Germany 2004 - Drama/War — 156 min — Directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel
Cast: Bruno Ganz, Alexandra Maria Lara, Corinna Harfouch, Ulrich Matthes, Juliane Köhler, Heino Ferch
It's the last days of Adolf Hitler, April 1945, and Hitler's personal secretary Traudl Junge finds herself in the Der Fuhrer's bunker. Facing inevitable defeat, Hilter's moods range from defiance to fight or flee, remain loyal or opt for self-preservation. Eva Braun parties while Magda Goebbels kills her children. The movie goes on to show how Hitler and Eva lived their last hours in the Bunker.
Well crafted and believable, like no Hitler story I've ever seen before. Plays almost like a documentary, and the acting is first rate. It shows the state-of-mind of Adolf in his last days, and his increasing delusions. You sure get the horrible conditions and feelings of despair that it must have been in the bunker those final days - not for Hitler, but for his staff, and generals. It's never fun when something comes to an end, especially if you've enjoyed the spoils of it. Payback time is not very nice. The settings are muted and effective, and the noise of war is never far off. You hear bombs hitting close by, machine gun fire etc. It sure has a feel of authenticity to it. Nothing like this would ever have been done in Hollywood. Not even close. It shows you, if nothing else, that European cinema is not dead, although it's so totally dominated by the Hollywood machinery.
My Rating: 8 / 10
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