Riveting

Rating: 8/10 (6 March 2006)

Downfall is a fascinating movie, illustrating the fall of Nazi Germany and managing to stray away from simple dehumanisation. Featuring a frighteningly dead-on performance from Bruno Ganz as Adolp Hitler, Oliver Hirschbiegel's film never sympathises with it's characters, but rather complicates them, showing the depths behind evil and hatred. Shocking at best, compelling at worst, Downfall is one of the best realisations of Nazi Germany's fall ever made.
Bookended with the last interview conducted by Hitler's real secretary (Traudl Junge), the film starts in 1942 with Adolph Hitler looking to recruit someone to type his letters and memoirs. He chooses Traudl (played by Alexandra Maria Lara) who is ecstatic to work with the Fuhrer. The film then cuts to 1945 inside Hitler's bunker, where it shall remain for most of the movie. Whilst Hitler is clearly the movie's selling point, it is largely told from Traudl Junge's point of view, being partly based on her autobiography - Bis zur letzten Stunde. We are presented with rational portrayals of those behind and around the Nazi regime - most notable are of Ernst-Günter Schenck (Christian Berkel) as a caring doctor and Albert Speer (Heino Ferch) who, despite his heavy involvement with National Socialism, is seen here as more humanitarian, pleading with Hitler to think of the German people.
In order to deal with the cruelty of humanity we must first accept that it is humans - not monsters or animals - that are responsible for it's shortcomings. It is far too convenient for anyone to look at the world's most evil men - in this case Adolph Hitler - and segregate them from our perception of humanity, in order to make sense of their actions. Downfall presents to us a view of the Nazis not as sympathetic characters, but rather highly complex ones. As as protagonist, Bruno Ganz' Hitler is an engaging character, with many depths. He is too proud to surrender or retreat from the Allies -even after all hope appears to be lost he still strives to fight the invading Red armies. It's clear that he is close to losing his mind, and even condemns his generals as traitors, when the most apparently rational thing to do is withdraw his armies from attacking the incoming Russians. Hitler is rightly shown up as the abhorrent despot he clearly was, but rather than shouting and bleating his way through 155 minutes, Bruno Ganz depicts a man who has compassion behind the madness. His relationships with Albert Speer and Traudl Junge show us the gentler side of the monster, as he is almost like a father figure to them.
The movie doesn't necessarily solve any unanswered questions, but does leave the viewer pondering it afterwards. As a historical document it works well, but as a a piece of compelling cinema it works even better - finding heart where many wouldn't dare to look, actually moving it's audience as well as engaging them. Hirshbiegel dissects all sides of the human condition. Magda Goebbel's final acts are particularly shocking, balancing the movie's heart with it's dirt. It's not always easy to watch, but it is pretty compelling stuff. If only to see for Ganz's turn, Downfall is something you should not miss.