Produced by London Weekend Television, The Death of Adolf Hitler stars Frank Finlay as the titular madman and re-creates the final days in the Berlin bunker. In 1973 this was groundbreaking stuff, but in the wake of Bruno Ganz's performance in Downfall (2004), it now looks fairly pallid in comparison. The cast are uniformly excellent, but their crisp and plummy BBC accents are jarring. Even though the decision to eschew stereotypical 'movie German' was exemplary, it's still odd to hear the word 'leader' spoken in place of the familiar 'fuhrer' time and time again. The budgetary choice to shoot the film on video also mars the proceedings. Overall, however, this is still worth a look, especially for Ed Devereaux's simpering performance as lick-spittle Martin Bormann.
ITV Saturday Night Theatre (TV Series)
The Death of Adolf Hitler (1973)
User Reviews
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The Death of Adolf Hitler
Prismark1018 April 2024
This Sunday night play for ITV was the final days in the bunker of the Hitler regime.
Comparisons will be made with Bruno Ganz's performance in Downfall.
Both productions share similarities. Which means the writers must have gone to similar historical sources regarding Adolf Hitler's final days, even final hours. The rest is conjecture.
Frank Finlay gives a highly volatile performance as Adolf Hitler. Regularly pumped up with drugs by his doctors. He thinks it is vitamins and he has been an addict for years.
His close circle know that Hitler is deranged. Flip flopping at any minutes, ranging between moments of calmness to madness. He could not decide whether to leave the bunker and Berlin and escape elsewhere.
In an early scene he reduces his deputy Hermann Göring to tears by insulting him in front of others.
Then there is Hitler's complex relationship with his longtime lover Eva Braun. The drama places a doubt as to how much he might have really loved her. She too was disturbed as well.
They finally get married as the Russians are advancing on Berlin. Looking forward to the wedding breakfast, likely to be a cyanide pill or a bullet.
Everyone seemed to be without remorse even with the end in sight. From death, destruction to genocide. The Nazis were still convinced they were in the right even though the war was lost.
This drama shown in 1973, is lower budget than Downfall. This was a studio bound production made 30 years before the more expensive feature film. It is riveting stuff.
Comparisons will be made with Bruno Ganz's performance in Downfall.
Both productions share similarities. Which means the writers must have gone to similar historical sources regarding Adolf Hitler's final days, even final hours. The rest is conjecture.
Frank Finlay gives a highly volatile performance as Adolf Hitler. Regularly pumped up with drugs by his doctors. He thinks it is vitamins and he has been an addict for years.
His close circle know that Hitler is deranged. Flip flopping at any minutes, ranging between moments of calmness to madness. He could not decide whether to leave the bunker and Berlin and escape elsewhere.
In an early scene he reduces his deputy Hermann Göring to tears by insulting him in front of others.
Then there is Hitler's complex relationship with his longtime lover Eva Braun. The drama places a doubt as to how much he might have really loved her. She too was disturbed as well.
They finally get married as the Russians are advancing on Berlin. Looking forward to the wedding breakfast, likely to be a cyanide pill or a bullet.
Everyone seemed to be without remorse even with the end in sight. From death, destruction to genocide. The Nazis were still convinced they were in the right even though the war was lost.
This drama shown in 1973, is lower budget than Downfall. This was a studio bound production made 30 years before the more expensive feature film. It is riveting stuff.
