the human tragedy is shown but not felt

Rating: 5/10 (20 March 2006)

The film is a good and detailed recount of the events and life in the last days of the Nazi leadership (although, of course, one must be wary that reality *might* have been quite different from the understanding of filmmakers living half a century later).
It may serve as colourful illustration to the text-books but for me at least - it remains just there.
Indeed - I might not have been prepared enough as an audience but the fact remains - I wasn't touched by most of the drama and tragedy happening for 3 hours in front of me. The only moment that humanly moved me was when Hitler awarded medals to the youth soldiers. The obvious discrepancy between the Icon you are willing to die for, and the shabby disgruntled old man in front of you must have been quite distressing!
During the film lots of people blow their brains out yet we don't go through the process of their decision and emotion. Clearly it was not the intention of the director - he avoided any kind of association with the protagonists (maybe today, 60 years later, this still would be TOO scandalous???). Thus he placed us in the position of a street passer-by. For sure all the cast are great and they obviously lived through it (the Hell) but we are offered only the outside shell of their condition - as if Herr Hirschbiegel just happened to be around with a video camera while things were happening.
Still it is a step in the right direction - breaking out of the black&white demonisation of Nazi members which is a default in post-war European society.