I wish I could vote higher than 10 out of 10 for this film

Rating: 10/10 (1 October 2006)

This film is an absolutely stupendous achievement. Every aspect of this production is perfect. Brilliantly photographed, keenly written & directed, and filled with stellar performances led by Bruno Ganz, Der Untergang piqued my curiosity and made my skin crawl.
I was aghast at the insanity and the horror that was the final days of the Third Reich. And leading the crazed was the Fuhrer himself, a miserable, twisted, twitching wretch of a man. Bruno Ganz is amazing as he lets us see all aspects of the man's personality, from kindly father to deranged psychopath. We see Hitler as a polite, well-mannered diner. We see Hitler as a screaming lunatic, ordering his generals to marshal forces which no longer exist. We see him as a devoted dog lover and vegetarian. We see him as a man who has no mercy for the brother of his longtime mistress (and soon-to-be wife). Mr. Ganz is worth 10 stars alone, even if you saw & heard nothing else in this film.
I would be remiss were I not to also sing the praises of Alexandra Maria Lara, who portrays Traudl Junge, one of Hitler's secretaries. The film is told primarily from her point of view, and Ms. Lara's performance was compelling. I have no idea how you prepare for a role like this; portraying the hopelessness of being trapped with lunatics while bombs destroy everything except your locale cannot be easy, but Ms. Lara made me feel it every time she was on the screen. (It doesn't hurt that she is breathtakingly beautiful, either.)
The script (by producer Bernd Eichinger) is excellent, covering a lot of ground succintly and elegantly. The direction is top-notch, providing us with the grit of real battles and the surreal atmosphere of Hitler's bunker. Locations, costumes, lighting, sets... every technical aspect of this film is perfect. It is as if they were able to somehow film the past.
The horrors of Nazi Germany are well documented and publicized, as we strive to prevent that particular piece of history from repeating itself. Der Untergang's greatest achievement is that it is able to so perfectly place us in the middle of 10 of the worst days in the lives of some of the worst people ever to walk the planet. To see them as human beings, and not caricatures, is amazing. I tell you, I was unable to stop myself at times from simply muttering "that's crazy! Madness!" How can human's become so twisted, so deranged?
Film is an inherently powerful medium, bombarding our senses like no other form of entertainment. As such, viewing this film in the larger context of the desirability of promulgating and maintaining a warlike culture may have a lasting impact on the viewer.
A masterful achievement. All involved should be proud.