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Hitler: The Last Ten Days More at IMDbPro »
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| Index | 21 reviews in total |
34 out of 38 people found the following review useful:
Hitler: The greatest performing artist of the twentieth-century?, 7 January 2005
Author:
GulyJimson (GulyJimson@aol.com) from Los Angeles, CA
How does one approach the towering figure of Adolf Hitler, a figure so
out-sized in his cruelty, so colossal in his infamy, that it staggers
the imagination to conceive that he actually lived and breathed? Yet he
was as human as you and I and gifted with some of the virtues and most
of the flaws that flesh is heir to. One could examine him from a
historical, psychological, or sociological perspective. Taking a
position on Hitler's moral character is not difficult; he was the
embodiment of evil. But did he have greatness, as well? His nemesis,
Winston Churchill offered this assessment, "If evil can be great, we
cannot deny him greatness." He certainly had genius. Not as a painter
as he probably wished. His genius lay elsewhere. He was probably the
greatest actor of the twentieth-century who used first Germany and then
the World as his stage, mesmerizing it with performances of such
messianic passion that he transported his audiences away with him to
some unattainable inner Valhalla of their own making. Watching one of
his performances-I call his speeches performances-because it was not
what he said, but how he said it that was extraordinary, one is
immediately struck by how well thought out and structured they were,
with every gesture and movement of the body orchestrated to give
meaning to the the torrent of words pouring forth.
Hitler has been well served in cinema. As an enthusiastic cineaste and
certifiable egomaniac, he probably would not have been pleased by the
portrayals. He likely would have viewed himself as a tragic hero, or
worse a misunderstood martyr. He would never have understood that his
crimes were too heinous and numerous for cinema to depict him in that
light. Some notable interpretations of Der Fuhrer have been, Charles
Chaplin, "The Great Dictator" (1940) Ludwig Donath, "The Strange Death
of Adolf Hitler" (1943) Luther Adler, "The Desert Fox" (1951) Albin
Skoda, "The Last Ten Days" (1955) Richard Basehart, "Hitler" (1962)
Billy Frick, "Is Paris Burning?" (1966) Frank Finlay, "The Death of
Adolf Hitler" (1973) Alec Guinness, "Hitler: The Last Ten Days" (1973)
Ian Bannen, "The Gathering Storm" (1974) Anthony Hopkins, "The Bunker"
(1981) Derek Jacobi, "Inside The Third Reich" (1982) Norman Rodway,
"The Empty Mirror" (1996) Noah Taylor as a young Hitler in "Max" (2002)
Robert Carlyle, "Hitler: The Rise of Evil" (2003) Bruno Ganz, "Der
Untergang" (2004). All of these actor have illuminated aspects of the
man's complex personality, so in many ways the performer we "like best"
as Hitler is the one who best captures those qualities we associate
with the man. Alec Guinness best captured my view of Hitler as
performing artist. The bunker was his stage and his entourage, his last
captive audience for his final, most terrible performance, the
initiator of Gotterdammerung. It is an impressive acting turn by
Guinness because the script does not allow him to indulge in any great
histrionic oration. Instead, he brings all the vanity and egocentricity
of a frustrated actor desperately needing the approbation of his
audience-however small. Whether launching into a monologue about the
great old days of his rise to power, or haranguing his generals to
"will" their way to victory, that need for approval, to be the center
of attention is like a spoiled child who is never satisfied with the
love and attention he receives, can never fill the gaping void that is
the core of his existence.
Guinness, who made a career both on stage and film portraying "little
men" illuminates beautifully the inner life of the man, capturing
Hitler's pettiness of spirit, and essential provincialism. A wonderful
example of this is the scene where Hitler having decided to kill
himself and have his body burned, smugly tells Goebbels who has decided
to do the same, that there may not be enough petrol because he is
hoarding all of it for himself, all the while spreading gobs of cream
on his chocolate cake like a little boy satisfying his sweet tooth.
