While it may be sedately paced, "Downfall" still delivers a complex and challenging representation of the "Third Reich"'s befitting demise, frequently dazzling the audience with a brilliant performance from Bruno Ganz in the process.

I have never seen such an amazing movie. I felt so touched by it and kind of felt bad for the Nazis in the end. I know it's a crazy thing to say but that's how powerful this movie is. I am an English speaker and have never bothered to watch a foreign film because I thought I wouldn't have the patients. But boy was I wrong. If you still haven't seen this movie then I recommend that you go see it NOW. It is on Netflix if you have Netflix and if you don't try and see if you can get it from amazon or something. It is a must own, especially if you're into WWII.… Expand

This is a fantastic movie. I am learning German at school and this was just appealing to me.
Bruno Ganz was an exceptional Hitler. I watched this on a 10 hour flight. I watched it twice.
The actors acted really well, the movie wasn't entirely based around violence like Inglorious Basterds was. Sure, some of the German Commanders blew their brain out...

This is a masterpiece

An intimate and atmospheric look at the final days of the Third Reich. The most important feature of this film is the realistic portrayal of Adolf Hitler, putting to rest crass oversimplifications of his character. The cast are excellent, particularly Ganz who dominates every scene he is in.

Excellent portrayal of the final days of the Third Reich and in particular Hitler and his demise into insanity and paranoia. Well directed with some excellent camera work, this film was rightly nominated for an Oscar and is a must for anybody with an interest in the era of history.

I watched this movie so many times and I really enjoyed every bit of it. For once we get to watch a film about Hitler and the Nazi's last days from the point of view of the Germans. Therefore you won't be seeing any sort of glorifying of American or Allied fighters blablabla... Instead, this film is about Hitler's desperation for survival or miracle as each day closes in for the end of the Third Reich. You will see how the most loyal soldiers are quick to lose faith while others remain loyal to the Nazi cause. The film also shows abit of Hitler's human side and his love for his country. The film is very emotional and perhaps a more accurate portrayal of Hitler's circle. If you're an open-minded person, be sure to check this movie out. It's certainly worth it!!… Expand

The most convincing flick portraying Hitler`s last days ever. Again, all the German actors play very well, almost all are on par with Bruno Ganz. What I found very interesting was this movie showing what the entire Berlin felt like in the last days of the war and how the headquarters planned their demise. We have all the most important German commanders` silhouettes shown . Each and every one of them a separate character with unique history. Most of the time people are talking in this film, but it is never boring. There is a huge tension of the end coming in closer every hour. Finally, this flick shows the tragedy of German nation led by a fanatic.… Expand

This film must simply be seen. Now it must be said, it's not an action film, so don't expect to see a whole lot of it, it's drama.

The film plays with your emotions, it gives the Nazis a face and humanize them, you will come to pity them. I think it's about time we see a daring film as this, that really tries to show the hell that war truly is, not like the Hollywood films that usually glorifies it. And that truly manages to portray Hitler as a human, not a monster, regardless of the unspeakable crimes he committed.

It's a must-see, and watch it in German with subtitles.… Collapse

A unique portrayal of a war from the villain's point of view, telling it like it is. Every single actor is absolutely amazing in their performances. Writing is fantastic and shocking. It shows that even animals can have feelings.

Whilst Downfall is undoubtedly a compelling and intriguing telling of the final days of Hitler it is not one without serious flaws. Firstly the good points; the acting is superb with Ganz's in particular standing out for his study of a monster, touched with just the right amount of humanity, swinging between delusion and despair. This combined with the great care which has been taken in accurately recreating the settings and consumes gives the film and harrowingly real feel. However the film is marred by the script bowing to convention and including a protagonist with whom the audience is supposed to identify in the form of Hitler's Secretary ..... The film wants us to believe that she was at the heart of events in Hitler's bunker whilst simultaneously suggesting that she was a picture of innocence and ignorance. The scene near the end of the film where she seems shocked by Hitler's statement of revulsion of the Jew's is utterly ridiculous and insulting considering she has been his personal secretary for two and a half years by this point. The final part of the film which shows a clip from the documentary 'Blind Spot: Hitler's Secretary' where she talks of her apparent shock of finding out about the holocaust through the Nuremburg trials and how she as absolved herself of any wrong doing because she was young and naive (she was 25 at the films conclusion!), which is given to the audience without anything to question it as there is in the original documentary, leaves a very nasty taste in the mouth. Which is a shame because the portrayal of this one character damages what is otherwise a very enlightening and important film.… Expand

