Best "Hitler's Bunker" version ever!

Rating: 9/10 (2 March 2006)

As a WWII history buff, I have seen numerous "Hitler's bunkers" flicks over the past 20 years growing up in Europe (and there are too many too list---American, Brit, German, and of course Soviet!) but this has to be by far the best adapted, most accurate versions of them all. One of the qualities that makes this historical gem stands out from the rest is its objective approach, presenting the nitty-gritty realities and chaos of WWII Berlin at the end of the war, portraying the Germans both as aggressors and victims with minimal politically-correctness "pins." Another exemplary feature of the film is its historical accuracy---from the war torn settings (bomb-out Reichchancellory, bunker, SS murdering rampages) to the relatively accurate plot to the authentic characters. Bruno Ganz's---had he been a Gringo, he'd have received Oscar nod for sure--- depiction of the Austrian "little corporal" (Hitler's generals reference to him behind his back) is the best I have seen to date, from Furher's megalomaniac mood swings to his delusions of grandeur and insidious evil magnetism. Beside the underlying psychological makeups of the characters, I particularly like the peripheral though informative elements of the film, such as images of widespread destructions of Berlin streets and the desperation of its inhabitants, the omnipresent terror and indiscriminant butchering of the innocents by Nazis zealots even as the "curtain falls." For a major motion pic, it did not spin or play to conventional beliefs as other big flicks have a tendency to do in order to appeal to mass consumption rather than historical accuracy. With a few exceptions, the movie follows many of the events surrounding Hitler circle quite accurately compared to other "insider" accounts (such as Traudl and Speer memoirs) of this fascinating history. There are a few historical divergences (i.e. most "bunker" flicks have the Goebbels asking one of the SS officers for help instead of doing it themselves at the end); however, these are minor lapses. Other than that, this realistic war drama will definitely be ranked along side other recent WWII treasures such as Schindler's List and Das Boot.