Hitler human, still disturbing in the bunker

Downfall: Drama.
Starring Bruno Ganz, Alexandra Maria Lara, Corinna Harfouch, UlrichMathes and Juliane Kohler. Directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel.

American and British films have never quite been able to capture the different aspects of Adolph Hitler as suggested in newsreel footage. One insurmountable obstacle has been the problem of language: A Hitler speaking English automatically doesn't translate, anymore than a fireside chat spoken in German could hope to convey the true Franklin Roosevelt. Ultimately, it was up to the Germans to make the first great Hitler movie, and they have done so in "Downfall," about the last days of the Third Reich as experienced from inside Hitler's bunker.

It's a satisfying film in many ways -- dramatic, accurate and harrowing, effectively photographed and brilliantly acted. It's also a useful film, in its portrayal of the specific nature of institutional fanaticism. Historical monsters, such as Magda Goebbels and Hitler, are presented as human beings, not caricatures. The effect is not to make them more sympathetic, not even remotely, but rather to provide insight into the mechanics and mental processes behind acts of absolute evil.

"Downfall," which was nominated for a best foreign film Oscar, arrives in San Francisco on a wave of praise, though with a few dissenters who've said that any portrayal of Hitler as human is a disservice to history. This is a heartfelt but naive point of view that bespeaks a general American tendency to mistake personality and demeanor for character and behavior. The truth is that the most evil person imaginable need only seem evil a fraction of the time, since most of life -- sleeping, eating, going to the bathroom, interacting with people in a domestic sense -- requires very little in the way of moral choice.

Yes, evil will out, but it's not something that needs to be on display 24 hours a day. In the end, it doesn't take much to see evil coming when it's wearing horns and carrying a pitchfork. "Downfall" reminds us that the challenge of citizenship means recognizing evil when leaders are smiling, playing with their dogs and being photographed with children.

The extraordinary thing about Bruno Ganz as Hitler is the way he is able to synthesize everything we've seen of Hitler and everything we know about him, while at the same time creating an intuitive, spontaneous performance that in no way seems a crass imitation. For his first meeting with the young woman who'd become his secretary, Traudl Junge, Ganz adopts Hitler's fatherly pose, as seen in German newsreels -- gentle, smiling, soft-spoken. Then he begins dictating a letter, and the voice, ever-so subtly, changes into something strident and familiar. Two minutes into the movie, it's already clear that the Swiss-born Ganz is going to be able to pull this off. His portrayal of Hitler is a seamless blend of knowledge and inspiration, a product of rigorous study as refracted through the prism of an actor's understanding.
The stooped, prematurely old man in the bunker is Hitler's physical reality. His soul reveals itself in his rants against compassion, in his passing reference to the Jews and in his frequent sputtering outbursts of rage, delivered in a piercing, strangled voice. Anyone concerned that "Downfall" might inspire pity for Hitler needn't worry. The Hitler we get here is a contemptible, deluded and truly vile creature who'd gladly drag every German civilian down into the grave with him. The Nazis' deluded faith in their own virtue makes them comprehensible but more despicable, because the self- delusion seems a convenient trick of the mind. To see propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels (Ulrich Mathes) weeping for himself is to wish he didn't have the comfort of tears. It's to want to take his face and smash it into the wall.

"Downfall" is based largely on the memoirs of Junge, who survived until 2002 and was the subject of the documentary, "Blind Spot: Hitler's Secretary." She was a confidant of Hitler's girlfriend, Eva Braun, who is portrayed by Juliane Kohler as an emotionally perceptive young woman, covering over her sadness with effervescent high spirits. A party, in which Eva dances on a table, with a lot of drunken Nazis cheering her on, is filmed from Traudl's horrified viewpoint as like a vision of hell -- a frenzy of dead spirits, artificially animated, pretending to be happy.

The film takes place under a barrage of Allied bombing, and though bombs are familiar features in films, "Downfall" conveys the terror of a bombing assault more convincingly than any film in memory. It helps that we're never granted the perspective of an aerial view. We see only what the people see from the ground -- the explosions, very close and very loud.