Everything about this film is great. From cinematography and score to everyone's acting. It shows that even though Hitler did what he did, he still was after all a human. It also emphasizes Hitler's ideological mindset that made him insensitive to the killings of his own German soldiers and citizens. The acting of each and every person is most convincing and satisfying as is the sense of realism which pervades this film. It is truly a masterpiece. A work of art.… Expand

Absolutely fantastic portrayal of WWII from German side, being in hiters inner circle and the final days of his reign. Wonderful.

This film is a vital, contempary step towards denazisification. It depicted a delusional society being handed it's reality by force. However, it provides contemporary Germans with a way out. Now that the majority of eye witnesses to the third reich are dead, many german people can say, " It wasn't my grandfather, He tried to save the children. " Even Eva Braun's distant relatives can speak up. She wanted desperately to dance to swing music, in a sense of defiance. The riff would have clearly been banded in Nazis Germany (for being negroid.) It's possible this scene was included to poke a hypocritical finger at the allies, for having segregated races in combat. In an interesting way the movie concluded with Hitler as a man who made the most sane choice under the circumstances, poison yourself prior to shooting yourself, before the Russians pull your limbs off your body . In that sense he was facing reality which is a form of mental health, while those around him loomed in a circus atmosphere, which would define the rest of the society as crazy.… Expand

Film-making doesn't get much better than this. The decision to portray the main protagonists as ordinary human beings makes the crimes perpetrated by the Third Reich even more horrific and incomprehensible than would have been the case if they had been portrayed as two dimensional monsters. The feeling of claustrophobia and impending disaster in Hitler's bunker is palpable, and the scene in which the Goebbels children are murdered by their mother is truly one of the most appallingly horrific and uncomfortable sequences you are ever likely to see, but it is used to underline just how much the Nazi philosophy had perverted the mindset of diehard fanatics, to such an extent that they were willing to kill their own children rather than have them live in a world without National Socialism. A classic of modern cinema.… Expand

Outstanding film on the final days of Hitler and the Third Reich! Fantastic acting (Hitler, Goebbels, Magda Goebbels and Prof. Schenk stand out) goes hand in hand with accuracy in the events... the film is simply breath-taking to view, whether you're familiar with the story (which helps a bit) or not. It gives you the shivers... not only is Hitler acted to perfection, but you actually feel sorry for the tired, withered old man whose terrible world is falling down around him. If you've never watched a foreign film before, watch this one... it will change the way you think.… Expand

Fantastic. Superb acting on all parties. Chris S. couldn't have said it better.

An extremely tame and sanitised portrayal of Hitler's madness. Boring, absurd dialog, no passion, no intensity, not a hint of grit. Oh wait, it has subtitles so it must be masterpiece!

Engrossing if drawn out exposition of the final days of the people at the heart of the 3rd Reich. Doesn't explain much, but doesn't obscure either. Rather than develop the characters, the film successfully presents a tour de force of people clueless while the hell they have facilitated on others turns on them and savages their cherished beliefs. These people had assumed the lives of others as expendable, so their own lives do not merit our empathy, specifically in the days of this story when their world is collapsing and no one has a safe place to indulge in self importance. Yet a sense of empathy is provoked nonetheless, not because we care about these people but because of the tragedy and waste of their misdirected mindsets that could easily have been our own. The film ends with a sense of emptiness reminiscent of a bad film, but within this particular emptiness simmers valuable understanding that alludes to how the German people rose from their ashes. The acting is generally straightforward as it should be, with the exception of Mrs. Goebbels last hour with her husband and children - probably some of the finest acting ever committed to film.… Expand

