downfall stands-up

Rating: 9/10 (19 April 2005)

Downfall: Two and a half hours in the company of Hitler was never going to be easy going. But this film was so powerful it had you glued to your seat not noticing the time. Bruno Ganz (from 'wings of desire' (a favourite of mine)) gives a career performance as Hitler. He is so like him you could almost be watching a documentary. Which is what I did the night after I'd been to see it. You see I learnt some stuff at school and then some stuff from other films. But downfall made me realise I didn't really know enough, so the history channel it was for me and after several documentaries on old Hitler's rise to power and subsequent slaughter of thousands of innocent people, I was ready to think a bit more about this film. It is well directed, acted and shot, but the real controversy is in the fact that it shows Hitler as being in some respects quite normal. Nice to his dog, secretary and the children of fellow officers everywhere. He is shown as a frail old man with a bit of a temper. Don't get me wrong he is shown also as the monster he almost certainly was but I think its easier for people to understand the terrible things he did if they can somehow make out he was just pure evil. A bit like does the queen use the toilet? Of course she must but people don't see it that way. The fact that Hitler ate sensibly (vegetarian) didn't drink or smoke, loved art and was a good speaker, wouldn't warrant much hate against him. But to think off him as a cold-blooded killer helps us to kind of accept that he happen to kill 50 million people. The film is trying to lift the mask placed on Hitler by everyone. And in a way it does, it is slightly pleasing to see his end when it comes, and along the way it raises some very interesting questions. It is as much a psychological study of power and corruption as it is a war film and I think it should be shown in schools everywhere.