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Title: Downfall (2004)
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| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Bruno Ganz | ... | Adolf Hitler | |
| Alexandra Maria Lara | ... | Traudl Junge | |
| Corinna Harfouch | ... | Magda Goebbels | |
| Ulrich Matthes | ... | Joseph Goebbels | |
| Juliane Köhler | ... | Eva Braun | |
| Heino Ferch | ... | Albert Speer | |
| Christian Berkel | ... | Prof. Ernst-Günther Schenck | |
| Matthias Habich | ... | Prof. Werner Haase | |
| Thomas Kretschmann | ... | Hermann Fegelein | |
| Michael Mendl | ... | General Weidling | |
| André Hennicke | ... | General Mohnke | |
| Ulrich Noethen | ... | Heinrich Himmler | |
| Birgit Minichmayr | ... | Gerda Christian | |
| Rolf Kanies | ... | General Hans Krebs | |
 |
Justus von Dohnányi | ... | General Wilhelm Burgdorf |
In April of 1945, Germany stands at the brink of defeat with the Soviet Armies closing in from the west and south. In Berlin, capital of the Third Reich, Adolf Hitler proclaims that Germany will still achieve victory and orders his Generals and advisers to fight to the last man. "Downfall" explores these final days of the Reich, where senior German leaders (such as Himmler and Goring) began defecting from their beloved Fuhrer, in an effort to save their own lives, while still others (Joseph Goebbels) pledge to die with Hitler. Hitler, himself, degenerates into a paranoid shell of a man, full of optimism one moment and suicidal depression the next. When the end finally does comes, and Hitler lies dead by his own hand, what is left of his military must find a way to end the killing that is the Battle of Berlin, and lay down their arms in surrender. Written by Anthony Hughes {husnock31@hotmail.com}
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Not since perhaps Rod Steiger's portrayal of Benito Mussolini in Moustapha Akkad's LION OF THE DESERT (1980) have I seen a notorious dictator more realistically acted than Bruno Ganz's stunning display as "Der Fuerer" in The Downfall (2004).
Sitting amongst a full-house of patrons here at the Toronto Int'l Film Festival's 2004 edition, Ganz captivated the local audience with the scariest Hitler I've ever seen up on the silver screen -- better than Noah Taylor's English Hitler in MAX just a couple of years back.
Audience members get a glimpse into the final days of Hitler's rule from the bunker deep beneath the Reich Chancellery in Nazi Berlin's dying days. The defeated spirit of the Nazis -- covered extensively in the history books -- has seldomly been more penetratingly shown on the Big Screen. Bravo to director Oliver Hirschbiegel for doing this the right (German) way -- for intrepidly tackling a period piece few German producers might.
I'd had a chance to chat with the actors post-screening, with lead actress Alexandra Maria Lara (playing Traudl Junge) candidly admitting the sheer amount of work she'd diligently invested in bringing her character to life -- doubtless complicated by the death of Frau Junge in 2002. Her research, however, was clearly impeccable and left no stone unturned. Corinna Harfouch wasn't on hand -- as Magda Goebbels. Pity because in many respects, she convincingly stole the show.
So rarely do we see Hitler on screen in modern days to allow us a glimpse into the horrifying nature of a madman bent on global domination. We all know the end of this story, but seldom does a film so masterfully suspend your disbelief than does The Downfall in making you wonder just how the Third Reich might end. Historical fiction might never be the same.