Der Untergang (The Downfall)
Directed by: Olivier Hirschbiegel.
Written by: Bernd Eichinger, based on “Inside Hitler’s Bunker” by Joachim C. Fest and “Bis zur letzten Stunde” by Traudl Junge and Melissa Müller.
Actors: Bruno Ganz, Corinna Harfouch, Juliane Köhler, Ulrich Matthes, Alexandra Maria Lara.
Released: 2004.
MPAA Rating: R.
Length: 156 min.
War, Drama.

Brief outline:
The movie is based on the historical event about Adolf Hitler’s (Bruno Ganz) final days in the bunker. The movie is true to history in the way it is strongly based on the accounts from Hitler’s secretary, Traudl Junge (Alexandra Maria Lara). The movie follows her as she gets picked as the secretary and to the end of Hitler’s life and the capitulation of the Nazis.

Personal opinions
This is a war movie from the perspective of the state leader; other war movies are often based on the men that have to fight in the war. The movie really portrays the insanity in the bunker good.

Good
Hitler is portrayed as really demented and out of touch with reality. He thinks that Berlin will be liberated from the Russian at any minute when his divisions retaliate when in reality those forces have been severely defeated. But it is not just Hitler that is out of touch with reality, the rest of the officers and the women try to ignore the reality and party the days away. Some of the officers tries to escape out of Berlin, and those left are afraid to disobey Hitler’s orders even how crazy they may seems. The movie gets out a lot of the grim sides of war and how sadistic these people were.

Bad
It may be a bit long. This is such a good movie that it justifies it.

Bottom Line
It is a really disturbing movie about one of the big dictators. It is highly watchable.
Rating: 8/10 (where 10 is the best).