Barnes & Noble

The singular achievement of this masterful film, a chilling fictional account of the Third Reich’s last days, is its portrayal of Adolf Hitler: He’s depicted as not only monstrous and unhinged but also kindly (in fleeting moments, anyway) and more than a little pathetic. Director Olivier Hirschbiegel, by making his subject a recognizable human being instead of a one-dimensional villain, shows us an increasingly desperate Hitler who at times seems -- dare we say? -- almost sympathetic. Based on the reminiscences of Traudl Junge, one of der Führer’s secretaries, Downfall takes place almost entirely in the underground bunker where Hitler and his inner circle spent their final weeks. Although Allied victory is all but assured, the rapidly degenerating Nazi dictator (brilliantly portrayed by Bruno Ganz) continues to plot the war’s course, issuing orders to dead commanders and deploying troop battalions that no longer exist. His mistress, Eva Braun (Juliane Kohler), and closest confidants, Joseph and Magda Goebbels (Ulrich Matthes and Corinna Harfouch), maintain their loyalty to the once-powerful Hitler even though they recognize what he doesn’t: that their capture is imminent. In a deeply unnerving scene, for instance, Magda Goebbels feeds cyanide to her unsuspecting children rather than let them be taken by Allied soldiers. Downfall does not for a moment justify anything Hitler did, but, in relying on the historical record presented by Junge, it does paint a more detailed picture of the man than has ever been seen: He even displays symptoms of kindness and takes comfort in his pet dog, Blondi. The movie dares to hint that perhaps Hitler was not simply a megalomaniacal lunatic but also a misguided idealist who allowed his grandiose dreams to subvert his humanity. Like it or loathe it, you’ll remember Downfall for a very long time. Ed Hulse

All Movie Guide

The last ten days of Adolf Hitler and his Nazi regime are seen through the eyes of a young woman in his employ in this historical drama from Germany. Traudl Junge (Alexandra Maria Lara) was 22 years old when, in the fall of 1942, she was hired to be personal secretary to Adolf Hitler (Bruno Ganz). In April of 1945, Junge was still working for Hitler as forces were bearing down on Germany and the leader retreated to a secret bunker in Berlin for what would prove to be the last ten days of his life, as well as that of the Third Reich. As Hitler's mistress Eva Braun (Juliane Köhler) attempts to throw a cheerful birthday party for her man, Hitler's closest associates, including Heinrich Himmler (Ulrich Noethen), Joseph Goebbels (Ulrich Matthes), and Albert Speer (Heino Ferch), urge him to flee the city with only Goebbels maintaining any illusions that the Third Reich has any hope of survival. Hitler refuses to leave Berlin, and he spends his final days ranting and raving to Junge, blaming all around him as he tries to understand where his leadership went wrong. Meanwhile, Goebbels and his wife round up their six children and bring them to the bunker as Berlin begins to topple, determined to take their lives rather than face the Allies after Germany's certain defeat. Der Untergang (aka The Downfall) was based in part on the memoirs of the real-life Traudl Junge, whose experiences also formed the basis of the 2002 documentary Im Toten Winkel: Hitlers Sekretarin (aka Blind Spot: Hitler's Secretary). Mark Deming

Los Angeles Times

The reality it confronts is so gripping, we cannot turn away. This may not be the most sophisticated retelling of what happened while Berlin burned, but what a story it is. Kenneth Turan

Chicago Tribune

Downfall, whatever its shortcomings, bears strong witness to great evil. That is its triumph as a film. Michael Wilmington

Seattle Post-Intelligencer

It's a bracing reminder that before Hitler took power, it was handed to him. The lesson resonates long after the credits roll. Sean Axmaker

Product Details

• UPC: 043396115453
• Source: SONY PICTURES
• Region Code: 1
• Presentation: Wide Screen
• Sound: Dolby AC-3 Surround Sound
• Editions: Subtitled
• Time: 2:35:00
• Sales Rank: 2,483

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