*****
DVD Release
In April 1945, Berlin became the
front line. In his bunker, Adolf Hitler was entering his final few days alive.
Surrounded by his remaining officers, a handful of soldiers, Eva Braun and his
female secretaries, we watch as the once powerful dictator sinks into despair
and bitterness.
There has been a plethora of
World War Two films, but ‘Downfall’ adopts an angle that we perhaps have not
seen before – Germany is falling to the Allies, but this time we see this from
inside the Nazi headquarters as opposed to the point of view of the victorious nationalities.
In his elaborate underground bunker, Hitler (Bruno Ganz) is an old man rapidly
losing control of the situation – many of his high ranking officers have
betrayed and abandoned him, and he has run out of troops to fight off the approaching
Russian forces. Ganz is outstanding as Hitler – his is bitter, broken, angry,
but at moments also strangely tender, especially towards the women in his
company. It is a credit to him and the writers that the viewer does not recoil
in complete disgust the moment he appears on screen, but instead we are drawn
into the performance. The film in no way glorifies Hitler – he is often shown
ordering violent executions, spouting hideous obscenities about the Jews as
well as voicing his lack of compassion towards his own citizens, but you cannot
help but ‘feel’ something as the camera lingers on his stooped form, his
constantly shaking hand and defeated gaze. In his outbursts, Ganz speaks and
gesticulates as we have seen in the real life footage of the Nazi rallies, and
we are reminded of the persuasiveness that lured a country into such a regime.
Although the action is largely based
inside the bunker, there are several interlocking stories at play which means
we are allowed to witness the crumbling ruins of Berlin as well. In the
streets, child soldiers are being placed on the front line, and the elderly and
infirm are being abandoned in the basements of derelict hospitals. Indeed, the
children of the film do not do well – so indoctrinated are they by the Nazi
regime that they are seen committing suicide rather than being taken prisoner,
and there is a particularly harrowing scene wherein the Goebbels (Corinna
Harfouch and Ulrich Matthes, both excellent) perform a truly horrific act upon
their own offspring. The final half an hour or so is filled with so many murders
and suicides that it becomes almost impossible to keep up with who is actually
still alive. Death overshadows the entire film, but is handed very subtly.
There is a moment where Hitler’s secretary, Traudl, walks through the long
passages of the bunkers and passes soldiers discussing the various ways of
committing suicide, as well as a scene where Hitler provides his closest
friends with cyanide pills.
The film opens and closes with an
interview with the real life Traudl Junge, the final secretary of Hitler. In
her frank discussion, she talks openly of her feelings about her part in the
party and her ignorance as to what was happening to the Jews. Her closing
statement is left lingering in the air before the rather chilling music of the
closing credits. This is a truly outstanding piece of work – it is a long film,
but the pace does not give up for a second and each character is given plenty
of breathing space to develop. Each performance is exceptional, with Ganz at
the centre. It is a hard watch, but I would advise anyone to watch it.
Comments
Post a Comment