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}
The scene where Hanna Reitsch and General Ritter von Greim arrive at the Bunker is factual. Their adventures in getting to Berlin would make a film in themselves, but what is not made clear is exactly how Ritter von Greim was injured. On the last leg of their eventful flight into Berlin from Gatow, von Greim himself took the controls of a Fieseler Storch spotter plane. Reitsch was forced to cram in behind him, half crouched over his shoulder, in order to fit inside the small aircraft. As it turned out, this was lucky: in the air the plane was hit by enemy ground fire and Von Greim was wounded in the right foot, resulting in him losing consciousness from blood loss. Reitsch - who was an extremely talented test pilot with a remarkable career - was able to reach over him to grab both the throttle and the joystick; she flew the aircraft single-handedly from this position for the last ten minutes of the flight, eventually bringing the aircraft down in a bumpy but safe landing at the Brandenburg Gate. Flying an aircraft without using the rudders - which are controlled by foot pedals - can be extremely difficult. See more »
Goofs
Magda Goebbels is shown giving each of her children a sip of a potion to make them fall asleep. In actuality, SS dentist Helmut Kunz gave each child a morphine injection to render them unconscious. See more »
Quotes
[first lines]
Traudl Junge:
I've got the feeling that I should be angry with this child, this young and oblivious girl. Or that I'm not allowed to forgive her for not seeing the nature of that monster. That she didn't realise what she was doing. And mostly because I've gone so obliviously. Because I wasn't a fanatic Nazi. I could have said in Berlin, "No, I'm not doing that. I don't want to go the Führer's headquarters." But I didn't do that. I was too curious. I didn't realise that fate would lead me ...
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Crazy Credits
After the final credits there is a statement by the real Traudl Jung about her feelings of guilt and responsibility. In the British Cinema release, this is moved to before the credits. See more »
Alternate Versions
Extended version includes 22 minutes of additional footage. See more »
Der Untergang makes you live the horrors and craziness of war. Bruno Ganz's interpretation of Adolf Hitler is worthy of an Oscar. He is completely believable. Also the rest of the cast performs admirably. You feel transported to Berlin as it was bombarded by the Russians. You get a very clear insight (or an impression?) in how the military decisions were taken during those final days of the war. The movie balances well between large-scale effects of bombs exploding in ruined streets and depictions of different persons going though the experience from Hitler and his staff in the well-protected bunkers to the principal military commanders torn between reason and loyalty and German civilians trapped in an inferno. The movie is neither pro-Nazi nor does it depict all Nazis as mindless monsters. It gives an impression of utter realism. Go see it in a good cinema your seat will tremble as the bombs explode. A nine out of ten.
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Der Untergang makes you live the horrors and craziness of war. Bruno Ganz's interpretation of Adolf Hitler is worthy of an Oscar. He is completely believable. Also the rest of the cast performs admirably. You feel transported to Berlin as it was bombarded by the Russians. You get a very clear insight (or an impression?) in how the military decisions were taken during those final days of the war. The movie balances well between large-scale effects of bombs exploding in ruined streets and depictions of different persons going though the experience from Hitler and his staff in the well-protected bunkers to the principal military commanders torn between reason and loyalty and German civilians trapped in an inferno. The movie is neither pro-Nazi nor does it depict all Nazis as mindless monsters. It gives an impression of utter realism. Go see it in a good cinema your seat will tremble as the bombs explode. A nine out of ten.