This is for the most part a quieter Hitler than previous shown, and
with one notable exception, mercifully free from the usual hysterics
and ravings that have long since become cliché. At the same time
Guinness manages to capture the drug-ridden, bleary-eyed, broken,
ex-dictator shuffling his way to the grave. One could almost feel pity
for this creature, if only he himself were not so pitiless. Even at the
end he is the eternal actor, never comfortable with being himself,
always assuming a new role in order to define not only himself but his
relationship to others. Whether playing the charismatic father figure
to a still believing Captain Hoffman, (Simon Ward) the sly old
matchmaker between General Von Greim, (Eric Porter) and Hanna Reitsch,
(Diane Cilento) the betrayed friend and mentor when he hears of
Himmler's attempts to negotiated a truce with the allies, or justifying
his barbarity ("Nature is cruel, so I too must be cruel!") to his
final, penultimate audience, Eva Baum just before they commit suicide,
Guinness keeps this Hitler even with his monstrous ego, intensely and
uncomfortably human. And with his uncanny chameleon like ability he
easily incorporates the man's gestures and mannerisms without ever
slipping into caricature. Guinnes always considered his portrayal of
Hitler to be among his five greatest film performances and it wouldn't
be until he played William Dorrit in "Little Dorrit" (1988) would he
have another film role that would challenge his abilities as an actor.
18 out of 20 people found the following review useful:
Alec Guinness' realistic portrayal, 3 June 1999
Author:
Patrick R. Pearsey (prp48@hotmail.com) from Indianapolis, IN.
"Hitler: The Last Ten Days" is watchable chiefly due to the remarkable
portrayal of the Nazi dictator by Alec Guinness. Guinness sought to
portray
Hitler as a man and succeeds in his efforts.
The opening credits, narrated by Alstair Cooke are noteworthy in giving a
5
minute history lesson bringing the viewer up to date - April 20, 1945 in
the
Berlin bunker of Adolph Hitler. The acts of Hitler in the final 10 days
of
his life, bizarre and murderous to the end, are worth watching only
because
of Guinness. He has the mannerisms and although I've never met Hitler,
after watching this film, I felt that I had. The physical resemblance is
startling.
Most frightening scene: Hitler's worst tantrum ever after finding out he
had been "betrayed" by his generals. Alec Guinness goes from hysterical
rage to sobbing "the war is lost" and makes you feel the terror his
underlings must have felt.
15 out of 19 people found the following review useful:
Stunning and Informative, 16 June 2000
Author:
spanner_spensleyc from Australia
"Hitler: The Last Ten Days" is a powerful and stunning film based upon the demise of one of the most evil men that have ever lived. At the start of the film, the producers stated that they attempted to portray everything as it was historically documented. It worked. It explored Hitler's obvious mental problems, his charisma and how he managed to unite a disgruntled country under him. Sir Alec Guinness is a perfect choice to portray the Fuhrer, and he brings experience to an otherwise unknown cast. **** out of *****.
11 out of 12 people found the following review useful:
Well made and historically accurate., 2 May 2003
Author:
RONALD B. RAFF (herbstnebel2ss) from Los Lunas, New Mexico
"Hitler: the Last Ten Days" is beyond doubt the best movie ever made about Adolf Hitler's final days. The sets, uniforms and script are exceedingly accurate. I could find only two flaws regarding uniforms. Even the actors bore a remarkable resemblance to the characters they portrayed. I was somewhat disappointed with the casting of Doris Kunstmann as Eva Braun. Doris is far too beautiful. Britt Ekland would have been a much better choice. The exterior scenes, being shot in black and white accentuated the graphic realism outside the bunker as opposed to the color shots of the madness within. Most of the script is based on the writings of Rittmeister Gerhard Boldt (portrayed by Simon Ward as Hauptmann Hoffman). Boldt left the bunker just shortly before Hitler's suicide. The research done for the construction of the sets must have been awesome. Even an old cement mixer viewed in wartime photos is present. The bare concrete walls and luxurious furnishings cast a stark reality of the bunker interior. Regarding performances, Alec Guinness is of course commanding as Hitler. He clearly shows he is concerned about nothing except his place in history and how many followers he can convince to follow his lead of suicide as opposed to surrender. All the other roles, except Eva Braun's are minor as they should be. Goebbels comes across as the eternal lackey, who would rather his children die, than live in a world without Hitler. Bormann's sole concern is consolidating power in the Reich that is soon to be no more. The Generals follow orders as they have for years, and quarrel amongst themselves about who should break the latest bad news to the Fuehrer. All in all the film is quite entertaining and will definitely hold the attention of any history buff.
