Going Down with Der Untergang
Der Untergang, or Downfall, as it is expressed in its English translation, is one of the finest films to come along in the past decade and will likely be hailed as a masterpiece for years to come. It is the unflinching portrayal of the final days in the life of Adolf Hitler along with his cabinet members and military associates during their retreat into the infamous bunker during the fall of Berlin in 1945. Downfall accesses a wealth of historical data to bring this dark moment of 20th century history to light, and a knowledge of this history would allow viewers to better understand the subplots and political intrigue (which are clarified on repeat viewings). The German/Italian/Austrian co-production sports an outstanding supporting cast led by Bruno Ganz in one of the finest performances of his acclaimed career.
The airtight direction is among one of many things to marvel; there doesn't seem to be a single moment of wasted film in Downfall's running time of 156 minutes. The excellent script utilizes the enormous cast extremely well, as Hitler's associates scramble to determine their own allegiance to Der Fuhrer and the allegiance of others around them. This allows for a continually shifting web of psychological intrigue and the director uses it to sustain a high level of suspense throughout. All the supporting actors turn in great performances; it is difficult to recall an ensemble that functions so well together. The casting and art direction are flawless; the authenticity draws viewers into the work and holds them in awe.
Director Oliver Hirschbeigel's intention was to make the figure of Adolf Hitler and some of his more sinister associates play as human as possible. Previous filmic efforts have taken a different road by portraying the Fuhrer as a rabid dog or senseless lunatic. But in this case the power comes from the understanding that these people, capable of so much bloodshed and destruction, were ultimately mere human beings. This perspective gives Downfall an added emotional weight that pushes the narrative beyond normal definitions of tragedy due to the horrible ramifications of the Nazi Party's agenda.
The path of Hitler's decline is nicely counterpointed with the character of his secretary, Traudl Junge, deftly portrayed by Alexandra Maria Lara. From the moment she is hired at the onset of the film to the final scenes of her escape from the bunker, she is both sympathetic and suspect. The real-life image and words of Frau Junge is presented at the beginning and end of the film, as she muses on the multi-layered levels of responsibility for the action of the Nazi Party she may have accepted or overlooked.
The film achieves its greatest intensity as viewers watch the internal military mechanisms of the Third Reich disintegrate as the Russians approach Berlin while Hitler's sanity really begins to fail. The scenes where Ganz is ordering his generals to shift troops (who have already perished on the battlefield) to support other failing units create moments of tremendous tension. There is great detail to many aspects of the fall of Berlin, and all are tracked in a way that never allows the pace to slacken.
Downfall examines aparallelparalel character in Eva Braun (played by Julianne Kohler), who went to great lengths to keep those around her from stepping away from their loyalty to Der Fuhrer. Corinna Harfouch and Ulrich Matthes merge with the roles of Madga and Joseph Goebbels, and their performances could be considered among the finest in the past decade of moviemaking. Their final descent brings about some of the most terrible acts of tragedy.
Der Untergang is a masterpiece of cinema that reveals a dark page of our not too distant history. Without ever nodding to present political situations, it reveals the danger of having so much power resting in the hands of so few individuals. Downfall is an important film on many levels and viewers will find that repeated viewings only help to appreciate the immense effort involved by this impressive director and his cast and crew to bring this powerful story to fruition.
The airtight direction is among one of many things to marvel; there doesn't seem to be a single moment of wasted film in Downfall's running time of 156 minutes. The excellent script utilizes the enormous cast extremely well, as Hitler's associates scramble to determine their own allegiance to Der Fuhrer and the allegiance of others around them. This allows for a continually shifting web of psychological intrigue and the director uses it to sustain a high level of suspense throughout. All the supporting actors turn in great performances; it is difficult to recall an ensemble that functions so well together. The casting and art direction are flawless; the authenticity draws viewers into the work and holds them in awe.
Director Oliver Hirschbeigel's intention was to make the figure of Adolf Hitler and some of his more sinister associates play as human as possible. Previous filmic efforts have taken a different road by portraying the Fuhrer as a rabid dog or senseless lunatic. But in this case the power comes from the understanding that these people, capable of so much bloodshed and destruction, were ultimately mere human beings. This perspective gives Downfall an added emotional weight that pushes the narrative beyond normal definitions of tragedy due to the horrible ramifications of the Nazi Party's agenda.
The path of Hitler's decline is nicely counterpointed with the character of his secretary, Traudl Junge, deftly portrayed by Alexandra Maria Lara. From the moment she is hired at the onset of the film to the final scenes of her escape from the bunker, she is both sympathetic and suspect. The real-life image and words of Frau Junge is presented at the beginning and end of the film, as she muses on the multi-layered levels of responsibility for the action of the Nazi Party she may have accepted or overlooked.
The film achieves its greatest intensity as viewers watch the internal military mechanisms of the Third Reich disintegrate as the Russians approach Berlin while Hitler's sanity really begins to fail. The scenes where Ganz is ordering his generals to shift troops (who have already perished on the battlefield) to support other failing units create moments of tremendous tension. There is great detail to many aspects of the fall of Berlin, and all are tracked in a way that never allows the pace to slacken.
Downfall examines aparallelparalel character in Eva Braun (played by Julianne Kohler), who went to great lengths to keep those around her from stepping away from their loyalty to Der Fuhrer. Corinna Harfouch and Ulrich Matthes merge with the roles of Madga and Joseph Goebbels, and their performances could be considered among the finest in the past decade of moviemaking. Their final descent brings about some of the most terrible acts of tragedy.
Der Untergang is a masterpiece of cinema that reveals a dark page of our not too distant history. Without ever nodding to present political situations, it reveals the danger of having so much power resting in the hands of so few individuals. Downfall is an important film on many levels and viewers will find that repeated viewings only help to appreciate the immense effort involved by this impressive director and his cast and crew to bring this powerful story to fruition.
posted by Greenlief on Film at 4:01 PM
1 Comments:
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Post a Comment
<< Home