Downfall

This is a powerful movie. One of the best war movies i have ever seen. The hopelessness of the situation during those last 10 days of probably the most hated man in the history of the world is almost heartbreaking.

Bruno Ganz plays the part of Adolf Hitler perfectly. What we see is a broken man whose plans and dreams are shattered while he tries to hold on to them until the bitter end.

This movie is not pro-nazi nor does it depict them as the monsters everyone says they are. What we see is the war from their side, in utter realism. In the end they are all just people who by their own choice or by force were sucked into a horrible war.

What Traudl Junge (the secretary) said was really moving. Even though she was young and she didn't know better she could have. At the same age as her another German woman by the name Sophie Scholl was rebelling against what the Nazi's were doing. Years ago i found a single page comic that perfectly tells the story of that there is a line between standing up for yourself and what you believe in and going along with what everybody else is doing. I encourage everyone to read this comic.

http://www.viruscomix.com/page474.html

This is one of the essential films about World War II. An absolute powerful and captivating portrayal of the downfall of the Third Reich. The film features incredible performances by Bruno Ganz, Alexandra Maria Lara and the rest of the cast. It is my all time favorite German film and a must-see for everyone interested in the topic.

My grandparents were children living in Berlin, Germany during World War 2 and remembered the air raids vividly, as well as the terror that accompanied cowering in the basement and feeling the earth rumble, fearing for their lifes, while houses right down the street where bombed to bits.
When I told them about this movie in 2004, they had to go see it and I was eager to hear what they thought. They are usually jovial and upbeat, but they felt great sorrow and despair when they saw this movie. They cried in the movie theater. It was not just a movie to them, they travelled back in time to a long forgotten and repressed time.

I thought this movie was very well made and Bruno Ganz acts frighteningly well as Adolf Hitler, but seeing how my grandparents reacted, I think this movie is also a beacon to let people remember the terror that came with war, and those that were not born yet, to get a small glimpse into that reality.

9/10 - Edge-of-the-seat atmosphere, combined with a tour de force by Bruno Ganz makes this one a winner

That scene where Hitler and Speer are looking over the model of Berlin... soulcrushing.

Absolutely amazing history movie must watch for everyone!

Excelente película que nos lleva a esos últimos días de la caída de Imperio Nazi, nos muestra todo lo que tuvieron que vivir dichas personas, una historia muy trabajada y que transmite y te hace sentir lo que te cuenta. Excelente actuaciones, primordialmente la de Bruno Ganz.
Muy buena pelicula, recomendada para verla y que puedas ver desde otro angulo la historia de la guerra, en este caso desde el punto de vista de los alemanes, sus acciones y fe que profesaban por su alocado líder.

"Downfall" is a depressing tale of madmen and the final 10 days of the terror that they brought to the world. The crumbling of the Nazi war machine and its biases and hatred against humanity are partly revealed here. This movie makes it all too clear that Hitler was insane but had a powerful hold over so many. How one man can control the minds and acts of so many is terrifying.

This film is claustrophobic as it takes place almost entirely in Hitler's bunker. The conflicts, conversations, and behaviors of those in the bunker is amazing in its realism and tension.

The only thing that holds this film back for me ever so slightly is that I thought it could have done a little more to explain who Hitler's key officers were before the "where are they now" montage at its end.

An incredibly powerful World War II epic, Downfall is a German war drama about the final days of the Third Reich. Partially based on the biography of Traudl Junge (Adolf Hitler's personal secretary), the story follows the events of the Battle of Berlin as the Russian Army lays seize and Hitler and the Nazi high command face inevitable defeat. The performances are also especially good; particularly Bruno Ganz, who gives an exceptionally compelling and humanizing depiction of Hitler. And, the directing of Oliver Hirschbiegel adds an extraordinary level of realism that's quite engrossing. Downfall presents a fascinating historical look into the Nazi regime, and at how they chose to face their defeat at the end of the war.

An excellent movie about why Hitler lost the war for Germany and how he spent his last days. A brilliant Bruno Ganz as Adolf gives us a few iconic scenes in cinema history.

Perfect acting and really gets you to live with them, really engrossing.
Would've given it a 10/10 if not for some historical inaccuracies.