Brilliant Depiction Of The Effects Of War

Rating: Null/10 (24 March 2007)

Downfall is the gripping depiction of the last few days of the Second World War in Europe, as the Russians advance into Berlin and approach ever nearer the bunker of Adolf Hitler who still believes their advance can be stopped...
Bruno Ganz turns in a terrific performance as Hitler, paying great attention to detail (including the regional accent and the effects of Parkinson's disease) that really make him into a believable person which is a lot more frightening to watch than the usual two-dimensional characterisations that are usually seen on screen. Ganz manages to dominate the screen with the same effectiveness that allowed Hitler to get followers of such devotion that despite his atrocities and the horror of the situation many are prepared to stay with him and fight to the death while the possibility of escape or surrender remains open to them. He is almost schizophrenic - at some moments he is almost gentle, such as some of the scenes with his secretary, then shortly afterwards he is practically foaming at the mouth in his contempt for the civilian population of Berlin who he will not raise a finger to try to save by surrendering to the Allies.
The other actors are not very well known - at least on the international arena, but this added greatly to the authentic feel. Some of the senior Nazi leaders are hardly more sympathetic than their Fuhrer - Himmler in particular shows only personal ambition while pretending loyalty. Other characters such as the caring SS doctor who finds elderly patients simply abandoned in a hospital or the father who desperately tries to persuade his son who must be around 12-14 not to get involved and perish in a hopeless cause are succinctly realised.
The film is expertly shot, with the unreal atmosphere in the bunker captured perfectly where Hitler raves about army units that barely or cease to exist coming to the rescue of the Reich and orders oilfields re-captured for 'long distance missions' when the Russian troops are barely a few hundred metres away.
There is no glory shown in the battle scenes as the outcome is always a foregone conclusion making the resulting deaths even more moving. Watching young children and old men trying to hold off the Russian advance with inadequate weaponry is tragic in the knowledge that they are dying for no real purpose other than the whims of a handful of madmen.
Very few films have depicted the tragic waste of life that war provokes better than Downfall and this turns out to be one of the best movies concerning the conflict that claimed over 50 million lives.