This is a German film about the last days of Hitler in his bunker as told through his personal secretary Traudl Junge. I wasn't sure if I wanted to watch this at first - I was afraid that it might try to show Hitler as a human rather than the moster he was. In a way it did both. You see the side that fooled so many people into believing this thing had good intentions and could be viewed as a hero to his countrymen. Then when his world starts to fall apart his true side shows through. The good thing is that it never portrays him in a way that asks for compassion.

The film doesn't deal with just Hitler but also his staff and other military personnel and their views and actions during those last days. It's a pretty long film - 156 minutes. Bruno Ganz plays Hitler and is incredible. And Hitler wasn't the only monster holed up in that bunker. I don't know how historically accurate this movie is but his death doesn't leave you with a smile on your face, which to me is accurate because he deserved a far worse fate than dying by his own hand. A good film. Not great, because anything about Hitler doesn't deserve high praise.

Thanks for the review, Sam. Nicely done. I've heard pretty much the same things about "Downfall." I've heard, too, that you can really see Hitler's madness in full bloom. Is that so?

I'm not entirely certain I want to see it, but I will probably give it a shot when it gets to cable.

This is a German film about the last days of Hitler in his bunker as told through his personal secretary Traudl Junge. I wasn't sure if I wanted to watch this at first - I was afraid that it might try to show Hitler as a human rather than the moster he was. In a way it did both. You see the side that fooled so many people into believing this thing had good intentions and could be viewed as a hero to his countrymen. Then when his world starts to fall apart his true side shows through. The good thing is that it never portrays him in a way that asks for compassion.

The film doesn't deal with just Hitler but also his staff and other military personnel and their views and actions during those last days. It's a pretty long film - 156 minutes. Bruno Ganz plays Hitler and is incredible. And Hitler wasn't the only monster holed up in that bunker. I don't know how historically accurate this movie is but his death doesn't leave you with a smile on your face, which to me is accurate because he deserved a far worse fate than dying by his own hand. A good film. Not great, because anything about Hitler doesn't deserve high praise.

Very nice review Sam. I agree with you on it. The one thing is the guy who played Hitler in this, Bruno Ganz, was freaking amazing in that he IS Hitler. Kind of weird, but yeah good not great movie with great acting potraying a totally evil man.

Bruno's performance was incredible. He didn't seem like an actor playing a madman. I don't quite know how to put it...sometimes an actor can make you forget that they are just acting. He seemed VERY real.

Maggers - Yeah, you could see the madness. I can't say that it was in full bloom because I can only imagine Hitler as a constantly raving lunatic, which does happen on occasion. I don't know how to describe it well enough for you to get a good image. Too complex. But the madness was obvious.