Review of Downfall (1997) by John E — 02 Aug 2011

Even though it took the German people a long time to find the gumption to make a film about their most infamous contributor to history, it's a good thing they did. It's most surprising that they would not only make a movie about Hitler, but honestly give us a portrayal of a flawed, stubborn, insecure human being.

He was a monster, but even monsters feel hesitation, insecurity and doubt. He had some interpersonal relations, and was not as ascetically dedicated to the cause as his public image would lead us to believe.

That is why his "betrayal" by members of his inner circle feels devastating as does the testing of cyanide on his beloved dog. The film is not aiming to instill sympathy for Hitler (assuredly an impossible task) but to provide an upsetting, veracious account of the decline of the Third Reich.

With it go the hopes and aspirations of Hitler and his followers. It doesn't try to justify his actions, but show how possible it was that people could be swayed by his ideology; they became as despondent over its failure as they were thrilled by its success.

The movie is ostensibly through the eyes of Hitler's personal secretary, but I didn't see her in as many scenes as the camera gave us the privilege to witness. I suspect these extra scenes were to give the film a broader, more encompassing story about the breakdown of Nazi government.

The movie really hammers home the claustrophobia (like rats trapped in a maze) and despair. Filming mostly in a bunker gives a feeling of impending doom, a doom that arrives with the mass suicides of his staff.

Their loyalty to and sacrifice for his twisted ideals left me shaken and disturbed. It's truly powerful film-making.