lucis

Ever since I started reading Alistair MacLean, and watching World War II movies, I wanted to hear the story from the other side. The thing I was most interested in seeing was how a German movie would portray Hitler, and if it would explain some of his actions differently. While Das Boot is widely regarded as best German war movie, it has very little about Hitler or even the Nazis, and other than the end could very well have been a story fromt he Allied point of view.

Downfall is a movie about the last few days of Hitler’s life in his underground bunker in Berlin. Not only does it shows how Berlin was captured by the Russians in twelve days, but it also shows the more human side of the Germans generals, and particularly of Hitler. The movie has Hitler ordering the execution of his one of his generals who he thinks was a traitor in one scene, and asking a doctor for advice on how he should commit suicide in another.

One of the things that I really liked about the movie is how it brings across two somewhat contradictory points at the same time. It shows the amount of destruction and suffering a single man can cause all over the world, and at the same time shows how the whole country claims responsibility for all that had happened. In a war, no one is innocent. It was really interesting to see people give everything they have for what they think is the right thing. Everyone thinks that he/she is doing the right thing, and still the result are disastrous.

Technically, the movie is about as good as it gets. The acting is so close to being perfect all around that you get the impression you are watching the actual thing. Bruno Ganz, who does the role of Hitler is a real treat to watch. The picturization of the war scenes and all the destruction is absolutely amazing. This is easily one of the best war movies that I have ever seen.

Highly recommended if you are into war movies - it is perhaps the best ever made. Others can watch it as the missing chapter in most history textbooks! The movie has really inspired me to read Mein Kampf, which has been collecting dust on my bookshelf for quite some time.