” is an outstanding movie.  It tops two other worthy efforts on this topic – “The Last Ten Days” with Alec Guinness and “The Bunker” with Alan Hopkins. You have to admit that Hitler attracts great actors.  I do not see how the movie could be improved.  It is a well-staged tutorial on one of the most famous deaths in history and it includes enough action to satisfy a war movie lover.