Absolutely haunting film that has left me going over the events of 1945 in my head again and again. The director successfully paints layer upon intricate layer of despair, loyalty, betrayal, joy, sadness, and delusion that must have been permeating in that small space. The one element that I think is missing, and purposely I think, is the idea of guilt. From Hitler to his henchmen, there is little attention to the idea that the choices they had made being inhuman or that they would have to answer to someone for their actions. Having been to Berlin, and having stood on the ground above that very spot where these events took place, I never once considered any sort of "humans" existing below that ground...only monsters from textbooks. This movie completely changed the way I view that now. I think it is often simpler to characterize people and situations in black and white or good and evil, especially those involved in such horrific acts. However, I think this film shows that things are much more complicated than that. Decisions and loyalties are based on much deeper and more complicated criteria than simply saying this path is "good" and this path is "bad". I give this movie a 10, although I wouldn't recommend it to just anyone. I would, however, recommend it to individuals that enjoy thought provoking films that don't rely on mindless action and typical hollywood movies.… Expand

Despite the subject matter, I enjoyed this movie and learned a lot about the last days of Hilter and the Third Reich. Although on the long side, it did not drag and I was intrigued by the characters. Bruno Ganz was outstanding as a demonic Hitler.

If there's one thing that this film does, it reminds you that Adolf Hitler was human, and that's what makes this film all the more chilling.

Excellent! Bruno Ganz as Hitler was perfect. Finally we have a movie showing what happened without worrying about cliches and everything that follows the movies about the World War II.

This movie would be a revelation if it had humanized Hitler. But it didn't. Bruno Ganz' performance was uninspired. He's a great actor, but he doesn't do anything that strays far from cliche. A lot of yelling and sweating and twitching. The only thing revelatory about the movie was the character of Goebbels and his wife; or rather, the performances of said characters by their actors. The movie was disappointing and almost pointless because the moviemakers created the movie on the assumption that the making of it would justify its existance. It didn't. There is no idea in this movie. It is just props. Try it again, Germany.… Expand

To criticise this film because you know the ending is foolish. After all, we know the outcome of any film based on historical fact! The two defining features of this film are a quite exceptional performance by Ganz as Hitler and (perhaps) the first contemporary portrayal of Hitler as a human being rather than a cartoon monster. That we see an attempt to portray (thought not excuse) the man behind the unspeakable acts of evil makes this film worth seeing alone. He was human like the rest of us which makes the terror that he perpretrated even more chilling. Recommended.… Expand

If you ever had history lessons in school, nothing in this movie will surprise you. And that is the main problem with this film, its simply boring because you already know exactly how it ends. The fighting stuff have been done better in other films, like Saving Private Ryan, in this film you dont really care about what happens to any of the characters. Tedious and overhyped about sums it up.

Zach RH gave this movie a 2,but I believe he didn't think well. In his conception,all movies about the Nazis have to criticize them frontally.If you watch the movie carefully,you'll see that it isn't meant to make the Nazis not guilty.The one who watches the movie can make some conclusions,that,at the end,incriminate the Nazis. Regarding the fact that the soldiers were forced,it is partially true.The jews are not mentioned many times because the principal fear of Hitler was now the war.It was the first time when he started to believe that he will lose power,and he could no longer think of the jews.Plus,do you see any jew in the movie?That also proves that they were all in camps or dead.… Expand

A towering film acheivement. The critics who gave it raves said it better than I can. Ignore the few who gave it lukewarm reviews due to some misguided guilt complex over "humanizing" Hitler, and the ones who describe it as over-long and boring. If you have any appreciation for psychological drama and momentous historical events, you will drawn deeply into this film from the first moments. The film shows Hitler in all his inhumane madness and racially-driven hatred, but also reveals the charisma and strong will that allowed him to capture absolute power over a nation. That power continues to hold sway over those around him, even as the evidence of their imminent destruction at the hands of the Soviets becomes obvious to everyone - even Hitler himself, until he chooses, after an interlude of lucidity and resignation, to once again believe in nonexistent German armies on the march to rescue Berlin from the Soviet assault. My only quibble with the film is the protrayal of Hitler's secretary's relatively easy escape from Berlin through the Soviet lines. As has been well-documented, the women of Berlin were subjected to mass rape by the conquering Soviets. I did see the documentary ("Hitler's Secretary") about the real-life person on whom this character is based, and I can't recall what she said about escaping from Berlin. Perhaps the film accuratley portrays her experience. Still, I was a bit taken aback by the absence of any portrayal or even reference to the huge amount of sexual violence that occured during the fall of Berlin. But that is a minor point about a film that is truly magnificent.… Expand

Superb. A front row seat to the insanity.

