Downfall

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Overview

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 ...
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Overview

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.
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Special Features

Closed Caption; Making of Downfall featurette; Cast & crew interviews; Director commentary
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Editorial Reviews

Barnes & Noble - Ed Hulse
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.
All Movie Guide - Josh Ralske
Any honest effort to fictionalize Adolf Hitler is bound to encounter criticism, because it is impossible to dramatize any aspect of his life without portraying him as, essentially, a human being. Even a film like Olivier Hirschbiegel's Downfall, which portrays Hitler's grim last days and makes it clear that he was mad, is criticized because it shows him in a few lighter moments. How can the beast who slaughtered innocent millions have been capable of gently mussing a young boy's hair or putting a nervous secretary at ease with a joke? But Hirschbiegel and screenwriter/producer Bernd Eichinger understand that evil does not exist in a vacuum and that part of what makes Hitler and Nazi Germany so unfathomable is that the worst of them were still human, and that the state was kept running by essentially normal people. The film is compelling to the extent that it makes clear that true believers like Joseph Goebbels (Ulrich Matthes of Winter Sleepers) and Hitler (Bruno Ganz) may have singled out the Jews, but eventually their contempt spread to all of humanity, including, tellingly, their own people. "They gave us our mandate," says Goebbels, expressing no sympathy for the ordinary Berliners being slaughtered because Hitler refuses to surrender. By Hitler's twisted standard, meanwhile, it's the German people who have failed him. The film as a whole, however, is rather slow and scattered, showing clear signs that it was cobbled together from a multitude of historical sources. Traudl Junge (Alexandra Maria Lara) certainly has an interesting story (already told in the documentary, Hitler's Secretary), but the filmmakers offer little insight into why such people allowed themselves to be caught up in the madness. Downfall succeeds, for the most part, in painstakingly depicting who did what when, but beyond that, it feels like a missed opportunity. Nevertheless, the film did garner widespread acclaim in the American press, with many proclaiming it a contemporary masterpiece.
Los Angeles Times - Kenneth Turan
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.
Chicago Tribune - Michael Wilmington
Downfall, whatever its shortcomings, bears strong witness to great evil. That is its triumph as a film.
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

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.
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Product Details

  • Release Date: 8/2/2005
  • UPC: 043396115453
  • Original Release: 2004

    • Rating:

  • Source: Sony Pictures
  • Region Code: 1
  • Time: 2:35:00
  • Format: DVD

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits
Bruno Ganz Adolf Hitler
Juliane Köhler Eva Braun
Alexandra Maria Lara Traudl Junge
Corinna Harfouch Magda Goebbels
Ulrich Matthes Joseph Goebbels
Heino Ferch Albert Speer
Christian Berkel Dr. Schenck
Matthias Habich Werner Haase
Thomas Kretschmann Hermann Fegelein
Ulrich Noethen Heinrich Himmler
Götz Otto Otto Guensche
Donevan Gunia Peter, the Hitler Youth kid
Michael Mendl
André Hennicke
Heinrich Schmieder
Technical Credits
Oliver Hirschbiegel Director
Claudia Bobsin Costumes/Costume Designer
Andorthe Braker Casting
Stefan Busch Sound/Sound Designer
Bernd Eichinger Producer, Screenwriter
Hans Funck Editor
Rainer Klausmann Cinematographer
Michael Kranz Sound/Sound Designer
Bernd Lepel Production Designer
The Neezers Special Effects
Die Nefzers Special Effects
Waldemar Pokromski Makeup
Hanus Polak Jr. Asst. Director
Christine Rothe Associate Producer
Roland Winke Sound/Sound Designer
Stephan Zacharias Score Composer
Yelena Zhukova Art Director
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Scene Index

Side #1 --
1. Main Titles / November 1942 [2:31]
2. Greeting The Führer [4:13]
3. Clausewitz [6:43]
4. The Russians Are Coming [8:31]
5. In The Bunker [4:52]
6. All So Unreal [3:19]
7. The End Of The Reich [6:18]
8. Everything Is Lost [7:58]
9. German Against German [7:29]
10. A Song For Uncle Hitler [4:20]
11. Final Words [5:28]
12. Göring's Concern [5:50]
13. Personal Loyalty [6:13]
14. This So-Called Humanity [6:54]
15. Leaving Berlin [3:47]
16. Wide Awake [5:13]
17. The Battle Cutside [5:13]
18. All Necessary Arrangements [5:39]
19. Poisonous [6:18]
20. Saying Farewell [:00]
21. The Führer Is Dead [5:05]
22. Sleep Tight Children [4:57]
23. Childless [5:30]
24. The Die Is Cast [5:31]
25. Walking Wounded [4:29]
26. Passing Through History [5:20]
27. It's Over [3:57]
28. Epilogue / End Credits [3:02]
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Menu

Side #1 --
   Play Movie
   Scene Selection
   Audio Set Up
      German 5.1 (Dolby Digital)
      Audio Commentary With Director Oliver Hirschbiegel
   Special Features
      The Making Of Downfall
      Cast And Crew Interviews
         Oliver Hirschbiegel (Director)
         Melissa Muller (Author)
         Bruno Ganz (Adolf Hitler)
         Alexandra Maria Lara (Traudl Junge)
         Juliane Kohler (Eva Braun)
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Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4.5
( 19 )
Rating Distribution

5 Star

(15)

