Movie review: Downfall Directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel Germany: Constantin Film Produktion, 2004.
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Date
2007
Authors
Ray, Jonathan
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Flinders University
Rights
© FJHP, The Flinders Journal Of History & Politics 2007
Rights Holder
The Flinders Journal Of History & Politics
Abstract
Movie Review:
'Downfall'
Directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel
Germany: Constantin Film Produktion, 2004. 176 mins.
Downfall, directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel and released in 2004, is based upon the
events surrounding the final days of Adolf Hitler’s Third Reich. Formed from the
much-admired Third Reich historian Joachim Fest’s book Inside Hitler's Bunker and
bolstered with the naivety encapsulated in the memoirs of Traudl Junge, Hitler’s
personal secretary, the film is testament to Hitschbiegel’s ability to blend both a
strong semblance of historical accuracy with a gripping and fear-provoking insight
into the final days of the Nazi elite. The main characters are Adolf Hitler (played by
Bruno Ganz) and Traudl Junge, (played by Alexandra Maria Lara). The film is set
inside both Hitler’s Berlin bunker and the surrounding Chancellery district in late
April 1945. The film also portrays the strong emotional turmoil surrounding the
demise of the senior Nazi hierarchy immediately prior to Germany’s surrender to
Allied forces on May 7 1945. The film covers a range of issues including Nazism,
democracy, totalitarianism, political betrayal and war crimes.
Description
Keywords
Movie review, Adolf Hitler, Third reich, Germany, World War II, Nazism, democracy, totalitarianism, political betrayal, war crimes, Wolfsschanze
Citation
Ray, J. (2007). Movie Review: Downfall Directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel. The Flinders Journal of History and Politics, 24.