Excellent film, more street fighting needed.

Some good acting, but overall an oversympathetic, easy way out for the Nazis. Lets face it, the film never criticizes the Nazi soldiers...basically, it shows that they were forced, had no other option, etc., and that we should feel bad for them. the jews are mentioned only in passing by Hitler, and in the end, the film is overlong, monotonous, and nothing new in terms of its scenes of war. Besides that, one has to question the purpose of making a film that shows the fall of Hitler, if its insight is both dangerous and cryptic at the same time.… Expand

A brilliant movie that truly captures Hitler's insanity and the events following the downfall of the third Reich. Four stars.

One should certainly view this movie before reading anything, positive or negative, by the so called critics. If you are looking to be entertained in the traditional sense of movie going, well, then this movie is not for you. This is neither a Disney movie nor a

Utterly riveting. Required: an interest in human history and an understanding that evil comes from humanity. Otherwise, yes, you'll be totally bored. That's why the latest Ashton Kutcher film is playing for you down the road. Hitler, believe it or not, was human. Instead of being afraid of showing this monster in that light, why don't we embrace it ... maybe we'll learn something from it.… Expand

Ótimo filme para compreender do que o ser humano é capaz de fazer em nome do poder e da ambição.

It helps if you understand German.

Oh my god, my arse fell asleep! Why won't you finish!

Too long!

A shocking film! The feeling of claustrophobia in the bunker, and the extreme violence outside it's confines make this a high impact film not dissimilar to Schindler's List in leaving me needing triage and a stiff drink afterwards. Well done, for presenting Hitler as a human being, with all the complex contradictions that being human entails. We see both the shambling, dog-loving vegetarian tee-totaller AND the ruthless, deluded, raging dictator who believed compassion was weakness, and cared not at all for the fate of those outside the bunker. Goebbels was also nicely psychopathically portrayed, but with an intense and almost admirable loyalty. This is not a film that relies on 2D characatures, but examines them as real people, while telling well the final chapter of a harrowing story.… Expand

Excellent portrayal of human nature: scary and funny at the same time.

A very good film tarnished by an overly sympathetic portrayal of the Germans. Bruno Ganz is amazing. This film is worth seeing for his performance alone.

"Downfall" is downright bizarre when you consider that Adolph Hitler is relatively likable in comparison to Magda Goebbels (Corrina Harfouch). But it's the right choice to show the lighter side of Hitler because he couldn't have carried out his plan to eradicate life if the German people hated him. Still, the viewer is faced with a moral dilemna. We don't see the crematoriums. We don't see the Jews reduced to stick figures. We don't see any non-Aryan blood spilling on the streets. You have to remind yourself, early in "Downfall", not to be charmed when the boss takes pity on a nervous secretary. This is Hitler, but when we see him, he's more old man than the fuhrer. You could say that Bruno Ganz's performance is too good. The film wants you to sympathize with Hitler's lost dream of world domination. The evil, I think is transferred from the real life figure to the actor, because although we can't identify with being responsible for the Holocaust, we know what its like when life doesn't go our way. "Downfall" is a propaganda film of sorts in its own right, and like "The Triumph of the Will", undeniably compelling. There just had to be more Jew-hating banter in that bunker than what is depicted here. The film conspires with Traudl Junge's claim that she didn't know anything until the Nuremberg trials. If there was more racist talk, we couldn't like Traudl and the other Nazis, who got exactly what they deserved.… Expand

A gripping film--I actually felt as though I was trapped in that bunker at the end of the war. The 2h45m went by surprisingly quick. And, frankly, if the film "humanizes" Hitler, the simple fact of the matter is that Hitler WAS human, as were all of the NAZI regime. I found myself feeling an odd range of conflicting emotions toward these people, which is probably the greatest strength of the film. That's not to say that the film is sympathetic toward Hitler--it merely presents a man's deterioration from nearly conquering the world to commiting suicide in a bunker surrounded by Russian soldiers. The film still condemns the war, including the murder of the Jews. A great film, but definitely not everyone's cup of tea.… Expand

Definitely long, and seemingly thorough and meticulous. But not at all entertaining. Almost a documentary in its presentation. And there's a reason why most documentaries don't do very well...they're simply not entertaining enough.

