Downfall

Based on the diaries of Adolf Hitler's last secretary Traudl Junge, Downfall tells of the final days and ultimate collapse of the Third Reich.

STORY/PLOT

Downfall is mainly a telling of the final days of World War II inside Hitler's personal bunker through the diaries and memoirs of Traudl Junge. Things starts around three years before the end of World War II where Traudl is hand picked by Adolf himself to be his personal secretary. From there it shows what life was like inside of the bunker, how the loyalty and the overall mental state of everyone began to fracture as the realisation that Germany had lost the war set in and ultimately the fate of everybody inside.

There's a lot to digest. Hitler's evil and charisma, the influence and fear he held over people and how delusional he was in the face of defeat. How the people around Hitler around him began to question the morality of what they were involved in when the facade of his 'invincibility' was shattered, or how the others blindly believed him to the end. Very cult like behaviour. This all progresses well over the duration of the film.

I would say you need to be in right mood for this Downfall however, it's a long and bleak movie with some slow pacing and progression.

ACTING/CHARACTERS

Not exactly characters, these are people who were involved with or did unspeakable things in our history, but they are portrayed extremely well. Bruno Ganz as Hitler is a legendary showcase in acting, it's Oscar worthy without a doubt and created a legendary scene in cinema history with the meltdown in the boardroom.

CINEMATOGRAPHY/VISUALS

Again mostly all top quality. Berlin looks decimated, the bunker looks bleak and claustrophobic and everything like costumes and props looked authentic. Obviously with the subject matter comes a lot of disturbing scenes. There is a scene where one of Hitler's closest allies kills her kids in their sleep with cyanide because she doesn't want them to grow up in world that isn't under Nazi rule. It also contains a lot of hangings, executions and just all round terrible atrocities throughout, so will be uncomfortable for some viewers.

I would say the actual battle scenes should have been more brutal to make a bigger impact, as they seemed somewhat tame compared to some of the more sadistic scenarios taking place. Some of the explosions looked CGI to me, which did take away from the atmosphere a bit.

SOUNDTRACK/AUDIO

A very well done and fitting soundtrack. Gives both horror and despair, fitting to the subject matter. The war is over and The Führer's Secretary are highlights.

OVERALL

A must watch war film that is shown through the eyes of the enemy, which is pretty rare, especially for World War II. Some iconic acting on show with Bruno Ganz as Hitler, some great writing and a brilliant soundtrack carry things through some sluggish pacing at times and a few cinematography choices that could have been done better, although these by no means ruin the experience. I reccomend to any lover of the war movie genre, just be aware some scenes will be upsetting for some.