Review of Downfall (2004) by Heressssss J — 01 Jul 2010

Downfall is a German drama film directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel, and stars Bruno Ganz, Alexandra Maria Lara, and Corinna Harfouch.

Downfall takes place in 1945, during the last days of WWII, and is about the last ten days of Adolf Hitlers life in his personal bunker in Berlin, Germany. When the Russians surround Berlin and begin their siege, Hitler and his closest advisors retreat down into into a large bunker, were they put all their efforts into repelling the Russian attack. Even though most of the Nazi Generals know they have already lost, Hitler himself seems to think that the Nazi regime still has a chance. Losing touch with reality, Hitler decides not to flee and stay in Berlin, and also orders everyone under him not to surrender under any circumstances. With the Russians closing in every passing day, Hitlers generals and advisors begin to take sides, making it a situation of every man for himself.

Downfall completely blew me out of the water, as it is one of the best German films I have ever seen. The last day of Hitler have always interested me, and this film portrays them flawlessly and quite accurately. While the film was quite long (2 1/2 hours), I didn't lose patience not one time, as I was completely entranced by the story. There just never seemed to be a dull moment, and you never seemed to know what was going to happen next. Most of the film takes place in a bunker, and throughout the movie, you can feel the tension grow between Hitler and his advisors.

Which brings me to my next point, the acting in this film is absolutely amazing. Bruno Ganz performance as Adolf Hitler impressed me greatly, and is one of the most notable performances I have ever seen. Hitler having his outbursts were some of my favorite scenes in the film, and actually almost scared me a bit (in a good way).

Overall, Downfall is a masterpiece that I wish I had known about when it was first released. I can honestly say that I could not find one thing wrong with this film, as it not only entertained me, but also showed me a different perspective of the last days of WWII. I highly recommend Downfall to anybody.