History on film, told in a superb form

Rating: 8/10 (2 May 2005)

Excellent, truly excellent movie. Don't miss on this one. Der Untergang tells a part of Europe's recent history from a different perspective. More than the perspective, it is very pleasant to watch -- in the sense that it lasts over two hours and time flies; the movie is rather heavy otherwise. Expect violent scenes, and war portrayed as the awful event it is.
Der Untergang translates as The Downfall or The Decline. The movie exposes Hitler's and its inner group's last days in Berlin, as the Soviet takeover became unavoidable. It is based off reports from Hitler's secretary, so should be somewhat accurate. You even get a short interview clip with her remembering that period of her life, by the end of the movie, which, to me, reinforced how recent WW2 is.
You get the idea that Hitler is mad or maddening, which was, to me, unexpected. From what the press is writing, I went to the theater expecting a human view of the dictator. It is not. Hitler is clearly a madman.
I was not disappointed, however. In that period, it is natural he was in an extreme, and losing his edge. On the contrary, I came out wishing there was another movie telling the story of his rise to power from such a intimate angle.
I'm still surprised how a modern democracy was able to give its power to a madman. Hitler must have had a perfect public image back then, and studying how democracy failed with him is a most interesting topic, certainly interesting for a movie.