152 - Downfall (Der Untergang)

    The last several days of World War II, told primarily from Hitler's bunker.
    I didn't see the extended version, but this was still a massively long movie.  I only saw one that was about 2:40.  The longer version is about 20 minutes longer.  It's a good movie.  It's well made, but the adherence to chronology and the facts of the event make this movie an unusual structure.
    We follow several different characters, and not just in the bunker.  In some cases, paths cross, but never in a very meaningful way.  The huge cast, combined with a lot of characters not being named in an explicit way, makes following every story a difficult task.
    But the real reason to watch this movie is Hitler.  A clip of this circulates heavily online, with altered subtitles to show Hitler flipping out about a variety of things.  But the portrayal, and handling of Hitler here is fascinating.
    He's erratic.  He's prone to ignoring bad news.  He tends to blame other people for not being able to carry out orders.   Most of his actions could be taken as him just being in too deep of a situation to get out.  But he doesn't try to get out of the situation.
    Throughout the movie, he gets constant advise to leave Berlin.  He refuses to do this.  He contemplates a variety of other actions, all of which are absurd.  He acts as though armies that no longer exist are under his control.  He considers that he can make the Allied attack more difficult by destroying Germany's resources.
    While he's completely irresponsible as a leader, he's not as cold and calculating as he tries to be.  There are a few instances of him showing genuine appreciation for a few people, and being surprisingly gentle and easygoing with some people.
    But Goebbels is the one who comes out looking really nuts.  He's devoted to Hitler beyond question, to the point where he refuses to recognize facts.  After Hitler dies, he and his wife poison their children, then leave the bunker, where he shoots her, then himself.
    Prideful suicide is all over the last forty-five minutes of this movie.  And it always seems a little puzzling.  Their conviction in feeling that they were right would normally preclude this kind of thing, and suicide seems like more of an admission of guilt.

    It's a fascinating movie, and it's well made, but it needs a little more of a focus to make the jump to greatness.
    And I leave you with my favorite Hitler video.  Enjoy.