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Downfall
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Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Binding: DVD
EAN: 9781404987609
Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Subtitled, NTSC
ISBN: 1404987606
Label: Sony Pictures
Languages: English (Subtitled), German (Original Language), Russian (Original Language),
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
MPN: D11545D
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: Sony Pictures
Region Code: 99
Release Date: August 02, 2005
Running Time: 155 minutes
Studio: Sony Pictures
Theatrical Release Date: 2004
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Editorial Review:
The riveting subject of Downfall is nothing less than the disintegration of Adolf Hitler in mind, body, and soul. A 2005 Academy Award nominee for best foreign language film, this German historical drama stars Bruno Ganz (Wings of Desire) as Hitler, whose psychic meltdown is depicted in sobering detail, suggesting a fallen, pathetic dictator on the verge on insanity, resorting to suicide (along with Eva Braun and Joseph and Magda Goebbels) as his Nazi empire burns amidst chaos in mid-1945. While staging most of the film in the claustrophobic bunker where Hitler spent his final days, director Oliver Hirschbiegel (Das Experiment) dares to show the gentler human side of der Fuehrer, as opposed to the pure embodiment of evil so familiar from many other Nazi-era dramas. This balanced portrayal does not inspire sympathy, however: We simply see the complexity of Hitler's character in the greater context of his inevitable downfall, and a more realistic (and therefore more horrifying) biographical portrait of madness on both epic and intimate scales. By ending with a chilling clip from the 2002 documentary Blind Spot: Hitler's Secretary, this unforgettable film gains another dimension of sobering authenticity. --Jeff Shannon
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Amazing film despite the gloss.
This is one of the most enthralling and complex films about the fall of the 3rd Reich that I have ever seen. The clips of Traudl Junge were mesmerizing. The main complaint about the film is the gloss over the brutality of it all. For example, Monke was shown to be a much more compassionate character than in reality. Bruno Ganz' portrayal of Hitler was astounding. He received criticism for portraying Hitler as a human. Regardless of your opinion of Bruno's interpretation of the character, his portrayal ... Read More
Rating: - DOWNFALL IS SHEER BRILLIANCE 9.25 OUT OF 10
It's hard to believe that the company that made this incredible film; Constantin Film; also made the excellent Resident Evil films and the not-so-great Fantastic Four movies (bleh). This war movie is absolutely fantastic and well-deserving of the many awards and critical acclaim it received.
WHAT IT'S ABOUT: The year is 1945, and the Russians are closing in on Germany and the Third Reich. So the main leaders of the Third Reich; Adolph Hitler, Eva Braun, Joseph Goebbel along with his wife and children, ... Read More
Rating: - A few interesting addenda to the fine lead reviews
This film alone makes worthwhile all the work it took to learn fluent German. The subtitles are probably about as good as what I could have done, but subtitles and dubbing never quite convey all that is in the original script language. "Sie werden ersaufen in ihrem eigenen Blut!" is translated as "They will drown in their own blood!" The script departed from the usual German word order that parks most verbs (after the first) on the end of the sentence, thus: "Sie werden in ihrem eigenen Blut ersaufen!" This ... Read More
Rating: - A Warning That Never Goes Out Of Style
Some people in Germany have accused this movie of attempting to "make harmless" the crimes of the Third Reich. This couldn't be further from the truth, and I'll explain why.
Bruno Ganz plays Hitler the man. Hitler the man who loves his dog, who is nice to his secretary, who loves his friends and spits at the people he thinks betray him, who tells those he cares about to save themselves even as he prepares to take cyanide, shoot himself, and then be burnt. This is a guy who, as long as he's not talking ... Read More
Rating:  - All War,No Peace
I sometimes wonder what it would be like to be German. To rule the world and lose that position. Hitler, little do I know, did a lot of wrong things but he did a lot of right to lead men with enough armor in their hearts to fight the world. The Russians were kept at bay. Germany alone did everything and then there was "Der Untergang" ... Stunning storyline, sometimes or better known as history. Sigh. There's so much more to learn in life than how shoes lose their souls or soles, whichever you prefer.
I love ... Read More
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