Review of Downfall (1997) by Michael K — 01 Jan 2016

I rarely give 5 stars but this movie takes one of the most difficult subjects, the last days of Adolf Hitler and the Third Reich, and turns it into a compelling and emotionally charged masterpiece. It does not shy away from portraying the evil of the man and the regime, and Bruno Ganz's performance as Hitler is exceptional in it's brutal honesty, but it also offers up glimpses of the good that survived despite being surrounded by all that hate and brutality.

Viewed in it's original German with English subtitles, when one recalls the voice of Adolf Hitler from historic footage and then hears Bruno Ganz, chills may well run down one's spine. This is where all the pieces that make great cinema come together and grab the viewer from the first shot until the credits roll.