True cinematic power

Rating: 10/10 (1 May 2012)

The one type of artwork that perhaps captures the human condition better than any other is the war movie. However, this is not a universal reality, as many of these films fail to capture the horror of war and thus end up glamorizing it. Downfall is about as real as war movies get; the historical (not to mention visual) accuracy of the film, guided by Oliver Hirschbiegel's expert direction and Bruno Ganz's stunning portrayal of Adolf Hitler, makes for a tour de force that is both captivating and educational. Once, the people of the Third Reich were optimistic and fervent in their belief in National Socialism and European conquest; as World War II's final curtain falls, they succumb to grim realization that the fight is over and their leader has betrayed their trust and brought on, out of his own madness, the destruction of the Fatherland. A riveting account of the final days of one of the most malevolent empires in human history, Downfall is true cinematic power.