4 Star

(3)

3 Star

(1)

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Sort by: Showing all of 19 Customer Reviews

  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    A Masterpiece of Historical Cinematography

    A superb production, Downfall (Der Untergang) has set the standard for historical films. Based on "Inside Hitler's Bunker" by Joachim Fest, "Until the Final Hour" by Traudl Junge and Melissa Müller, and the memoirs of Albert Speer and Dr. Ernst-Günther Schenck, the film admirably presents the agony of the final days of the Third Reich. The film has been criticized for portraying its characters --some of whom were the top criminals in Hitler's regime-- sympathetically. But this criticism misses the point of the movie. Director Oliver Hirschbiegel set out to depict his characters not as stereotyped malevolent demons but, more chillingly, as what they were in real life: ordinary human beings blinded by an irrational ideology and absolute power. The tacit message is that this can happen to anyone, in any society, when humane values and principles are quashed by ideological dictates. This sobering thought is the film's greatest contribution to posterity.

    3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted October 1, 2010

    I Also Recommend:

    The Lives of Others
    Blind Spot: Hitler's Secretary

    My favorite film!

    Downfall is absolutely amazing- it is such a well-made film. Hirschbiegel knows his skills and displays them to the fullest extent of the film. Particularly worth mentioning is the lighting in the film as well as the use of small spaces. The film brings together A-list German actors.

    2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted October 1, 2010

    more from this reviewer

    incredible portrayal

    This is by far one of the most engaging movies I've ever seen, historical and otherwise. Definitely a downer, but I mean that in the best way possible. What separates it from any other WWII film, too, is its perspective; there are moments when one can't help but even feel sympathy for Hitler and some of the notable figures here. The humanizing of these historically hated figures is SO well done, but does not let them escape from a rather historically accurate ambience; as soon as you begin to feel compassion for these people, the story opens up and allows them to return to the demonized personas we better recognize. Phenomenal acting, as well.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted October 1, 2010

    more from this reviewer

    Authentic history

    acting was great...very realistic...if you are a history buff you will enjoy it..

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted October 1, 2010

    more from this reviewer

    The Nightmare at the end of the Nightmare

    Few, if anyone today is alive who could tell the true story of what happened in Hitler's bunker in the last days of the Third Reich. This film is told as seen through the eyes of Traudl Junge one of Hitler's secretaries who witnessed the Nazi high command close up from 1942 to the end of the war.

    After Junge is chosen to be a secretary to Hitler in the middle of the night. the film jumps to 1945 Berlin. No longer are there celebrations of the victories of the German army, now is the time of realization that it is only a matter of time before the Russians capture the city. For those caught in the bunker they are under a death sentence and are awaiting it to be carried out. In that regard you can feel the oppressiveness of being underground and little hope of survival.

    The performances are quite good and it is surprising that this film isn't known better in the U.S. This is probably the best representation of all of the films that portray the last days of the war in Berlin. It is disturbing even now to see the loyalty that men and women had to Hitler even after his death. Their world had collapsed and they no longer cared to live in a world without Hitler.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    Absoultely Amazing

    This is one the best movies ever made! The story is so powerful, it completely takes your breathe away. The scenes when Berlin is being bombed are so real that you feel you are part of the civilian population. The scene where the Goebbels are with their children are some of the most heartbreaking. It should have won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted November 16, 2010

    more from this reviewer

    I Also Recommend:

    Master of Puppets
    Killing Is My Business...And Business Is Good! [Remixed]
    Ride the Lightning
    Peace Sells...But Who's Buying? [Bonus Tracks]
    Among the Living

    this movie rocks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    this movie rocks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    Great History!

    Downfall is an excellent movie that is certainly not for everyone. We all know the plot; Hitler, in the last desperate days of WWII is holed up in the Bunker with his admiring hangers-on; some resigned to die, others hoping to flee, most unbeliving.<BR/><BR/>This is told mainly through the eyes of Trudle Junge, Hitler's private secretary. She is seen as a nieve partici9pant in a world of macabe fanatics.

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  • Posted October 1, 2010

    great film

    this is a great historical film detailing the last days of hitler's reign of power. It shows that even villians can have a human side to them; that they feel things like everyone else does, but make horrible choices and decisions because of those feelings. I like that this film points out the loyalty to an ideal that these people had, even if it was a horrible, sick one.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    I loved the movie everything was factual

    I loved this movie because it did not try to make WWII sound like a little fantasy like most movies do.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    Entrancing as it is horrific

    Downfall stands as both an historically and emotionally authentic film, starkly portraying Hitler's seeming reasonableness, even humanity, in some moments, while also capturing the raving insanity of his tirades and blatherings. Focused on his isolation, the film becomes truly horrific when the viewer realizes that his vast military bureaucracy was actually carrying out the intentions of his hate-stained mind. This film would make any reasonable human being highly skeptical of any elective war, led by isolated & self-reinforcing leaders removed from reality.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    Wow

    I am watching this film for the first time and am 10 minutes into it. Even if I saw no more, these 10 minutes would go down as a towering achievement in historical drama. Who can imagine how difficult it is for German actors to portray Nazis so efficiently.

    0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted March 23, 2010

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    Posted March 7, 2011

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    Posted November 2, 2008

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    Posted May 11, 2009

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    Posted July 13, 2009

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    Posted April 12, 2010

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    Posted October 25, 2008

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