you must see this!!!!

Rating: 10/10 (19 September 2005)

This film is set in the Berlin bunkers where Hitler took refuge in the closing days of the second world war. We see what happened down there in those last days of the war and Hitlers life. The story is multi-linear and shows different people's perspective. We see from Hitler's perspective, his personal secretary and from some of his generals.
This isn't like other war movies. instead of the fighting taking place in battle fields, the fights are in tiny claustrophobic rooms. The fights are psychological, not physical. As its set in a bunker, it has this suffocating feel the whole way through.
The acting in downfall is just awesome. Bruno Ganz who played Hitler did the most mind blowing performance i have ever seen. it was scary how much he got the idiosyncrasies of Hitler so right. He even had the same power and passion Hitler put into his speech's, and when someone argued with him, i wouldn't want to be on his bad side. But Bruno brought another side to Hitler we haven't seen. At times we see he was a human, he still was caring and sympathetic; not this Satan figure all the time.
The last half hour of downfall though is so depressing that it is hard to watch. It gets so down right depressing you think you'll never be happy again. i really felt like leaving it was that hard to watch. that has never happened in any other movie i have watched. just all the suicide and genocide that went on was so bleak and depressing. When they started kill the children i nearly broke down crying. But thats why its so great. movies that can take hold of our emotions and rip them apart should be praised, as they have mastered the art of cinema, and this does it perfectly.
if you get the chance see this in the cinema, watching it at home wont create the same atmosphere