Overall Rating
  Awesome: 87.65%
Worth A Look: 11.11%
Average: 1.23%
Pretty Bad: 0%
Total Crap: 0%
4 reviews, 57 user ratings
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| Downfall |
by Scott Weinberg
"The Last Days of the World's Most Justifiably Hated Man"
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SCREENED AT THE 2004 TORONTO FILM FESTIVAL: It only stands to reason that one of history's most despised and justifiably vilified people would also be one of the most fascinating. German filmmaker Oliver Hirschbiegel apparently thinks so too, and his stark depiction of the dictator's final days are brought to horrifying life in "Downfall" - a movie that's not really a whole lot of fun, but manages to command one's unflinching attention for 150 straight minutes.As I sat through the 2001 documentary Blind Spot: Hitler's Secretary, I found myself absolutely amazed that we were now privy to the thoughts and recollections of one Traudl Junge, a perfectly sweet little old lady...who was, indeed, the personal secretary of one Adolf Hitler. She was there when the Third Reich was riding high, and she was also there at the end at the downfall of last century's most hated villains. Hitler is a man who's taken on an almost mythical stature, as if he never really existed as a real man, but as a symbol of the ultimate evil that men can do.
But Adolf Hitler was, of course, a real man. And you're not likely to find a more accurate and harrowing depiction of Hitler's final days than the new German film Downfall. Directed with stunning intensity by Oliver Hirschbiegel (who most recently directed the very different - but also excellent - thriller Das Experiment), this is an oppressive, albeit endlessly enlightening, affair. A brave and altogether sobering project, Downfall works as both historical drama and insightful history lesson. Anyone who's wondered about the perpetually raving Hitler and his final demise will find much to appreciate in Downfall. But don't for a second believe that, because this is a German film, the movie sympathizes or soft-pedals the horrifying nature of Hitler. One is left with a portrait of a man who, in his own mind, was perfectly clear and intent on his goals. Those who wish to dismiss Adolf Hitler as a simple madman will find those suppositions dashed quite effectively.
Based on a variety of historical resources, Downfall drags you down into that infamous bunker, where Hitler and his countless cronies tried desperately to stay afloat while the Russian allies were carpet-bombing Berlin with endless barrages of artillery. There's a glum resonance and inevitably dark pall cast over the proceedings that suits the subject matter perfectly. The filmmakers retain an admirable objectivity throughout the entire film; we don't need to be told that Hitler was a horrible man. Herschbiegel seemingly wants to remind us that he WAS a man - a nefarious and endlessly hate-filled man, but still just a man nonetheless.
Bruno Ganz portrays Adolf Hitler with a jaw-dropping intensity, carefully avoiding the goose-step caricature that most movies choose to employ. It's a brave decision for the Swiss actor to take this role on, and Ganz is deserving of the highest accolades imaginable. His performance is altogether stunning. As perhaps the most humane character on display, Alexandra Maria Lara (as Traudl Junge) is the perfect counterpoint to Ganz's venomous characterization. As Downfall unfolds, the viewer is desperate for a few small semblances of decency, and Lara's wide-eyed humanity is the life-jacket we so seriously need.
On the visual end of the spectrum, Downfall is altogether staggering. Despite the fact that most of the movie takes place in a subterranean concrete fort, the film never seems overly claustrophobic or oppressive. And when the surviving members of the rapidly waning Nazi elite finally venture out into the war-torn German landscape, the exteriors are nothing short of staggering. How the filmmakers were able to recapture this sort of urban destruction is beyond me, but it sure does make for some harsh and painfully effective moviemaking.You may want to keep a copy of "Toy Story 2" close by for when "Downfall" comes to a close. It's a seriously fascinating and technically brilliant film...but 'fun-time' it surely is not.
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link directly to this review at http://www.efilmcritic.com/review.php?movie=10634&reviewer=128
originally posted: 09/16/04 06:36:22
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OFFICIAL SELECTION: 2004 Toronto Film Festival. For more in the 2004 Toronto Film Festival series, click here.
OFFICIAL SELECTION: 2005 Palm Springs Film Festival. For more in the 2005 Palm Springs Film Festival series, click here.
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USA
18-Feb-2005 (R)
DVD: 02-Aug-2005
UK
N/A
Australia
21-Apr-2005
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