der untergang DOWNFALL (1 Viewer)

[Sam Davatchi]

You are welcome. "Auschwitz - Inside the Nazi State" was released months ago and it's also an excellent new documentary. I saw it 4-5 months ago and it's the most chilling of the 3. I love the voice of the narrator. It’s an old women with a broken voice "kind of like exorcist" and keeps you reminding how grave the stories that this voice is telling, are.

 

[Haggai]

I felt similarly about some of the other cast members as well, certainly Ulrich Matthes and Corinna Harfouch as Joseph Goebbels and his wife, two very chilling and convincing performances.

 

[David Jay]

This one's been on top of my Netflix queue for a long while. I can't wait to see it, and I hope it's better than The Sea Inside, which I found to be fairly disappointing (not that it's bad, by any means).

 

[Edward Schatz]

I, like a lot of people, enjoyed this film very much and I encourage everyone to see it. Fortunately, it does not try to use gimmicks and lame story telling by rehashing the facts of Nazi attrocities. Rather than focus on that, I felt it more appropriately focused the people. It felt like an honest human portrayal of what was going on (though I have no way of proving that). People often forget that those in the German army were humans too. That being said, I did not appreciate how it made the Soviets appear slightly more reasonable and genial than they might otherwise have been. Their lust for the complete and utter destruction of Berlin and Germany was not illustrated enough for my liking. Most movies shy away from Soviet barbarism and focus entirely on the ghoulish aspects of the Nazi party and Schutzstaffel.

 

[Rutgar]

Probably the best example I can think of, of a bad portrayal of Hitler by an actor is, Hitler: The Rise of Evil. A "Made for TV movie" in 2003. Hitler was played by Robert Carlyle (I knew him from playing the deadbeat, drunken Dad in "Angela's Ashes"). Carlyle wasn't even as bad as watching an "actor" play Hitler. He was worse. It was like watching someone do a bad parody of Hitler in a movie that took it'self far too seriously. Every hand gesture was exaggerated, every speech was cartoonish. I kept half expecting Bugs Bunny to pop out at any minute.

 

[Jan H]

Incredible film, amazing performance by Ganz. He should have been nominated for the Oscar. For the first time on film, I felt that I was really inside the bunker when everything went to hell for Hitler and Germany. I think the fact that it was made by Germans gives it added resonance. When watching the documentary on it, I was astonished to learn that it was made in St. Petersburg with the cooperation of the Russians (!). Wow, I guess time does heal many wounds.

Not to justify Soviet barbarism or anything, but remember that the Nazis were responsible for 20 million Russian deaths and their slash and burn techniques destroyed much of the country. The Russians were in no mood to be humane. This is doesn't excuse the mass raping, pillaging and torture the Russians inflicted, but it was definitely a situation where payback was inevitable. Total war and all...

 

[Dom]

A definite must buy for me, Bruno Ganz should have been nominated and won, but you know the politics.

If Spielberg had made the film...

I hope the extras (if any) are informative.

cheers

 

[Marc Colella]

That's the thing, Spielberg would have never made a film showing Hitler as anything but a monster - he wouldn't have any human qualities at all.
That's why I think Hollywood had problems with the film (since there's alot of Jewish influence in Hollywood).
I'm actually surprised the film got nominated for Best Foreign Film.

 

[Haggai]

Did Hollywood have problems with it? I don't remember reading about that, and I also don't think being Jewish had anything to do with it. For instance, the movie was very successful in Israel.

Regardless of which particular people would have made it with this or that level of sentiment/humanity/etc., I feel confident in saying that only a German cast and crew could have tackled the material with such a strong combination of verisimilitude and introspection.

 

[Brook K]

Looks like there's going to be a shootout at Netflix. I've got it at the top of my queue also. Hard telling how many copies they will have.

 

[Prentice Cotham]

Downfall is shipping today from my Lansing Netflix. Kapow!

 

[TommyT]

Fear not Ron, you'll definitely enjoy it. It's totally mesmerizing.

I was talking with a German prof in our history dept a few days after I saw it & he thought it was excellent. Very interesing considering that he grew up Germany at the tail end of the post-war period. Very cool to get that kind of perspective.

 

[Jordan_E]

Just got back from renting this one and look forward to watching it tonight.

 

[JonZ]

WOW. What a great movie. Highly recommended!

I went to Borders to get this as theyre usually pretty good about getting in foreign films (And I didnt think CC or BB would have it release day). It wasnt on the shelf and I asked someone to go in the back to look for it, luckily they had it

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Not enough time tonight to say all I want to say
about this film.

Just let me say UNBELIEVABLE!

It was the most intensified viewing experience
I have had in a long time.

You really feel as if you were part of the bunker.
Bruno Ganz's performance as Hitler is so utterly
believable.

This film MUST be seen!

 

[Steve Schaffer]

To my surprise my copy of Downfall from DVD Empire was in my mailbox when I got home from work last night.

The sense of utter realism that makes you feel like you are actually witnessing history is absolutely amazing, much like Das Boot. Not a single cliche to mar the "fly on the wall" effect, and I too felt like I was actually watching Hitler, Speer, Himmler, Goebbels, etc. not actors portraying these characters.

I was up way past my normal worknight bedtime watching this nonstop last night. Started over with the commentary on and got about half an hour in before giving up. The commentary is excellent, not only giving us insight into the filmmaking process but many extra bits of historical information--one of the best commentaries I've heard so far and a fascinating history lesson in itself.

This dvd will definitely be watched many times in my house.

 

[Jeff(R)]

Just saw it. I agree. It's one of the best films I've seen all year and definitely one of the best WWII films ever made.

Jeff

Downfall (Netflix)

 

[Holadem]

I still haven't seen it, top of Netflix queue as well.

The only reason I did not watch this film some months ago is because I had an argument with the theater manager right in front of the one auditorium which had it in my town, then turned around, got my money back and left.

In retrospect, that was a good thing, especially in light of the good productions values I hear about -- the small arthouse theater is fairly crappy.

Anything to substantiate this assertion at all? I have heard nothing but praise for this movie.

--
H

 

[Ronald Epstein]

To add a little more....

There are disturbing scenes in this film
that have replayed over and over again in
my head.

In particular Frau Goebbels calmly poisening
her children.

What makes this film work is that it is such
an accurate portrayal of not only all the individuals
that are portrayed, but (according to the documentary)
even the bunker itself. What you are watching is
so factual that it is as if history being repeated
before you.

Another interesting aspect of this film is how it
humanizes Hitler which is something that has never
been done. It is understood that this man was a
monster, but at the same time we are shown his
relationships toward the non-officers and
particularly the women around him (Eva, Alexandra Maria
and Frau Goebbels).

As I sit here typing this, there is still so much
of this film being replayed in my head. It's a
film that will stick with you for days.

Remarkable!

 

[Dom]

Ron, will this disc be reviewed on your site?

cheers