Without question, Adolf Hitler was one of the most (if not the most) evil men ever to walk the Earth. Children in this and many other countries learn about his hate, prejudice, and atrocities in school. History and society have all but accepted a caricaturized depiction of Hitler and his fellow Nazi goons. Hollywood especially has benefited from this neat, easily-boxed version of the Third Reich. With this in mind, it becomes understandable why this German film made everyone so uneasy.
Based on a slew of auto-biographies, historical accounts and memoirs, Downfall follows a young woman named Traudl Humps (Alexandra Maria Lara) after being selected to be one of Adolf Hitler’s personal secretaries in 1942. Admiration for her employer and Führer has faded by 1945. Traudl finds herself cut off from the rest of the world, cooped up in the Führerbunker as Allied forces tear through Berlin. She and the rest of Hitler’s minions are forced to come to grips reality, leading to a variety of reactions.
After seeing this film, I am shocked that critics and industry types were hesitant to heap praise upon it. Were they really so naïve to think that praising a film that refuses to play to Hollywood’s stereotyping of Hitler and the Nazis would equate to praising or sympathizing with Hitler? My theory is this- the critics and the suits were too scared to be honest with us. Instead, we got carefully worded reviews that spent too much time explaining why they don’t like Hitler despite liking the film or throwing in their two cents on the dialogue about the humanity of Hitler that this films potentially calls into question.
This is a great film, plain and simple. Bruno Ganz is chilling in what is probably the greatest portrayal of Adolf Hitler of all time. He is fully committed to this role and it shows. The same can be said for Ulrich Matthes and Corinna Harfouch, who play Joseph and Magda Goebbels. Their sycophantic, unflinching loyalty to Hitler is unnerving to no end. They are so twisted and disturbing that I squirmed through many of their scenes, especially towards the end, where they put their loyalty to National Socialism above the lives of their children. Sickening is the only appropriate word.
The sets for this film are equally impressive. Scenes inside the bunker have a claustrophobic quality about them. This makes the audience feel every bit as stifled and cornered as the characters on screen when the bunker comes under attack or when Hitler goes off on a tirade. While no one every fully descends to the savagery of caged rats, it is evident from the bunker denizens’ faces that they’re never too far away from doing so. This is a testament to everyone involved with the production.
Does this film show Hitler as a real human being? Yes. Hitler is kind and compassionate to many of the innocent people working for him, like Traudl. The film does not hold back on Hitler’s stern and borderline psychotic handling of his military advisors and political underlings though. The end result is a broken, pathetic, feeble man clinging desperately to power and delusions of grandeur. That is far more unsettling than any caricature will ever be, making this a powerful film that I think everyone should see.
Without question, Adolf Hitler was one of the most (if not the most) evil men ever to walk the Earth. Children in this and many other countries learn about his hate, prejudice, and atrocities in school. History and society have all but accepted a caricaturized depiction of Hitler and his fellow Nazi goons. Hollywood especially has benefited from this neat, easily-boxed version of the Third Reich. With this in mind, it becomes understandable why this German film made everyone so uneasy.
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