It seems like the timing of viewing Downfall, a German film about Hitler’s last days in the bunker, was appropriate since I was reading about WWII in my correspondence history class. It is a humanistic portrayal, but with warts and all personified by Bruno Gatz. I know the film was controversial in Germany since some members of the bunker who survived aren’t so liberal and peaceful in their views. I also know that there is film about The White Rose, a dissident student group that made and distributed anti-Nazi propaganda, and these college students were summarily executed. I am sure there was an earlier version-I is familiar with the story from high school or college German language class. Anyway, the protagonist of this film is a young woman who applies to be Hitler’s secretary out of curiosity as we learn from a real life interview that opens the film. She realizes her folly by comparing herself to Sophie Scholl, a member of The White Rose, who was about her age-she realizes the folly of youth is no excuse. The film has excellent production values, but is mostly shot inside the bunker with Hitler’s crew of infamous Nazis: Goring, Himler, Speer, Eva Braun, etc… Some of the images are quite shocking: wild hedonistic parties as Berlin is under siege by the Russians. It is history and drama all together, but coming in at 2 and a half hours a bit overlong I think the ending could have been edited down a bit. But overall a provocative film about one of the most infamous chapters of the 20th Century.
i too liked it, but found it depressing.
Posted by: lou | March 30, 2006 at 07:57 AM
Not really a happy story, but well-made.
Posted by: MC | March 30, 2006 at 08:09 AM