Outstanding, amazing, spellbinding

Rating: 9/10 (7 February 2006)

History tells us that Hitler was a great orator, a charismatic leader who held millions spellbound. Downfall follows that same role model as it paints a gripping, harrowing last few days of Adolf Hitler in his bunker in Berlin as the Russians close in..Still in charge, but barely there in mind or body, it almost seems that as the country collapsed around him, Hitler himself disintegrated. The movie is amazingly real, thanks to an amazing performance by Bruno Ganz as Adolf Hitler. The set detail, the storyline and all the supporting cast of characters is just about perfect. I could not fault this movie at all. You feel as if you are witnessing history unfold before your very eyes. To the end, despite his state of health, Hitler believed in his "ethnic cleansing" policy, appeared delusional in his belief that somehow he could lead Germany to victory over the allies.
The story itself is based on facts recounted by one of Hitler's close secretaries, Traudl Jung who managed to live through the war and survived to tell her account of the story.
This is clearly a great film of an important subject matter and director Oliver Hirschbiegel has crafted an amazing celluloid masterpiece of a man whose all-encompassing hatred and passion for the Jews literally drove him insane and to his ghastly death.
Some emotionally powerful moments in the movie involving mass suicide or murder will mean that the movie may not appeal to all fans. This is a must-see movie for fans of cinema. An absolutely riveting, astonishing piece of movie-making that left me shaking my head thinking I was watching a real documentary even though I knew it was a movie!