Verdict:
The movie takes place during the last few days of the fall of Berlin and concentrates on the people in and around the Hitler’s bunker. Although we occasionally get out into the streets, the suffering outside the bunker and the ever-encroaching action of war are faded into the background to give more attention to the relationship between the largely isolated people inside, who are trying to cling to the system that is no longer there or come to terms with the truth that is upon them. So, this one is all about the relationship drama.
The cast, consists of actors not well known outside of Germany, though Bruno Ganz worked with many international Directors like Werner Herzog, with his most contemporary prominent Hollywood role being in Manchurian Candidate. His portrayal of Hitler is probably the best one you will ever get. Ulrich Matthes as Goebels is probably one of the scarier characters without even doing anything.
Hitler switches between hope, delusion, anger and despair as his staff hopelessly tries to find some clarity and a future in the man who clearly can no longer be of any use to them. The setting inside the bunker is claustrophobic and tense.
The humanity that these German actors have been able to give to their characters is palpable in each gaze, word and grimace. The makers even ensured a good physical resemblance of the people being portrayed. This is refreshingly sober and reminds of Stalingrad (directed by Joseph Vilsmaier) – another good German war drama. Der Untergang feels like the most realistic portrayal of the situation.
Speaking of which, the controversy around this film is very confusing. The movie was criticized for portraying Hitler and his entourage as normal people. However, the movie does not make heroes of any of the officers. It simply portrays them realistically. The continuous tendency of humans to deny reality, when it doesn’t suit their feelings, is astounding. But more importantly, this contention completely misses the moral lesson behind WWII. The whole point is that the people who committed horrible acts were otherwise behaving like you and I. They drank wine, enjoyed music and lughed. They were somebody’s loving parents. They were somebody’s spouse. A monster lives in all of us and that’s why it’s important to remind each new generation of what happened, so that the new generation takes care of their moral compass. If you show nazis as emotionless skull-faced villains, then anyone who sees them will think, “Well, I’m clearly not like that, so there is nothing to worry about.”
Unfortunately, other than Bruno’s amazing performance, I can’t say I will remember much about this movie. Being stuck in a room with a bunch of desperate people who, for several days, cannot make up their mind on what to do feels a little…pointless.
Still, for historical and emotional accuracy there is no other like it.