"Downfall"
The Review
Lili Dagan
Issue date: 5/16/05 Section: A&E
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World War II veterans are going to say that it humanizes Hitler. Critics will call it a masterpiece. And it might just go over a younger audience's head. "Downfall" is a tremendous cinematic experience, depicting the last few weeks of World War II and HitlerÕs life in his Berlin bunker, to the bitter end. "Downfall" stands apart, purely on its direction by a German native, Oliver Hirschniegel. This allows American viewers a rare glimpse into the events of WWII, from a German perspective.
"Downfall" is not a movie. It is a film. The target audience, a film-seeing, middle-aged audience, married couples and people who grew up when WWII was prevalent in the classroom, filled the Rafael Theater. But for the average student who may have slacked off in world history, the array of characters and storylines, and (gasp) subtitles, could be spun around in historical circles.
Controversially, the film does humanize Hitler. We learn that he was a vegetarian. He believed in Darwinism and astrology. We hear him admit "I am human and I make mistakes when I dictate." The film walks a fine line, and does it well. The audience, willing or not, recognizes that Hitler was a human being, who enjoyed a good meal and a comfortable bed. But we also see he was a compassionless human, who clearly lapsed in and out of reality.
"Downfall" takes place almost entirely in the Berlin bunker. There are no scenes of concentration camps or Jews being killed. Hitler's aides, friends and political partners are never clearly introduced. In order to fully comprehend the film, one should be clear on the who's-who of Nazi Germany.
As the film reaches it's peak, we see Hitler and his comrades slowly loose their marbles. Traudl Junge, a secretary to the Fuhrer between 1942 and 1945, played by Alexandra Maria Lara, struggles with her conscience as she watches the situation become hopeless. The Russians are closing in on Berlin and the soldiers are being killed rapidly, the Germans are clearly losing the war. Traudl's character makes a metaphor for how the majority of German soldiers and civilians felt: confused and lost in the middle of a brutal war, yearning to escape, but torn by feeling a loyalty to their democratically elected leader.
"Downfall" is not a movie. It is a film. The target audience, a film-seeing, middle-aged audience, married couples and people who grew up when WWII was prevalent in the classroom, filled the Rafael Theater. But for the average student who may have slacked off in world history, the array of characters and storylines, and (gasp) subtitles, could be spun around in historical circles.
Controversially, the film does humanize Hitler. We learn that he was a vegetarian. He believed in Darwinism and astrology. We hear him admit "I am human and I make mistakes when I dictate." The film walks a fine line, and does it well. The audience, willing or not, recognizes that Hitler was a human being, who enjoyed a good meal and a comfortable bed. But we also see he was a compassionless human, who clearly lapsed in and out of reality.
"Downfall" takes place almost entirely in the Berlin bunker. There are no scenes of concentration camps or Jews being killed. Hitler's aides, friends and political partners are never clearly introduced. In order to fully comprehend the film, one should be clear on the who's-who of Nazi Germany.
As the film reaches it's peak, we see Hitler and his comrades slowly loose their marbles. Traudl Junge, a secretary to the Fuhrer between 1942 and 1945, played by Alexandra Maria Lara, struggles with her conscience as she watches the situation become hopeless. The Russians are closing in on Berlin and the soldiers are being killed rapidly, the Germans are clearly losing the war. Traudl's character makes a metaphor for how the majority of German soldiers and civilians felt: confused and lost in the middle of a brutal war, yearning to escape, but torn by feeling a loyalty to their democratically elected leader.