Der Untergang [Downfall] (2004) starring Bruno Ganz, Alexandra Maria Lara, Christian Berkel and Thomas Kretschmann.The movie's plot revolves around the final days of Adolf Hitler's life (played by Bruno Ganz). Maria Lara plays his last secretary to serve under him, as she gets to see the whole range of emotions that Hitler goes through. His staff are split in half, those who want to stay loyal to the Fuhrer and those who want to preserve the lives of the Germans.
Never before have I seen the portrayal of a tyrant played with such a realness to it. There are times in the film when you feel an honest sympathy for Hitler, not for what he has done, but for the fact that he is so apart from reality and how lost he is in his own mind. This is all down to the acting of Ganz, who delivers a portrayal of Hitler that lets you in on the madness and desperation of Hitler's final hours.
It is an epic story delivered with such an honesty and a realness that urges you to see each of the characters involved as humans and ultimately it is this that causes you to feel so horrified at the end of it all. The portrayal of each character is done with such care and attention. From the loyal but ultimately traitorous Himmler, to the Goebbels family, the mother murdering her children, while her husband plots their own dramatic suicide.
Although hard-going, this film is near faultless. The direction is fluid and flowing and draws you into the story. In Downfall we have a masterpiece, where all the pieces have fallen together perfectly. It is important to realise that this is in no way close to a special effect ladened films that the current climate is drowning in. Downfall is a wonderfully written movie that I hope will out live all of the blockbuster currently out there.
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