A must to see

Rating: Null/10 (27 September 2004)

I saw the movie last week in an overcrowded cinema and was surprised about the outstanding actors (Bruno Ganz and Corinna Harfouch) , the perfect screenplay (Bernd Eichinger) and the work of director Oliver Hirschbiegel.
What happened on the screen gave the closest insight into the darkest part of German history and the darkest corners of human nature.
The movie shows the human being Hitler as that monster and mad man he was. And no one else as he himself destroys and demystifies his 'legend'. Based strictly on historical facts and dialogs the movie shows, why The Downfall (Der Untergang) had to happen.
One of the most harrowing scene is, when Magda Goebels kills her six children cold blooded. The camera does not turn away and shows the details of cruelty to make clear, what this kind of blind fanaticism leads to. Many scenes are really hard to bear but they are necessary to tell the story.
There are many discussions around the world right now and many ask, if Hitler should be shown as a human being and if Germany should look back on its past that way. I am convinced, that after you have seen the movie, the answer will be yes. The characters on the screen are no role models for Nazis of today. No one of the perpetrators become victims. The screenplay describes but it never explains. What happens on the screen explains itself.
I am sure 'The Downfall' is of international interest and will be an international success.
A must to see.
Greetings from Dirk, Munich, Germany