Biyograficim
Çöküş

Downfall (Der Untergang)

Movie · 2004 · 3 people

Oliver Hirschbiegel directed Downfall (Der Untergang), a 2004 historical war drama produced as a German-Austrian-Italian co-production from a screenplay by Bernd Eichinger. The film recounts Adolf Hitler's final days in April 1945, as the Battle of Berlin rages and Nazi Germany faces certain collapse, confining much of its action to the underground bunker beneath the capital. Events unfold largely through the perspective of Hitler's private secretary Traudl Junge, with the screenplay drawing on historian Joachim Fest's book, Junge's memoirs and other survivor accounts of the period. Unable to accept defeat, Hitler refuses to leave the city, marries Eva Braun in his last hours and dies by suicide together with her; devoted followers such as Joseph and Magda Goebbels meet the same end. Bruno Ganz portrays Hitler, supported by Alexandra Maria Lara, Corinna Harfouch, Ulrich Matthes, Juliane Köhler and Thomas Kretschmann. Its decision to depict a human dimension of Hitler provoked debate, yet the film earned over 92 million dollars worldwide and was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the 77th Academy Awards. Several sequences later inspired countless internet parodies.

DirectorOliver Hirschbiegel
Production companyNewmarket Capital Group

Reactions

You can pick up to 3 reactions.

Cast

Only cast members with a profile on this site are listed.

Corinna Harfouch Corinna Harfouch Actor · 72 years old Thomas Kretschmann Thomas Kretschmann Actor · 64 years old Michael Mendl Michael Mendl Actor · 82 years old

More from this director

Through different eyes

History & Society Lens Asks about the period, the social background and what the work reflects.

Downfall tells the story of Hitler's last days in April 1945, as the Battle of Berlin rages, largely shut inside the underground bunker. Following events through his private secretary Traudl Junge, and drawing on Joachim Fest's book, Junge's memoirs and other survivor accounts, gives the film an almost documentary weight. Its choice to show a human dimension of Hitler sparked debate, and the debate is understandable: watching a regime collapse from the inside is instructive, but looking at the perpetrators this closely can create a false sense of intimacy in the viewer. The fate of the Goebbels couple shows chillingly where blind devotion can lead. A film to be watched with its context in mind.

Cinephile Looks at script, editing and directing choices; keeps a distance from formula films.

Oliver Hirschbiegel's smartest choice is to confine the film largely to the cramped spaces of the bunker. While Berlin falls outside, time seems frozen inside, and that claustrophobic use of space gives visual form to a regime's denial. Bernd Eichinger's script uses Traudl Junge's point of view as a window, holding together a story that could easily have sprawled. Bruno Ganz's performance is the film's axis; the much-debated human dimension comes alive largely through his interpretation. That several scenes later fed countless internet parodies is an odd proof of how memorable that performance is. The large supporting cast scatters the narrative in places and the film grows heavy, yet the Oscar nomination is no accident.

Family Viewer Asks whether the whole household can watch it; cares about humour and heart.

Downfall is not suitable for children. It portrays the last days of a war, with death, destruction and suicides at its core. Some scenes may shake even adults. It can be watched with older teenagers as a way into talking about history, but you really need to talk it through afterwards. Too heavy for young children and for sensitive older relatives.

These are not reader reviews: they are short editorial takes written from different viewer perspectives with AI assistance. Reader reviews are below.

Reviews (0)

Log in Log in to write a review.

Comments