A genuine classic, humanising Germans in WW2

Rating: 9/10 (12 August 2005)

Downfall (Untergang, Der (2004)) War films can be the most emotive genre in cinema, but even in the company of other classics such as Platoon, Bridge over the River Kwai and Apocalypse now, German movie "Downfall" more than holds its own, and is simply one of the best yet. It covers the final days of Hitlers rein before and after his suicide in Berlin, covering the lives of all those around them. The genius stems from the acting whereby they more than convince you that you are actually watching Hitler, Goering etc in the flesh, and additionally the story doesn't simply demonise the characters but starts afresh and makes them human.
Hitler is shown as deluded, paranoid and threatening, and unsettling as it may seem at points you almost sympathise for him, but overall you see his ego and lack of sympathy for his fellow German. The other characters chart a cross section of Berlin society, and they conjure up the fear, delusion and suffering in the face of inevitable defeat, realistically staging the pain that must have engulfed the country at that time.
The film being made in German itself (and by Germans) adds a personal touch I guess to the movie, and adds a new dimension to war films. For too long, WW2 has been treated too much like as if it were all Star Wars, when the truth is actually much more complicated. This film hopefully helps to redress the balance a little bit.
If you have a chance, I'd strongly recommend it. Damns the Nazi regime by just showing them as they were, but also highlights the suffering many Germans themselves went through which has been pitifully ignored over the years. A genuine, touching classic story which sadly in light of the rise of recent terrorism shows that the lessons that have to be learnt are as relevant today as they ever were. "Never again!" 9/10