"That's a nice-a donut."

Saturday, January 14, 2006

Downfall (2005)

In the years since World War II ended, and since his suicide death just prior to that, Adolph Hitler has become something larger than life. Not in a good way, of course, but rather as someone who quite simply epitomized the concept of Evil. A madman, a monster, a tyrant - you name it. There is even a well-known Internet guideline by which any person in a message board discussion who invokes the name Hitler or Nazis as a means of comparison automatically loses the argument. And, by tradition, the thread usually ends. Over that last 60 years there have been a countless number of WWII movies. Most of them were patriotic efforts about the American point of view, though a few gems such as Das Boot materialized the Axis side of things. There have even been a few that focused on Hitler, though certainly none are anywhere near the quality of director Oliver Hirschbiegel's Downfall.

It is the final days and weeks before the fall of Berlin, and the city is in chaos. The Russians are edging closer and closer to the city, as evidenced by the artillery shells that rain down. Hitler (Bruno Ganz), his advisors and personal staff, military leaders, and other close confidantes huddle in a vast underground bunker. As the surreal reality that the end is near begins to sink in, everyone in the bunker goes about things in a wide variety of ways. Some try to save their skins by fleeing or trying to make deals with the Allies. Others profess their allegiance to the dictator and vow to stay until the end. Hitler, along with lover Eva Braun (Juliane Kohler), alternates between extreme paranoia, anger, sunken defeat, and optimism that the Motherland will prevail. Meanwhile two of his young secretaries, including stenographer Traudl Junge (Alexandra Maria Lara), wonder what the heck they got themselves into. Eventually Hitler and Braun are dead and the rest of the bunker residents must contend with the inevitable collapse.

Downfall doesn't go so far as to make things appear sympathetic for Hitler and the Nazis, but is able to make them into real humans who faced real decisions and consequences. Yes, there is no question that they were awful, but, well, they have a story too. The movie only occasionally and briefly delves into the atrocities that the Nazi party inflicted upon Europe, but I suppose that was for the best. It's not a documentary about the evil, nor is it a portrait of how the Allies triumphed over evil; but rather it is a riveting study of what some people might have done when they had their backs to the wall.

Ganz is absolutely possessed as the monstrous Fuhrer, and it shows during the many mood swings from fiery conqueror to fallen man, as he gives on of the best acting performances of the year. He has the benefit of having so many years of parody, caricature, and demon-mongering of the man. This surely helped Ganz, as he is able to create his own vision without you having to second-guess every little thing he does (or doesn't do). I especially liked his little hand tics, and other gestures, in his portrayal of Hitler's Parkinsons'.

Some things in the movie are purely speculative, while other things were gathered from decades of study, and still other things were learned from Junge - who bookends the movie in real life interviews with her at later age. One flaw is that Downfall doesn't quite completely capture the guilt and youthful ignorance of her, and other "young followers" during that time. But, especially considering that ending is pretty well known, the story is as gripping as you can get on film. A scene in which a mother kills her children (with poisoned pills) - so that they don't have to live in a world without National Socialism - is literally stunning. And the art and set design are excellent; war-torn Berlin is alive, with fallen buildings, smoke, and rubble all over the place. Highly recommended.

The Verdict: A-.

Michael Bentley 5:17 PM

"That's a nice-a donut."

Saturday, January 14, 2006

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