Downfall
3.5/4
Starring: Bruno Ganz, Alexandra Maria Lara, Christian Berkel, Birgit Minichmayr, Juliane Kohler, Ulrich Matthes
Rated R for Strong Violence, Disturbing Images and Some Nudity
"Boyhood." "Saving Private Ryan." "The War Zone." "Once Were Warriors." "Schindler's List."
Those are films that, while not "entertainment," are important enough that everyone should see them at least once in their lives. They are not easy or fun to watch, but they essential because they shed light on the human condition and our history in a way that a person should not miss. Oliver Hirschbiegel's dramatization of the final days of Adolph Hitler belongs on that list. This is not an easy film to watch by any means. Nor is it one that a person would pop in on impulse to watch on a Friday evening. However, it is exceptional filmmaking and reveals new information on a piece of history that should never be forgotten.
By mid-1945, Germany has all but lost the war. The Soviets are closing in on Berlin and German forces are dwindling. Everyone knows this except Adolph Hitler (Ganz). But Hitler's scrambled mind believes that his army can turn it around, even as he manipulates armies that no longer exist, or are so weakened that they cannot possibly perform any of the actions that he demands. His subordinates are divided. Some, like Albert Speer (Heino Ferch), have accepted defeat and are looking for a way to cut their losses. Others, like Joseph Goebbels (Matthes), are fiercely loyal to the Fuhrer and will follow him unconditionally. Meanwhile, his secretary Traudl Junge (Lara) watches, oblivious to reality yet fearful of what comes next.
To say that making this film was ballsy is to understate matters. How does one even attempt to portray the most notorious human being of the past century? If the portrayal is too harsh, he will become a bellicose caricature. If it's too soft, it will be seen as sympathetic. It is done primarily by remembering that he was, in fact, a human being. A deranged, psychotic madman, to be sure, but a living, breathing human being still. Hirschbiegel sees him for what he probably was: a man who was rarely in control of his own mind, but still capable of kindness to those he felt he deserved it (which was almost no one).
It helps immensely that German acting legend Bruno Ganz is playing the notorious dictator. The actor is absolutely fearless, which is perhaps mandatory for such a dangerous role. Hitler is by turns insane, kindly, demented, and pathetic. Giving him depth is probably what caused some to say that the film views Hitler with sympathy. Nothing could be further from the truth. For 99% of his screen time, Hitler is portrayed as a lunatic who is unable to distinguish fantasy from reality. The brief scenes that show him as kindly are necessary to show why many were cast under his spell, and as a point of reference for the audience to see how insane he actually was. Without these scenes, the film would lose a lot of its power.
The supporting cast is strong across the board. By design, there's only one really flashy performance. Everyone else is merely responding to him. As Traudl, Alexandra Maria Lara manages to become our window into this nightmare. She's both blind and naiive, but it's obvious that she had no idea what she got herself into (the real Traudl Junge says as much in brief interviews that bookend the film) but tries to survive the best she can. She never gets drowned out by Ganz and forges a link with the audience. Christian Berkel, playing a far different Nazi than he did in another excellent WWII thriller called "Black Book," is top-notch as Dr. Ernst-Gunther Shenk. Shenk is a doctor in the trenches, so to speak. He sees the devastation that the blind faith to Hitler and the Nazi Party has wreaked up close. He's able to call out the elephant in the room, but his pleas for sanity fall on deaf ears. Also worth mentioning are Juliane Kohler as the batty Eva Braun and Ulrich Matthes, whose performance as Joseph Goebbels is truly chilling.
"Downfall" has become infamous for the parodies of a scene where Hitler imagines betrayal for not being able to move around forces that are pinned down or have been wiped out. Fans rewrote the subtitles for the scene, making it seem that Hitler was screaming about everything from pop culture and politics to the fact that there were so many parodies. Constantin Films initially had them taken down for copyright reasons, however they stopped after it was argued that such satire constituted fair use. Hirschbiegel himself has approved of these parodies and has enjoyed some of them, believing that they fit in with his goal to de-mythologize Hitler. And to prove the power of this film, taken in context the film loses almost none of its power no matter how many of the parodies you have seen.
Is "Downfall" easy to watch? Not in the least. This is a very violent film that includes everything from child soldiers to the horrifying scene of a mother murdering her children. Those who are looking for a fun Friday night movie should look elsewhere. That said, this is a film of high enough quality and importance that it attains the level of essential viewing. It's tough medicine but you'll be all the better for it.
