Film: Downfall - Der Untergang

Anyone seen this movie yet. It caused some contrversy by being the first German Film to deal directly with the last days of Hitler and is based on the Books by Joachim Fest and Traudl Junge.

It is absolutely brilliant. Hitler is played by a Swiss Actor, his name I think is Bruno Goetz and he is chilling in the role. Seemingly he studied one of the few pieces of footage showing Hitler in a private conversation which was taken by a Finnish Film Crew upon Hitler's meeting with Field Marshal Mannerheim in 1942. The director creates a suitable atmosphere creating the bunker whilst also showing the panic and chaos in the City of Berlin as it was in its deaththroes with the Russians at the gates.

I would recommend this to anyone with an interest in the subject. Anyone else wathc it and if so what did they think?

 

I want to watch it, but it does not seam to be in the cinemas around here! I have seen the trailers and I have to be honest by saying that from what i have seen, it is much better than some of the attempts made by British TV

 

I plan to see it if it is shown in our local small town cinema, but no sign of it yet.

 

I've seen it & thought that it was superb. Excellent acting & appeared to my limited knowledge be historically accurate. If you're in the UK though, I think that you've missed at at the cinema & will have to wait for the DVD/video. I saw it a couple of months ago in Edinburgh & it's been finished there for a while. I watched it at an art house cinema & I think that it was also on in one of the multiplexes.

 

I'm defiantly hoping to see it here in the states, assuming it makes it to my area. Probably have to wait for it on DVD though.

 

The wait is over gentlemen(at least in the U.S.A., I don't know about other parts of the world) it's now on DVD....I'll post my opinion of it when I've watched it.

 

Please do Stich. I'd be really interested to see what you think about it!

 

I watched 'Downfall' the other night.(Finally!, I found it at 'Blockbuster' here in the States) The actor who plays Hitler is stunning in his portrayal in every aspect, even down to Hitler's movements. A Very chilling portrait. I was enthralled from beginning to end. This movie is excellent!! The story is told through the eyes of one of Hitler's secretary's who is interviewed at the beginning and the end. I think it is so good because of this reason. Put your 'Saving Private Ryan' movie in the trash where it belongs and watch a truly superb movie.

 

I saw it about a month back and was very impressed. Bruno Ganz's Hitler is completely convincing. There is so much there it's almost impossible to describe - the shifty exchanges of glances between officers as Hitler rants of betrayal, cornered-rat Goebells with his chillingly stoical wife.

Truly a glimpse into another world, mercifully now removed from our own.

Regards,
MikB

 

In the UK, Channel 4 is launching a new digital TV channel called More4 at the start of October & it will be showing the UK TV premiere of Downfall soon after its launch. More4 will be available on Freeview, Sky & cable. I think that it'll be free or at least in the most basic packages on Sky & cable. It certainly isn't a premium channel.

Digital Spy on More4

 

Hope it gets to Oz

 

I too have seen the movie and would go as far as to say it is one of the best WWII movies I have ever seen. I thought the actor who played Hitler did an awesome job as well. I also think that the director had the right amount of choas in the movie for it to be realistic.

 

The Downfall did indeed make an appearance at my local arts cinema, but for whatever reason, I wasn't able to make it. I'm hoping it appears on DVD at some point, since most reviews have been favourable, and as far as I'm aware, Traudl Junge's account of those days is as accurate as any other that can be found.

 

I saw this movie at the cinema and I came out of the cinema physically shaking.

It is one of the best films I have ecer seen, I felt like a witness to a time when everything in Germany was going wrong and the perpetrators of that crime were slowly loosing their hold on the country. It's almost as if you are stood in the same room as the characters!

Ganz is excellent as Hitler, it's almost as if he never died? Some of the scenes actually moved me to tears, especially the scene where Magda Geobbells poisened her drugged children.

I think the recreation of Berlin in 1945 was amazing and I recommend the film to anyone who would like to know more about Hitler's last days in the bunker.

Steve

 

According to Amazon, it's released on DVD on 19th September, available to pre-order now.

 

I just bought it at ASDA, probably watch it tonight.

 

Watched it last night, pretty nice portayal.

I can usually never be bothered with anything containing subtitles, but the fact it was German produced and its subject I knew it had to be done and I am glad I sat through it.

I would never have thought a German led film on this subject would show Hitler willing to allow the extermination of his own people because he was loosing the war, and I probably did not....

Well let me not say to much for the time being as many of you will be yet to watch it

 

Well just watched it last night. Anyone Else seen it yet.

Thought it was very good and quite hard hitting, I dont if it was simply that I expected it not to be as it was a German made film, probably.

Overall I liked it, Hitler appeared every bit the man I would have expected him to be, arrogant, defiant and unforgiving of every German because he knew he was loosing the war.

 

I saw it earlier in the eyar and bought the dvd last week because it made such a big impression on me. I thought the film was excellent - and it didn't spare the Nazis. Magda Goebbels's murder of her children was harrowing and typifies something of the Nazi menatlity. Vile. And Hitler seemed such an inadequate human being.
I loved the scene when they announced his suicide and all the smokers lit up once they were fee of his disapproval.
Marina

 

Just watched it on DVD this evening and its very good. Watching the making of documentary I also wonder how much was cut!

Some minor niggles;

1. Fegelein was found disguised in workers overalls in an attic. He was also imprisoned in the bunker before getting a tongue lashing by Hitler and then he was taken outside and shot.
2. The Goebbels killed themselves with cyanide capsules then got an SS orderly to shot them to make sure.