Finlay brilliant in black satire
Ipsissimus2 September 2008
Warning: Spoilers
In what might be the strangest film ever made about the Nazi regime, Frank Finlay gives an absolutely devastating performance as Adolf Hitler in the final ten days of his insane life. This made for television movie has been mis-labeled a "drama"; in fact, it is a satire of incredibly dark wit. In terms of the events which transpired, it more or less accurately depicts Hitler's last days in the Berlin bunker, when Germany's loss of the war was certain. Where the film deviates from accuracy is in the discussions the crazed Hitler had with his loyal and not so loyal followers. Finlay's Hitler is constantly asking his underlings, "Are you mad?" while he himself is obviously the most insane occupant of the bunker, flying into towering, hysterical rages at the drop of a hat while his followers calmly look on. At one point Hitler reacts to Goering's betrayal of him with one of the most hilarious depictions of a raving madman ever put on film (or in this case videotape). The dialogue by Vincent Tilsley is brilliant in its bitter irony and sarcasm. The supporting cast is good, but their function is mainly as a target of Finlay's furious outbursts, rambling monologues, and biting sarcasm; at one point one of Hitler's generals claims to be "Just a simple soldier", to which Hitler retorts, "Simple yes, soldier no." This movie is Finlay's show, and he's absolutely superb at depicting Hitler's basic insanity and hatred of the world, and his helpless fury as he watches his "thousand year Reich" go down in flames.
The best Hitler movie I have ever seen
dtucker8611 October 2001
This outstanding English film was only shown on American TV once in 1983. I am stationed in Germany and was lucky enough to find it at a video store here. Frank Finlay has got to be the scariest Adolf Hitler ever! He captures all of the evil and madness that was Hitler. There was another movie about Hitler's last days that appeared on American TV in 1981 called The Bunker where Anthony Hopkins played Hitler (he won an Emmy for it). Hopkins was good, Finlay is unforgettable. His performance haunted me for years after I saw the film. The scene that got me was where Hitler has a delusion that he is back in the Vienna sewers of his youth and keeps talking about getting rid of the rats. This amazing actor certainly deserves to be better known. He was also the scariest Marley's ghost that I have ever seen in the 1984 tv version of A Christmas Carol where George C. Scott played Scrooge.
Last days of the Third Reich
supremegenius-579-77678810 November 2009
Warning: Spoilers
One stormy night in the 1980's I tuned-in to the BBC's production of "The Death of Adolf Hitler" on PBS and pushed record on my VCR. What followed was nothing short of brilliant. Like the other reviewer stated this production was filled with dark humor and sarcastic pathos, like when Hitler abruptly stops his rambling monologue in mid sentence and, like evidently numerous times in the last few panic stricken days, exits to a side room, one of his unimpressed generals dryly intones "I do believe he's gone to pray." Or when he's vehemently condemning Goring in absentia to a crowded room "I always knew Goring wanted to be the first lady of Germany. What I didn't realize was he wanted to be the first man as well! You will obey him while he paints his toenails! You will obey him while he drenches his obscene body in perfume! Just don't ask him to give you an order while he's putting on his lipstick, because he might smudge, and he will become angry with you!" Or when he's discussing his architect Speer with his young secretary "Poor Albert. I could never make him realize that beauty can only be built on top of sewers." I still have the tape, filled with intermittent lightning flashes from the storm raging around the antennae outside.
Very disappointing
poppymuddyfoot20 August 2020
Very poorly acted. It reminded me of a high school drama production. The acting was very stiff and awkward. I could tell when I was supposed to feel sympathetic, or shocked, or just plain sad. But honestly I didn't feel anything but bored. Mr. Finlay does a lot of hysterical screaming in this film, but I'm not sure why since I couldn't understand most of what he was saying. Give this film a pass and watch Hitler: The Last 10 Days with Alec Guiness instead. You'll get a lot more out of it.
Very disappointing.
plan9920 April 2024
I was sure that I was going to enjoy watching this but I didn't. Who ever had the idea that Frank should deliver 90% of his dialogue at full volume made a very bad mistake, it was very weary some to listen to for so long and it made it difficult to watch.
Over all the acting was poor and the bunker interior was far too studio looking to be in any way convincing, the audience constantly being aware that it was a studio with studio lighting.
Not enough interaction at a reasonable volume level between Hitler and his staff to make it interesting.
I've not seen "Downfall" but even so I know that it has to be vastly superior to this poor effort.
Over all the acting was poor and the bunker interior was far too studio looking to be in any way convincing, the audience constantly being aware that it was a studio with studio lighting.
Not enough interaction at a reasonable volume level between Hitler and his staff to make it interesting.
I've not seen "Downfall" but even so I know that it has to be vastly superior to this poor effort.
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