Starring: Bruno Ganz, Alexandra Maria Lara, Christian Berkel, Birgit Minichmayr, Juliane Kohler, Ulrich Matthes
Rated R for Strong Violence, Disturbing Images and Some Nudity
"Boyhood." "Saving Private Ryan." "The War Zone." "Once Were Warriors." "Schindler's List."
Those are films that, while not "entertainment," are important enough that everyone should see them at least once in their lives. They are not easy or fun to watch, but they essential because they shed light on the human condition and our history in a way that a person should not miss. Oliver Hirschbiegel's dramatization of the final days of Adolph Hitler belongs on that list. This is not an easy film to watch by any means. Nor is it one that a person would pop in on impulse to watch on a Friday evening. However, it is exceptional filmmaking and reveals new information on a piece of history that should never be forgotten.
By mid-1945, Germany has all but lost the war. The Soviets are closing in on Berlin and German forces are dwindling. Everyone knows this except Adolph Hitler (Ganz). But Hitler's scrambled mind believes that his army can turn it around, even as he manipulates armies that no longer exist, or are so weakened that they cannot possibly perform any of the actions that he demands. His subordinates are divided. Some, like Albert Speer (Heino Ferch), have accepted defeat and are looking for a way to cut their losses. Others, like Joseph Goebbels (Matthes), are fiercely loyal to the Fuhrer and will follow him unconditionally. Meanwhile, his secretary Traudl Junge (Lara) watches, oblivious to reality yet fearful of what comes next.
To say that making this film was ballsy is to understate matters. How does one even attempt to portray the most notorious human being of the past century? If the portrayal is too harsh, he will become a bellicose caricature. If it's too soft, it will be seen as sympathetic. It is done primarily by remembering that he was, in fact, a human being. A deranged, psychotic madman, to be sure, but a living, breathing human being still. Hirschbiegel sees him for what he probably was: a man who was rarely in control of his own mind, but still capable of kindness to those he felt he deserved it (which was almost no one).
It helps immensely that German acting legend Bruno Ganz is playing the notorious dictator. The actor is absolutely fearless, which is perhaps mandatory for such a dangerous role. Hitler is by turns insane, kindly, demented, and pathetic. Giving him depth is probably what caused some to say that the film views Hitler with sympathy. Nothing could be further from the truth. For 99% of his screen time, Hitler is portrayed as a lunatic who is unable to distinguish fantasy from reality. The brief scenes that show him as kindly are necessary to show why many were cast under his spell, and as a point of reference for the audience to see how insane he actually was. Without these scenes, the film would lose a lot of its power.
The supporting cast is strong across the board. By design, there's only one really flashy performance. Everyone else is merely responding to him. As Traudl, Alexandra Maria Lara manages to become our window into this nightmare. She's both blind and naiive, but it's obvious that she had no idea what she got herself into (the real Traudl Junge says as much in brief interviews that bookend the film) but tries to survive the best she can. She never gets drowned out by Ganz and forges a link with the audience. Christian Berkel, playing a far different Nazi than he did in another excellent WWII thriller called "Black Book," is top-notch as Dr. Ernst-Gunther Shenk. Shenk is a doctor in the trenches, so to speak. He sees the devastation that the blind faith to Hitler and the Nazi Party has wreaked up close. He's able to call out the elephant in the room, but his pleas for sanity fall on deaf ears. Also worth mentioning are Juliane Kohler as the batty Eva Braun and Ulrich Matthes, whose performance as Joseph Goebbels is truly chilling.
"Downfall" has become infamous for the parodies of a scene where Hitler imagines betrayal for not being able to move around forces that are pinned down or have been wiped out. Fans rewrote the subtitles for the scene, making it seem that Hitler was screaming about everything from pop culture and politics to the fact that there were so many parodies. Constantin Films initially had them taken down for copyright reasons, however they stopped after it was argued that such satire constituted fair use. Hirschbiegel himself has approved of these parodies and has enjoyed some of them, believing that they fit in with his goal to de-mythologize Hitler. And to prove the power of this film, taken in context the film loses almost none of its power no matter how many of the parodies you have seen.
Is "Downfall" easy to watch? Not in the least. This is a very violent film that includes everything from child soldiers to the horrifying scene of a mother murdering her children. Those who are looking for a fun Friday night movie should look elsewhere. That said, this is a film of high enough quality and importance that it attains the level of essential viewing. It's tough medicine but you'll be all the better for it.
Comments
Post a Comment