I think the movie is all about two very important points. The first being the sheer amount of suffering and misery that one single man could inflict upon a nation (and continent) and also the crushing realization that in the end the rose colored glasses of the German people are shattered for good. That this man, our Fuhrer, is nothing more than a crazed madman, one who rose to a position of immense power and control, and blinded by our desire for prosperity and peace, we turned up our ears and minds and let him whisper sweet nothings into them.
To the criticism of the vast amount of characters who seem to rotate by without any character development, it helps immensely if you are well versed in the main players behind the Nazi power structure. Though I will admit the average moviegoer outside Germany (perhaps even inside) is not going to be that familiar with the men behind the dictator.
Once again i found a movie so satisfying,that it will haunt you to your true nature.You will actually percieve the ongoings as the filmaking is so real that it allows an experience unforgettable The real potrait of germans through germans eyes,rare yet substantial.Will fulfill the thrist of genuine film lovers.
After watching some Hollywood, I always end amazed at the way Germans portrait shady aspects of their own past. Not every single Nazi is a fanatical sadist, and, as if by magic, Soviet soldiers are not portrayed as animals, nor as the oportunistic ones who seized the hard work done by Americans.
Overall the film is pretty good, but I think the dialogues Hitler had with their generals got a bit overused, though. In my opinion, Ganz's wasn't that great. Probably, the character was a bit overacted sometimes, but you couldn't tell since Hitler it's definitely not the easiest, unless you wanna play caricatures.
A brilliantly told story about war, defeat, and human nature featuring some spectacular performances. I highly recommend this film, particularly to anyone who likes "Letters from Iwo Jima" (by the end of "Downfall", Prof. Dr. Ernst-Günter Schenck proves to be a German version of Saigo, and the two films have similar messages about the value of human life.)
A great war film with a lot of very good performances. I felt certain scenes were unnecessarily drawn out, though, but on the whole good.
My main problem with this film is the message 'Hitler was really quite gentle' is so blatantly forced down your throat that it lost quite a lot of credibility from the very start.
Quite sensationalist attempt at "portraying" the very last few days of Hitler's life. The acting from Ganz is amazing but the movie wallows in its own importance and there are so many scenes which are redundant, so many characters who come and go without being introduced or whose importance is never explained that it loses vigor about halfway through.
@Paperback-Writer: About the "one long tone", that's something I totally agree with. I can't stand movies that are absolutely nothing but doom and gloom for their entire run-time. I'm not saying there should have been a scene where Hitler and Eva dance to a Chuck Berry song, but at least provide something lighter that makes the heavy stuff seem heavier and the story more human.
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Comments 1 - 15 of 25
JG94
Great acting, but the direction is a so so, too long.DisneyStitch
I think the movie is all about two very important points. The first being the sheer amount of suffering and misery that one single man could inflict upon a nation (and continent) and also the crushing realization that in the end the rose colored glasses of the German people are shattered for good. That this man, our Fuhrer, is nothing more than a crazed madman, one who rose to a position of immense power and control, and blinded by our desire for prosperity and peace, we turned up our ears and minds and let him whisper sweet nothings into them.To the criticism of the vast amount of characters who seem to rotate by without any character development, it helps immensely if you are well versed in the main players behind the Nazi power structure. Though I will admit the average moviegoer outside Germany (perhaps even inside) is not going to be that familiar with the men behind the dictator.
vipul
Once again i found a movie so satisfying,that it will haunt you to your true nature.You will actually percieve the ongoings as the filmaking is so real that it allows an experience unforgettable The real potrait of germans through germans eyes,rare yet substantial.Will fulfill the thrist of genuine film lovers.demagogo
After watching some Hollywood, I always end amazed at the way Germans portrait shady aspects of their own past. Not every single Nazi is a fanatical sadist, and, as if by magic, Soviet soldiers are not portrayed as animals, nor as the oportunistic ones who seized the hard work done by Americans.Overall the film is pretty good, but I think the dialogues Hitler had with their generals got a bit overused, though. In my opinion, Ganz's wasn't that great. Probably, the character was a bit overacted sometimes, but you couldn't tell since Hitler it's definitely not the easiest, unless you wanna play caricatures.
In general, a great movie.
Fluegi
From the first to the last scene I was depressed, but I couldn't take my eyes of it. Great movie!danisanna
Incredible movie. Horrifying yet fascinating at the same time.dorkusmalorkus
A brilliantly told story about war, defeat, and human nature featuring some spectacular performances. I highly recommend this film, particularly to anyone who likes "Letters from Iwo Jima" (by the end of "Downfall", Prof. Dr. Ernst-Günter Schenck proves to be a German version of Saigo, and the two films have similar messages about the value of human life.)4lcatraz
This is history.The beginning and the ending are the best parts of the movie, and I'm saying this because it has a few boring moments.
Memorable acting by Bruno Ganz as Hitler
Worth watching.
samfenn
A great war film with a lot of very good performances. I felt certain scenes were unnecessarily drawn out, though, but on the whole good.My main problem with this film is the message 'Hitler was really quite gentle' is so blatantly forced down your throat that it lost quite a lot of credibility from the very start.
BadFluffy
Quite sensationalist attempt at "portraying" the very last few days of Hitler's life. The acting from Ganz is amazing but the movie wallows in its own importance and there are so many scenes which are redundant, so many characters who come and go without being introduced or whose importance is never explained that it loses vigor about halfway through.cal2391
Incredible film. Ganz is peerless in portraying Hitler as the man behind der Führer.NuclearPlanet
After a while, it did lose it's credibility and just become very boring. Just a little long where they could've cut a few things out.brainfabias
Boring. But great acting by Bruno Ganz as Hitler...Big A2
@Paperback-Writer: About the "one long tone", that's something I totally agree with. I can't stand movies that are absolutely nothing but doom and gloom for their entire run-time. I'm not saying there should have been a scene where Hitler and Eva dance to a Chuck Berry song, but at least provide something lighter that makes the heavy stuff seem heavier and the story more human.Holden7
Holy shit.Worth the runtime.
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