Throughout the history of cinema there have been numerous films
based around the deadliest and most widespread human conflict in history; they
focus on soldiers, civilians and the hundreds of stories in between. But one
area seems to have gone unnoticed by the movie-making masses; a view of the
conflict from the perspective of the Nazis. Downfall is here to break that
mould and in doing so, presents a brilliant and emotive trip through the fall
of a dictator.
Downfall (or Der Untergang in Germany) is focused on the fall
of Adolf Hitler; in the closing days of World War Two the Russians are
advancing into Berlin and the Fuhrer (played by Bruno Ganz), along with his
most esteemed generals and closest allies in the Reichstag’s secret underground
bunker are struggling to cope with countless losses and setbacks as a result of
the advancing allied forces. Tensions gradually build within the Reich at the
prospect of losing the war and impending doom and with this etched into their
minds, the last Nazi officials realise that they must act to avoid capture or
in other cases preserve the well-being of the German people in the midst of
catastrophe. The story unfolds from a variety of perspectives, often flashing
between different members of the Reich as they witness numerous events that
unfolded in the Battle for Berlin. But the main narrative voice in Downfall is
that of Traudl Junge (Alexandra Maria Lara), one of Hitler’s main secretaries
who stays in the bunker, only to avoid the dangers of the outside world. From
her viewpoint we see a much more emotional side of Hitler that no film has ever
covered before; even though he was a truly despicable character (which is
emphasised many times with his pride for murdering the Jews of Europe, scorched
Earth policy and general disdain for his own people) he was still a human being
who suffered and broke down as many of us sometimes do under loss and pressure.
Downfall also deals with other themes in the war genre; the destruction of
Berlin by the Russian Army gives way to many atrocities, making the audience
feel sympathy for the people of Germany at that dark time, even the infamous
Hitler’s Youth comes to a realisation that they put their trust in the wrong
leader as they themselves are involved in the fighting. The greatest strength
of Downfall’s plot is that it sets itself apart from practically every other
war film out there; it concentrates heavily on the characters and their
struggles, putting across a rather depressing tone from Hitler’s viewpoint,
whilst also emphasising that the war had just as great an impact on the
citizens of the Nazi Regime than it did on those directly involved.
There are many actors playing a role in Downfall, all of whom
add to the film’s authenticity and all of whom deliver brilliant performances
all around. At the centre is Bruno Ganz as Hitler, a fantastic performance
which is perhaps the most realistic and compelling portrayal of the
dictator yet seen in a film. Ganz spent four months studying to play the role
to the best of his ability and it really shows; the dictator’s selfish nature
and inability to lead a country is shown elegantly, whether he is insulting and
blaming his generals for his losses or being too arrogant in believing that his
operations will succeed without any difficulty. By the end of the film, you
understand fully why Hitler fell, both as a leader and as a dictator. Hitler’s
main generals, particularly his closest generals (played by the likes of Thomas
Kretschmann, Heino Ferch and Ulrich Noethen) are also handled brilliantly; you
can feel their nerves shredding when facing their leader with the news of
another defeat with sweat in their hair and lumps in their throats. Then there
are those who turn a blind eye to Hitler’s evil and will follow him to the end;
Juliane Kohler as Hitler’s wife Eva Braun is almost completely ignorant of the
losses that take place and often pretends that the danger doesn’t exist at all,
highlighting her naive devotion to the Fuhrer. Similarly, Ulrich Matthes and
Corinna Harfouch as Joseph and Magda Goebbells are just as evil as Hitler in
that they outright refuse to believe that the Nazi regime will fall; these
performances further emphasise just how ruthless and sadistic the Third Reich
was. Finally there exists the characters that still possess their innocence in
a place riddled with death and destruction; Alexandra Maria Lara puts in a
great performance as Traudl Junge; she remains calm and professional to avoid
provoking Hitler’s wrath while also avoiding the dangers of the besieged Berlin;
in a sense, she represents the mind-set of the German people as a whole who
were tricked into believing that Hitler would bring an era of peace and
prosperity at the time. Likewise the young Peter Kranz (Donevan Gunia) along
with his fellow peers believes that he is doing his country proud by serving in
Hitler’s Youth, but in reality he is serving a monster and has clearly been
desensitised by his experiences in direct combat. The way Downfall handles and
juggles so many characters at once is simply astounding; every character has
ample screen time and their arcs all come to an end in one way or another. It
all adds up to an excellent cast that can rival that of big Hollywood
blockbusters.
Downfall is not only one of the best World War Two films but
also one of the best foreign films ever made. It’s one of the few films that
can bring fresh perspective and humanity to a truly evil individual while also
giving plenty of attention to those around him.
Rating: 5/5 Stars