8 out of 10 people found the following review useful:
The most realistic portrayal of Hitler ever, 28 December 2004
Author:
gunnarvl from Seattle, WA
Alec Guinness becomes Hitler, and it is the most realistic portrayal I've ever seen. Derek Jacoby and Anthony Hopkins come no where close to this in their respective films, Inside The Third Reich and The Bunker. This is like a color camera capturing Hitler speaking in English. It is frightening yet has touches of humor, especially when the announcement of Hitlers death is made to the other residents of the bunker, you see a pretty blond woman reach for her small case containing cyanide capsules and cigarettes. She chooses the cigarettes and she and everyone else in the room light up. The most memorable line in the film is Hitler trying to conjure up some of the old charismatic magic of the past, addressing a young captain played by Simon Ward. "The Gods give their love only to those who demand the impossible. Mankind is ruled by will, by determination. When the will is thrust by genius, it generates a force which throughout history has proved irresistible"
10 out of 14 people found the following review useful:
Good but depressing aura, 24 October 2001
Author:
Kakueke
"Hitler: The Last Ten Days," is a fine film and one of the better attempts
-- in events, in people, in atmosphere and personal quirks -- at
historical
accuracy on any subject. Alec Guinness is excellent as Hitler and captures
well his stiff mannerisms and stern bearing, as well as his hysterical
outbursts. Beginning with a celebration of the Fuhrer's last birthday, the
atmosphere grows gradually more and more depressing, while Hitler from time
to time peppers his entourage with his disoriented visions of an actual
victory to come; this is foiled with very brief "real" vignettes of
historical truth--what is actually happening as Hitler speaks. Oh well,
there are a lot of pretty women (certainly, Doris Kuntsmann is much more
attractive than was Eva Braun) and cream desserts, as well as musical
interludes, to keep one still interested.
Hitler's ravings at his generals and their reactions are very well done, as
in "Winds of War." Adolfo Celi, best known as Largo in "Thunderball," is
good as General Krebs, not a household name, but Hitler's chief sounding
board in the film. In his countenance we see the growing despair, the
occasional protest, the sad and awkward facial expressions indicating wait,
aren't there checks and limits (and reality) to you, can people really be
as
evil as you want them to be, are those who stand accused by you really
deserving of your characterization? The final scene, with Hitler and Eva
just before their suicide, is an interesting interpretation and captures
the
extreme utter selfishness and cruelty of the Fuhrer's character.
8 out of 12 people found the following review useful:
The most gripping portrayal of Adolf Hitler ever., 8 December 1998
Author:
Shannon Box (sbox@gvtc.com) from Canyon Lake, TX
Alec Guinness, most notably known as Obi Wan Kenobi, delivers a stunning
performance as the Third Reich's Fuhrer. Relegated to a concrete bunker in
once beautiful Berlin, Hitler resorts to ruling a faux empire. Fascinated
with models of victorious post war Germany, Hitler lives in painful
delusion. When he is coherent, Hitler plans grand strategies with armies
that no longer exist.
It is a fascinating look into the warlord's inner circle whilst all is
lost.
5 out of 7 people found the following review useful:
Der Untergang, 22 November 2008
Author:
dbdumonteil
"The last ten days" was dwarfed by another recent movie dealing with
the same subject.This latter movie ,however ,owes a good deal to the
Italian/German effort which was made 35 years ago and which holds up
very well,thanks to Alec Guiness's sensational performance which easily
equals that of Bruno Ganz .Ganz was more credible only because he used
his first language: German speaking English,it does not always ring
true .Historians often write that the 1973 effort was often
historically accurate.
Filmed in color (in the bunker) or in bleak black and white in Berlin
in ruin: pictures of destruction,of death and of terror ,with snatches
of "Das Lied der Deutschen" as a pathetic dirge.Inside the bunker,a man
who still believes he is something like a messiah ,and in front of his
"apostles", he seems to play the part of a martyr.Outside the walls
,soldier boys are fighting -one of them even gets a laughable medal-
"Hitler:the last ten days" is a movie to remember.
