X
- 2005
- R
- Newmarket Films
- 2 h 36 m
- 2005
- R
- Newmarket Films
- 2 h 36 m
Summary A portrait of Hitler's final days in his Berlin bunker at the end of WWII.
Directed By: Oliver Hirschbiegel
Written By: Bernd Eichinger, Joachim Fest, Traudl Junge, Melissa Müller
- 2005
- R
- Newmarket Films
- 2 h 36 m
- 2005
- R
- Newmarket Films
- 2 h 36 m
Downfall
8.5
Where to Watch
Summary A portrait of Hitler's final days in his Berlin bunker at the end of WWII.
Directed By: Oliver Hirschbiegel
Written By: Bernd Eichinger, Joachim Fest, Traudl Junge, Melissa Müller
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
Based on 35 Critic Reviews
82
91% Positive
32 Reviews
32 Reviews
9% Mixed
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
Based on 35 Critic Reviews
82
91% Positive
32 Reviews
32 Reviews
9% Mixed
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
The first great Hitler movie.
In every aspect, his film is superbly made.
User Score
Universal Acclaim
Based on 247 User Ratings
8.5
91% Positive
225 Ratings
225 Ratings
5% Mixed
12 Ratings
12 Ratings
4% Negative
10 Ratings
10 Ratings
User Score
Universal Acclaim
Based on 247 User Ratings
8.5
91% Positive
225 Ratings
225 Ratings
5% Mixed
12 Ratings
12 Ratings
4% Negative
10 Ratings
10 Ratings
"Der Führer ist tot"
This movie is one of the most incredible that takes place during the second world war. It does a next to flawless job at capturing the personality and mind of Adolf ****, with Bruno Ganz (Rest in peace) raising the long-dead Führer from the grave for this movie with his acting. This movie is 100% worth a watch and more.
Report
As a piece of filmmaking, it's stunningly effective.
Downfall's overstuffed melodrama juggles countless subplots and a small army of characters who manage to make an impression in spite of limited screen time.
That's the problem of Downfall in a nutshell: It provokes insufficient emotional and intellectual responses to a grotesque and atrocious dictatorship. Instead of the banality of evil, it gives us the banality of banality.
Downfall may be grimly self-important and inescapably trivializing. But we should be grateful that German cinema is more inclined to normalize the nation's history than rewrite it.
At once grandiose, horrific, suffocating, and memetastic, but most importantly perpetually relevant. This film is perhaps the most significant war film of all time and one of the few that explores the full breadth of a nation forced to face the consequences of its choices. Some claim it humanizes atrocity, but the fact remains that it was all driven by human motivations and actions, from table top strategy to the decision to murder kids. Superbly acted (Bruno Ganz *is* ****), with great support casting, and immaculate attention to detail. If nothing else, see this film for an important history lesson.
Report
This is the best WW2 film, and best German film I watched. This is where Downfall Parodies come from.
Report
I was rather surprised at the overall positive reviews for this film. I found the cinematography lacking and the storyline rather mundane. While Bruno Ganz did a remarkable job presenting **** as a compassionate man to those he chose to care for as well as flashes of the monster he was and his diseased mind, I felt the film also whitewashed those who served him and the crimes they committed. They appeared as proud, loyal soldiers, devoted until the end as any soldier is expected to be. Yet these men assisted in the genocide of more than 60 million people and no mention of their atrocities was every made. Also Traudl Junge was no child, she was 22 and aware of who **** was, yet she is portrayed as a pleasant, slightly naive, bland young girl. If you had no knowledge of history all you would know is that **** appears quite a being quite 'off' and everyone else had a strong handle on reality or pleasantly ignorant. I had a difficult time empathizing with any of the characters or even disliking any of them. It generally provoked no response in me other than irritation with the exception of the portrayal of Magda Goebbels. She was well played by Corrina Harfouch and I found myself genuinely feeling hatred towards her as I watched the film. I liked the concept of the film but found the approach as narrow as the halls of the bunker.
Report
Production Company
Constantin Film,
Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR),
Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR),
ARD Degeto Film,
Österreichischer Rundfunk (ORF),
EOS Entertainment,
Rai Cinema
Release Date Feb 18, 2005
Duration 2 h 36 m
Rating R
Tagline April 1945, a nation awaits its...
Awards
Academy Awards, USA
• 1 Nomination
International Online Cinema Awards (INOCA)
• 4 Nominations
Bavarian Film Awards
• 3 Wins & 3 Nominations
