Downfall

This is the precisely and generously filmed agony of a deteriorating political system and the once proud and invincible army of Nazi Germany. It is probably the most impressive German film about their perspective on participation in World War II. Except for details such as personal dialogues between characters, it is based on historical facts. Hour after hour, we can observe the relentless tightening noose of encirclement around Berlin, the declining mood of the bunker occupants beneath the Reichstag building, until it reaches freezing point, exposing human characters and the self-proclaimed elite, who wanted to rule the world, and who must now hold themselves accountable. It is an excellent study of human characters in a critical situation, evading responsibility in a live broadcast. Bruno Ganz deserves the highest recognition for his portrayal of the German dictator. Overall impression: 95%. (09/07/2013)

The only negative of the film Downfall is its formal aspects. This is not a key and fatal negative, as some "I always have to write something different than the others" reviewers try to prove in their analyses. The director and screenwriters chose as the main narrative perspective "documentary distance" from the story and, adversely, a very expressive approach to the atmosphere. As a result, the dialogues have a austere and non-stylish feel, while the suffocating atmosphere of the bunker is abundantly and impressively complemented by sound effects (silence vs. rumbling), a camera (which sticks to the characters and promotes a claustrophobic and hopeless feeling) and editing (combining the illusion of interiors with naturalism in exteriors). While the expressive component of the film works perfectly, the documentary aspects tend to slip into excessive semi-pathos, multi-wording, and boringly branched dialogues, which, with a certain repetitiveness, take away momentum from the film. Not fatally, of course. The introduction of a "secondary" narrator in the form of Traudl Jung also proved very useful, who mediates a civilian view of the icons of the Third Reich - a civilian view which, in its naivety and blindness, is perhaps the most tragic feature of the film. And Jung's documentary suffix only points him out in all his nudity "...I should have been more interested..." A chilling finish of one of the storylines. But "Downfall" has more storylines, and it must be admitted that director Oliver Hirschbiegel was able to portray them all with certainty and persuasiveness. The result is a film with a raw atmosphere, teasing with questions (which the viewer has to answer for himself), and it is oppressive in that it does not hide anything with the poor decoys of heroic pathos. German cinema successfully passed the state exam in post-war adulthood... (21/01/2006)

A movie that seems more like a documentary that isn’t so much about Hitler’s last days, as about the people around him and his last atrocity committed on his own nation. Certainly worth watching, but if it hadn’t been made by Germans, it would never have caused such a stir (is it really making Hitler seem more human if he thanks his cook for his food?). Even so, it’s good that it was the Germans who filmed it; they need to chase the skeletons out of their closet. (06/05/2005)

For a person who is not interested in history and confuses Husák with Hitler, it is certainly a meritorious and interesting piece of work, but for someone with an interest in history, it is a modest account that does not bring any fundamental new information and not even the controversial view of one human being that is so much proclaimed in the press. In any case, the performances were excellent, including Bruno Ganz, whose role was tempting to overact, which fortunately did not happen. Overall, I would see it as a three and a half stars, rounded down this time due to the high expectations. (26/11/2005)

The first war film dealing with the conflict from the other side, and also directed by “natives”. There is a certain interest in the material, but it doesn't have any significant impact on the viewer. The script is simple and the actors (although very decent) practically have nothing to rely on. Bruno Ganz stands out, but mainly because seeing Hitler himself on the screen is already a peculiar and unique experience. But Oliver Hirschbiegel didn't excel in terms of visual presentation. The cold visual style doesn't stand out as it should, and the war scenes are quite implausible and poorly edited. (24/09/2005)