Accomplished and compelling film making.

Rating: 10/10 (14 November 2005)

Not the most uplifting of movies but certainly one of the best movies made about WW2 if not one of the best war movies i have seen.
As with this equally engrossing 'Das Experiment' the director places the viewer directly into the situation. Using natural lighting and muted colours in the bunker (where the majority of the film is played out)a somber and realistic mood is set, add to this the large amount of hand-held camera work and dark and chaotic battle scene one feels as though he/she is actually standing alongside the actors.
The actors are another strong point of the movie Gantz as Hitler is superb, the loud ranting outbursts one expects from seeing documentary footage of the man are there but where Gantz' real triumph lies is that he portrays the character in a very naturalistic manner one almost forgets the stereotypical view of Hitler. The Nazies were shown in a more balanced light than cinema is used to, sympathetic sides were shown in regards to their attitudes to the plight of the German people and one Nazi Professor/Officer is portrayed in the film as an almost admirable character.
Despite the balanced approach many horrors are in store for the viewer the hanging of 'so called' traitors in the streets images of child solders killed and the horrific final minutes of the Goebels children ensure that this movie will haunt you after its closing scene.
As with all movies I'm sure some details are not 100% correct but then neither are the all the school text books like 'Schindlers List' or 'The Killing Fields' this is not easy viewing it is however a excellent film and a good dramatic history lesson.