A must-see

Rating: 10/10 (29 May 2005)

The underlying point is the crimes, that Adolf Hitler committed against his own people as well as what we have already seen him do to other nation's people.
There are so many historic details, which are more clear, if you have seen miles of documentary. As an example: When Eva Braun states, that she will stay with Hitler, he kisses her in public. This is the only time he ever done that - he never showed any devotion or love previously. When Hitler kills himself, one of Goebbel's children says "Volltreffer" (clean hit) - which was a remark often used, when the Russian artillery played their music.
There is a long scene, where you see the madness in the streets of Berlin, while you hear the voice of Eva Braun writing a letter to her sister. You hear her tell about her jewelry, while Germans are killing Germans, because Adolf Hitler said, that if you become scared and flee, you should be arrested and shot. A 14-year German soldier-boy kills his fellow 14-year soldier, and then kills himself ...
Much of the film takes place in the bunker, but we also follow a small (fictious?) boy, who fights the Russians and even receives acknowledgment from Hitler personally - only to find his family shot later by the Nazis, because they did something wrong.
You almost never see the Russian soldiers, which is a good effect. The Russian soldiers were not the enemy. You see the enemy all the time, the enemy being the Nazi spirit. You see Germans killing Germans, you see the madness of Goebbels, who is unable to exist without his Fuhrer. He and his wife are so dependent on Hitler, that they choose to kill their own six children. The scene (and the scenes leading up to it) is indescribable - watch the film. Many other high-ranking Nazis kill them selves, when they hear, that the entire thing is over, the capitulation is a fact, and the fighting has stopped.
I have read some other comments, and some of them point out some interesting things. There is a reference to Bach's mass in b minor, the "Crucifixus" part when showing Adolf Hitler. There are other musical quotes, which of course are chosen deliberately. There are also remarks made by various people, which are related to quotes from Jesus facing crucification.
I do not see that as any glorification of the Nazis. The film only shows, that the Nazis thought themselves as the ones, who were going to save Europe - now only death awaits.
The film both starts and ends with some quotes from Traudl Junge (the real person speaking), which leaves no doubt, that this film is intended to warn people against people like Adolf Hitler.
A film like this should be made by Germans in Germany. It could never have been realistic and mind-blowing, if they had been English-speaking actors with a funny German-sounding accent.
And there are no one-liners, even though there is some very dark humor in the film - as the end approaches, and the people in the bunker awaits the end. The film is not entertainment, it is honest, dead-serious and black.
A true must-see, it should be mandatory to watch this film in the schools.