Though Alexandra Maria Lara, as Traudl, is a compelling surrogate for audience reaction, it's likely that people who see "Downfall" will walk out talking mainly about two things: Ganz, and Corinna Harfouch as Magda Goebbels. On the chance that there are potential audience members who don't know what evil act the wife of Joseph Goebbels is famous for, I won't reveal it. I will say that the big scenes involving Mrs. Goebbels are extremely difficult to watch. They're also enlightening, in that they show how this woman justified herself and saw herself.

There are many lessons to be gleaned from "Downfall." Perhaps the most important is that absolute faith in one's own virtue is not a commitment to virtuous behavior but a commitment to one's own will. It's a license to commit atrocities. That's a lesson that can't be repeated enough.

"There are many lessons to be gleaned from "Downfall." Perhaps the most important is that absolute faith in one's own virtue is not a commitment to virtuous behavior but a commitment to one's own will."

Sounds interesting.. Anyone see it yet?

On the chance that there are potential audience members who don't know what evil act the wife of Joseph Goebbels is famous for, I won't reveal it.

Retroactive abortion.

here are many lessons to be gleaned from "Downfall." Perhaps the most important is that absolute faith in one's own virtue is not a commitment to virtuous behavior but a commitment to one's own will. It's a license to commit atrocities.

Or --- in the case of our own home-grown leftists --- it's a license to commit treason.

Haven't seen it, but I would certainly be interested.

I have always believed in humanizing Hitler (and others) in their historical treatment. It has nothing to do with sympathy but rather truth and wisdom. Evil rarely shows up dressed like Darth Vader or with horns and pitchforks.

If people had a better understanding of the "human" side of Hitler, Dan Rather's sympathetic Saddam interview and CNN's Saddam birthday love-fest coverage wouldn't have been the effective propaganda tools that they were.

The face of evil can be handsome, charming and charismatic. Teaching that the Hitler's of the world will appear as ranting lunatics without some positive appeal does the future a diservice.

I saw "Downfall" last night. Bruno Ganz was incredible as Hitler, as was whoever played Goebbells and Himmler. The movie however centered on the lower echelon staff of the FuhrerBunker and ordinary Berliners as doom approached.

The movie seem a little bit too long, but it was very informative and mesmerizing in most parts. The escape from Berlin by Hitler's pretty young secretary (whose autobiography was one of the main sources) was harrowing and apocalyptic, as was the street fighting by young 12 year old boys.

I saw it in Germany the first week it opened, and I went back to see it again the next day. I was very much impressed by the movie. Ganz IS Hitler in the movie, a softspoken southern German accented man with temper tantrums out of nowhere, just like the original (according to historians). But never over the top. Ian Kershaw, who wrote the 2 volume biography of Hitler (Hubris & Nemesis) said it was probably the most accurate portrayal that you could ever hope to find considering it's a movie.

Besides Hitler, the movie features Himmler, Goebbels, Speer and Bormann from the Party hierarchy, a few generals including #1 Hitler sycophant Keitel and briefly, Göring.

This movie was well researched, as history buffs and those who read and studied Hitler will recognize many events and quotes in the movie. I would rate it easily the best Hitler movie ever. No one will walk away from this movie feeling any sympathy for the man (that they didn't have before).

Ragnorak wrote:

I have always believed in humanizing Hitler (and others) in their historical treatment.
It has nothing to do with sympathy but rather truth and wisdom. Evil rarely shows up dressed like Darth Vader or with horns and pitchforks

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'Max' is a very good movie that humanizes Adolf just as he was about to participate in the forming of the Nazi party.. - 1920 or so, in Munich.

" -- absolute faith in one's own virtue is not a commitment to virtuous behavior but a commitment to one's own will. ."

Or --- in the case of our own home-grown leftists --- it's a license to commit treason.

Fanatics about "virtue" are found at every political level, left/right/center.
Fanaticism itself is the real evil, imo. -- Being overzealous for most ANY cause can lead to disaster.

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