2 out of 2 people found the following review useful:
Well worth seeing for magnificent acting of Alec Guinness as a decrepit Hitler, 6 October 2010
Author:
ma-cortes
Good rendition about the last days of Hitler with exceptional
performance from Alec Guinness .This is the true story of the infamous
Nazi dictator with his historic downfall . The story of Hitler's last
days in an underground bunker gives insight to his madness . Here in
the midst of his lackeys , the dictator played out the final act of his
life . It's very well played by Alec Guinness who does a first rate
acting . The film deals with the history of Hitler's last days in
underground bunker , it's the true story of the historic downfall and
death( 1945 at age 55 ) of the infamous Nazi dictator , culprit of
death about 50 million people during second war world and killing of 6
million Jewish in concentration camps . The Fuhrer's last few tortured
days in his underground bunker against a Berlin background and adding
some documentary scenes from exterior . Hitler had height five feet,
seven inches, eyes black, hair black, shaggy locks hung over forehead,
complexion sallow, wide mustache, various hairs on each side, besides
had marked devotion to brown shirts and old trench-coat and always
surrounded by armed thugs and expert gunmen . He had demented gaze with
tendency to become hysterical on slight provocation with delusions,
particularly upon his place in history and his powers over vast numbers
of people and addicted to public hysteria on race purity, he has known
to throw himself on the floor and gnaw rugs,guttural voice apt to rise
to shrill tones when excited or thwarted . He was a congenital liar
suffering from dreams of persecution . Almost all these physical
descriptions and particulars of Hitler are perfectly incarnated by
Guinness . Thus , he plays him as sadistic, malicious , dangerous,
vengeful, mystical and maniacal . Guinness's portrayal is the
perfection in the Hitler role one would expect at least on the surface
, he gives insight to his madness and with persuasive qualities of his
interpretation . This flick is finely written and professionally
directed by Ennio DeConcini , a prestigious screenwriter in his only
film . Other adaptations about this historical character are the
following : ¨Hitler(1962)¨ by Stuart Heisler with Richard Basehart,
¨Hitler : The last days(1958) by W.G.Pabst and the best is ¨The
Downfall¨ by Oliver Hischbiegel with Bruno Ganz , furthermore for TV ,
¨The bunker¨ with Anthony Hopkins .
The picture is correctly based on real events , adding more details ,
the deeds happened of the following manner : ¨Fuehererbunker¨ (Leader's
Bunker)is the subterranean headquarter below the Chancellery and its
garden in Berlin where Hitler spent his last days, from April 20 to 30,
1945 . It was constructed during WW2 some 50 feet below the ground . It
could be reached through the New Chancellery by descending a stairway
from the butler's pantry. There were two levels, on the upper level was
a dining passage separating six rooms on each side . At the end of the
central passage a curved stair led down to Hitler's own deeper bunker.
This area had seventeen rooms , all small, cramped , and uncomfortable
: Hitler's suite of three rooms, a map room used for conferences, the
dressing room and bedroom of Eva Braun(Doris Kuntsmann), the bedroom of
Dr Paul Joseph Goebbles(John Bennett) and wife (Barbara Jefford), the
rooms of Dr Ludwig , lavatories and bathrooms, an emergency telephone
exchange, a drawing room, guardroom, cloakroom and a dog bunker for
Hitler's Alsatian bitch named Blondi, with her four puppies . Hitler
spent hours before giant war maps, shifting colored pins about to
locate units that no longer existed . By this time he was in a state of
extreme nervous exhaustion : although only fifty-six, he moved as if he
were prematurely senile. His health grew even worse the ministrations
of his doctors. With the exception of Goebbles and Martin Bormann
(Kingston), his secretaries and several others, his lieutenants began
to desert him . He denounced Herrmann Goering for trying to usurp his
leadership and Heimrich Himmler for seeking to negotiate with the count
Bernadotte and Allied. Albert Speer his minister of Armaments and War
Production , refused to carry out his orders for a scorched-earth
policy. At last acknowledge defeat, the Fuehrer decided to leave the
world in a gesture of Wagnerian self-immolation . In the early hours of
April 29, 1945, he married Eva and immediately afterward dictated his
last will and political testament, in which he justified his life and
work . The next day he retreated into his suite and shot himself while
Eva took poison to end her life. In accordance with his instructions,
the bodies were dumped into a trough in the Chencellery garden,doused
with gasoline and burned. From April 22 to May 1, 1945 , the following
were present in the Bunker: Gen Keitel (Gabriele Ferzetti), Gen. Hans
Guderian , Col.Von Below (Richard Pescud) , Gen. Alfred Jodl(Philip
Stone) , Major Gen. Rattenhuber, Lieutenant Genen Fegelein (Julian
Glover), Fraulein Junge (Ann Lynn) Dr. Ludwig Stumpfegger ( John
Barron) , among others.
6 out of 10 people found the following review useful:
Good history lesson film, 20 January 2000
Author:
yenlo from Auburn, Me
Excellent film about the final days of Adolph Hitler and his last stand in the legendary Berlin Bunker. The opening credits are outstanding as they give the viewer a quick history lesson of German conquest and loss from 1939 up to 20 April 1945. All actors in this picture do a brilliant job with Alec Guinness leading the way as the Bohemian Corporal himself.
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