A chillingly accurate portrayal of Der Führer and the fall of The Third Reich

Rating: 10/10 (8 April 2005)

Adolf Hitler. The very name is enough to send a chill down your spine. Not because of what it is or was, but because of what it stands for, what we involuntarily and immediately think of when we are reminded of him. The deaths of so many people and the cause of so much evil. Now, almost sixty years after his death, we finally get a chance to see his downfall, his last hours and days... and this turns out to be a very revealing portrayal. Oliver Hirschbiegel takes what so many people have tried to turn into a monster and makes it human again, makes us believe that this man actually existed and was a man, not a beast. We see Hitler's frustration at defeat, his kindness to his employees, his refusal to accept the truth. The plot is very good, and almost completely authentic. I could only find two historical inaccuracies in the film, and that is incredible, compared to the amount of stuff that was as if taken directly from the history book or another equally reliable source. The pacing is great. I was hardly bored at any point during the film, despite it being quite long and the language spoken was one I couldn't understand(thank god for subtitles). With that said, I have to applaud this film's realism and authenticity. Every single German character in the film speaks German. There are a few scenes with Russian characters as well... and they naturally speak Russian. Not English with a poorly faked accent, like we generally see in Hollywood films. In fact, there is not really any Hollywood in the film. Just gritty, hard realism. No heroic acts that are rewarded. No 'fireball' explosions. No holding back on injuries, even when it comes to 'our heroes'. Actually, that's probably what impressed me the most(when it comes to non-Hollywood stuff in this film); there are no heroes. No one is raised above the rest, no one is pure, good and true *all the time*... no one is a hero. Everyone is a human being. The acting is flawless. Bruno Ganz is a perfect choice for Adolf Hitler. No, scratch that; THE perfect choice. You forget that you're watching an actor. You're completely absorbed by his performance. The casting was mostly spot-on, with most of the historical characters looking and acting just like they did in real life. The details are another thing that raises this film to a new level. The tiniest little things in these people's lives, the most human and typical things are presented as they are or were, in the film. Hitler's Parkinson's disease, Goebbels' slight limp, etc. Smaller details include a soldier quickly rubbing his eyes of soot and gunpowder before looking through binoculars and a brief dialog showing Hitler and his promises' effect on many Germans, even children. This is just so talented directing, it's hard to say anything negative. The editing is sharp and the cinematography is perfect. Not one shot lasts too long or ends too early. A few things were changed(from the historical record of what happened) for dramatical reasons, but it didn't bother me and probably won't be a deal-breaker for anyone else(it really shouldn't, anyway, except maybe for historians who go for nothing but authenticity and accuracy). The one thing I will say is that no one should go see this movie unless they are absolutely certain of what they're in for, when it comes to violence and realism. This is gratuitous and detailed, no holding back. Not for the faint of heart. Definitely not. Also, you will need somewhat extensive knowledge of Hitler and the people around him in that time, or you won't really understand what is going on. Read up on him or watch a Discovery Channel special first, then watch the film. I recommend this to just about anyone who can tolerate the language(I don't know if there is a dubbed version of this film, but in my honest opinion, you should stay away from any other version than the original) and the violence, and, most importantly, the idea that Hitler was a human being, not some supernatural, cold-hearted monster. 10/10