Downfall (DVD, 2005)

A powerfully disturbing portrayal of the last days of the 3rd Reich with riveting performances by the entire cast. Be prepared for an intense, rewarding experience. From the brief documentary remarks of Hitler's secretary Traudl Junge at the outset of the film until the hopeful conclusion, this tour de force will give you plenty to think about long after the final credits fade. This is one of the best World War II films ever. Bruno Ganz gives an award-winning performance. He's chillingly convincing in his finely nuanced portrayal of Hitler during the last years of his demonic life -- from his amazingly patient, grandfatherly treatment of his secretary to his tyrannical rages with his senior military leaders. You won't see many performances better than this. To the credit of the film's director and its casting director, the supporting cast is uniformly strong and gives compelling performances. One of the most noteworthy supporting performances is the sinister portrayal of Frau Goebbels by Corinna Harfouch. Magda Goebbels appears throughout most of the film to be an attentive mother and political enthusiast who prides herself at molding her 6 children into model National Socialist wunderkinder. In the film's climactic moments Ms. Harfouch convincingly portrays the pathology of Frau Goebbels' excessive glorification of the Fuhrer and his delusional ideology. Her heinous "crime" against nature will shock and outrage many viewers. Make sure to have your subwoofer turned on so you won't miss the audible and palpable reverberations that Surround Sound adds to this well-crafted film. The musical score also provides an almost haunting backdrop to the malevolence of the Nazi hierarchy, which in the final days of the 3rd Reich cold-bloodedly inflicts a horrific toll on its own German citizens. These effects clearly signal that film director Oliver Hirschbiegel has made a film that is destined to become a classic. Although the Special Features on the DVD are limited, both are worth watching. The MAKING OF, while running for 50+ minutes, helps to introduce many of the principal characters of this large cast, as well as provide some interesting behind the scenes comments about the film. Most of the INTERVIEWS feature repeats parts of the MAKING OF feature. The ONLY "new" (and informative) INTERVIEW was with Melissa Müller, who wrote a book about Hitler's secretary's memoirs. That interview is well worth watching.