Repetitious History

Rating: 6/10 (20 July 2008)

This is a documentary-like account of the final days of the Third Reich, with Hitler alternating between delusions of power and acknowledgment of defeat as the Russian Red Army closes in on Berlin. It is very well filmed, but offers no new historical perspective except perhaps to present Hitler as something more than a one-dimensional monster. Its biggest flaw is its sense of repetitiveness. There are countless scenes of Hitler meeting with his generals and discussing flawed tactics. Then the suicide scenes start and these go on forever. Since there is hardly any plot and certainly no suspense, the extreme length of the film becomes tiresome after a while.