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Saw Downfall last night: film about Hitler's last days in his bunker. Based on historical archives from people who were there, presented in the book Der Untergang. (English version: Inside Hitler's Bunker). German dialogue with English subtitles. Strong reviews. Nominated for Best Foreign Language Film. Wikipedia has this to say: >> The film is neither a paean nor a denunciation of Hitler or the crimes his Nazi regime perpetrated, This is how I prefer historical information presented: objectively as possible, allowing me (the viewer) to form my own opinions, come to my own conclusions. Obviously, I realize it's difficult to separate anything about Hitler from the subjectivity of emotion, but I feel this film succeeded better than most I've seen at trying to present the information as objectively as possible. ••• continued ••• In other words, I didn't come away feeling like the film tried to persuade me to feel one way or another. Some pieces on Hitler contain the word "evil" in the title. Not that Hitler wasn't an evil man, but that suggests a bias, and I prefer to form my own biases, thank-you. =/ No person with a brain enjoys being told how they should think or feel about something, and we know when we're being steered in a certain direction. Saw it at the Lido in Newport Beach: one of the few old-fashioned movies houses still operating. Place was comfortably full. Never seen so many people there. Only a few rows up front remained empty. Last night was opening night. Felt like a premiere. I noticed many older gentlemen accompanied by younger girls, which I suspect were their daughters. Can't be sure, tho. Merely an observation I found interesting. Another surprising observation: the word "Jew" was only mentioned once or twice. Normally, documentaries involving Hitler spend considerable time addressing the holocaust. Not so here. In the film, Hitler was preoccupied with the status of his armies. I mean, more time was paid to his preference for vegetarian meals/food. I didn't know Hitler was a vegetarian. I had him pegged for a serious carnivore. The sound in this film was perhaps the most remarkable aspect. I mean, it really sounded like you were in an underground bunker with bombs dropping above. I'm not sure if this is because the Lido has such a good sound system, or if it would sound the same in any theater, but yes, the sound of the bombs exploding in the city seemed very realistic, making it easy for me to imagine I was actually in an underground bunker, and that bombs were exploding above, echoing throughout the entire bunker .. getting louder/closer as the movie/Russians progressed/advanced. Anyway, the film offered a perspective not usually found, especially when you consider history is written by the victors. The film is very well done. I can see why it was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film. If you're a history buff, or, like me, intrigued by extremes of human experience, I suspect you might also enjoy this film. If war and violence offend you, this film is not for you. |
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