Downfall

In regard to your your review "Vikram Ramanthan" Jan. 2008
The following comments: "The Russians soldiers raped 100's of thousands of German women. But some feel it was fully justified and deserved of a civilian poplulation which was as much to blame as the germany military." "The Germans said they did not know. Thats a bunch of hogwash. Off course everyone knew what was going on, they just tried to ignore it"

I'm not good at writng but wanted to respond to those statements. My great grandparents and grandparents told many stories about these events. The real short of it is yes many were naive and did NOT know the extent what was occurring others knew and or were loyal anyway.You're lumping the "loyal" individuals to Hilter with ALL the people of Germany? Civillians are to attack the regime and overpower them? lol "Civilians" or anyone would be executed if they would go against Hitler and were terrified as a result. Just a few details, as time and events slowly would unfold my grandmother went on a lunch date with a nazi and in german she said to the nazi "Hitler is crazy" he said "Magdalena if I didn't like you as much as I do I would kill you where you stand". She was shocked by his statement. They worked for wonderful jewish people they considered great friends later discovered nazi's hatred against the jews. They tried to sneak them food which nearly got them killed. Trying to flee the country to get to the US, crossing the borders, hiding under dead bodies, nearly got them killed. Nazis took their german relatives/friends away to dig their own graves and buried alive because they were against Hitler. So I don't know how much you think familes can do unarmed, mostly poor as they were. I'm sure there are many different accounts, but don't lump a situation and think that everyone falls into it that is naive in itself. As a result the way some view Germany believe it deserved that thousands German women were raped By russians? What kind of solgiers were they evil just the same.. Seems you think that's justified too the way you put it and what you wrote. My grandfather rode 1000 miles on a bike to prevent that from happening to my dear grandmother (rape by russian solgiers) and only lived through it because he knew the russian language otherwise he would have been killed before he could get to her. When they made it to the US was a miracle, they experienced their own horrors due to Hilter and his regime and didn't realize to the level that millions of jewish people died and suffored until they made it to this country, and even so the country divided according to them could do little about it, many already thought him insane in spite of that. Anyway to think rape is justified.Yep sounds logical, seems we're not much better today in our thinking.. Obviously there were enough to get him into power, brainwashed, sick indviduals and few that had no choice. Goes back to biblical times, very sadly nothing new and exists to levels even today. Point is Vikram even if it IS as cut and dry as you suggest and all people of Germany are like robots, fully knew, could do something about it yet did nothing..,again it doesn't justify rape.

I bought this film and the book from Amazon after renting it from a Blockbuster. This is one of the best war movie I have ever seen!

First off: this movie is great.
I gave my review 4 stars because it bothers me when foreign language films have subtitles that you cannot turn off. This is not a hard task in DVDs, and for those of us that understand German (or any other foreign movie's language) the subtitles are distracting, especially because they cover part of the image. There should always be a "no subtitles" option.

This is an important film. It had to be done: the fascinating and terrible story of the final moments of the Third Reich, told by Germans as a kind of artistic therapy. Major pluses include the boldly dispassionate approach- humanizing historical figures who aren't generally seen as human; the non-hysterical examination of a highly emotional subject; the great historical accuracy and attention to detail, and perhaps most of all, the showcase of excellent performances, beginning with the phenomenal work of Bruno Ganz as Hitler.

A minus is the slight self-consciousness of it all, which may not have been avoidable. Hitler's descent into delusion, which was complete before the events of this film, is often met here by other characters- his rabid followers- with nervous glances and raised eyebrows (implying "My God, he's lost it!") that almost amount to a breach of the fourth wall. The Fuhrer's anti-Semitic tirades seem to provoke the same sort of nervous indulgence, which simply isn't believable. Even at the end, Hitler was not the funny uncle he seems to be greeted as- in just a few places- here. These people were all still in that boat with him in 1945, and still rowing. (Some of his Generals were a notable exception, as depicted, but I refer to the inner circle).

Again, it's understandable if this German film occasionally carries a note of unspoken apology, but I think the aim was slightly higher than the realization in that regard. In fact, the central issue of collective guilt isn't really resolved here at all. Perhaps it can't be, or shouldn't be, as none of these characters were in a position to really question themselves within the film's boundaries: April and early May of 1945.

In terms of direction, the idea of keeping things mainly in the eye-level point of view of a few everyman characters is also a valid one, but it costs the film some power. Hitler's death, for example, is not explicitly shown, but feels like it needed to be.

The tension that should result from such a claustrophobic and stifling environment, with death closing in from every direction, could have been heightened considerably. The lost opportunities in direction and editing are filled by the amazing story itself, wonderful performances, and the perceptible passion and integrity that attended this production at every level.

This is a must see for what it is.

I never knew Hitler was a vegetarian, but that is just the tip of the iceberg of information this film delivers in a finely acted and superb screenplay of Hilter's last days in his bunker.
I wouldn't say this is on the top tier of war films(Das Boot, Schindler's List), but it does deliver a riveting account from one of Hitler's secretaries, as one of histories worst war criminals sinks into his own madness of hell.
Recommended for more maturer audiences(subtitles, and a little long in some spots), but it is important to truly understand the mind of a mass murderer, as he takes himself and his followers into their deaths.