Acting was excellent, sound was great. The movie was a bit to long.

The talent in this movie imposes a true sense of being in the bunker. The beauty of this movie is the director's unbelievable balance between sympathy, apathy and revulsion. He does not lecture us. He lets us flow with the movie as a real-time witness and let's us leave the theater with a deep understanding of our contempt for the man and his followers.

I spent 2 1/2 hours last night in a bunker with Adolf Hitler. If the point of a movie is to be compelling, then this is certainly one of the most compelling history-dramas of all time. I have a minor in history and this movie tells the story just the way it happened. Those people who stated this movie was apolitical don't know what they're talking about. It is both political and philosophical with a heavy dose of irony. This movie should be required viewing for all high school students, if for no other reason than to give them a sense of the consequences of their actions.… Expand

The most profound film I've seen in a decade! The delusional nature of most of the participants contains a lesson we have not learned or applied to these insane times in America.

This film is brilliant. It shows Hitler was a selfish evil man, but not Satan himself. You can see his cronies are all cut from the same cloth. They follow him until it is clear it is not in their best interests to do so. They all betray him one at a time. It takes more than one evil man to bring some much death and destruction to the world. It takes many.

It was very powerful.

Very fine and interesting effort. Ganz was excellent as Hitler (though I am not sure about his accent...it didn't seem authentic). The use of music was a little questionable, sometimes calling forth sympathy in situations and characters that I thought might have been left more open as to how you might sympathize. I thought more could have been made of not only the German people's complicity but their co- "creation" of Hitler. Still a very interesting effort.… Expand

Powerful! In the grand scheme of things this event in human history occured but a few moments ago. This is an important film not so much for what it says but for what it wants us to ask. Things like 'How' and 'Why'? It is a cautionary tale that shows Hitler and his followers as real flesh and blood people; not the one dimensional monsters many would have us believe they are. The 'good old boys' of the Third Reich. ...And for that it is even more frightening.… Expand

Very well done from the German view point without praising him, but show him as he was. It is amazing that how many people blindly followed him without question.

I like what The Boston Globe reviewer sais about

Outstanding all around. any chacne the academy will remmber this movie and Bruno Ganz' performance next year? Let's hope so.

This film takes you into Hitler's bunker--and into his mind! It shows Hitler to be the powerful, compelling, captivating human he was--and leaves you not feeling, "Oh, that was another place, another time. Certainly not in America!" but rather wondering, "Could it happen here? To us? In America!" A bone chilling thought!!

Powerful and interesting film. Very German though . . . . Which means too long and too meticulous. However, the ending documentary footage of the central character, near the end of her life, and her realization of what she should have known (and what all of Gernmany should have known), brings home the main point of this well made film. Nice end piece to "The Dirty Girl" from a number of years ago. Even though it could have been edited better, it was still moving and emotionally taught. Great film.… Expand

Great film. It was about time that we get a portrait of Adolf Hitler as the human person he actually was. Only humans can commit true crimes, and here we have both the person and the crime.

Amazing! One can easily draw the parallels to today´s political situations where uncontolled power of a small bunch of fanatics leads to brainless faith of the masses. See it and remember it at the NEXT elections!

What a movie! Brilliant !!!!

What a movie! Brilliant !!!!

This film has raised the bar on all previous films about Hilter and W W ll. The acting and direction are brillant. In a few weeks I see again. I couldn't take my eyes off of the screen, even with the sick feeling in my stomach.

Great movie, superbly acted- saw it when it was first released in Frankfurt, with english subtitles. What an experience! Really drove home how crazy this man was and the attrocious acts he committed all the way to his death. Definitely recommend this movie, no matter what religious faith you may fall under.

This disturbing, controversial film humanizes a group of people we think of as monsters. It helps explain "why somebody didn't DO something"? And it should makes us wonder what America is embarking upon in the World today. Among the five best war films ever made.

What a film! Very dense atmosphere, an empathic portrait of the unbelievable and finally one begins to notice that the villainous and evil can be next to our door or within ourselves, and might not be the privilege of the few we just simplified as monsters.

A masterpiece!

Es increible el poner a Hittler como un santo.