Downfall - Movie Review

[Sgt. Stryker]

I saw this German film with English subtitles in a sold-out theatre last Saturday night.
Downfall is powerful and excellent film. Not one person left their seat during the 2 & 1/2 hour epic. Basically, the crowd was left speechless.
That said, Downfall is more or less a political drama with very little combat scenes. For everyone at Groundpounders, here are totals of men & equipment that you will see in the film:

1 Soviet T-34/85 tank
1 squad of Soviet tank grenadiers
1 platoon of Soviet assault infantry
1 company of Soviet Guards

1 German Tiger I tank (probally a static mock-up since it doesn't move)
1 Flak 88 used for anti-tank defense
2 Hanomag halftracks
1 Kublewagon
1 squad of German "Volkstrum"
1 squad of German "Jugerand"
1 platoon of German SS infantry
Berlin Defense Corps Headquarters
Plenty of SS infantry & guards with MP-40s & MP-44s

I would not spend 20+ Euros to buy the DVD from overseas.
If you must own a copy, I would wait a year for $10 on Ebay.

Eventhough Downfall is fundamentally an awesome movie with impressive sets of devastated Berlin city buildings with plenty of explosions from Russian artillery shells, I was very disappointed that the Soviet soldiers themselves are hardly shown at all. The Russians are depicted as a faceless enemy that will enevitabilly fight their way to Hitler's bunker. The few combat scenes are short, and the Germans get their butts kicked. This is in contrast with the German film Stalingrad (1993), where the Germans loose the overall battle, but the company of Wehrmacht soldiers in the film at least have some tactical successes (i.e. the "homeboy" krauts wipe out an assault platoon of T-34 tanks and their riders).
If you want to see a better "combat" movie, then Enemy at the Gates would be my choice.

[nomo4me]

Seems you might have missed the point of the movie. Definitely not a combat film, nor even a war film in the most strict sense.
Downfall is the illustration of the degrading psychology of Hitler and the loyalty of his inner circle, whether inspired by fear or brainwashing.

I think the point of the movie was to give todays young generation an understanding of the madness that was responsible for WW2.

My wife and I thought it was extremely well done.

[Mr. Football]

Downfall is powerful and excellent film. Not one person left their seat during the 2 & 1/2 hour epic. Basically, the crowd was left speechless.
That said, Downfall is more or less a political drama with very little combat scenes.

Doesn't sound like he missed it, Nomo.

I too saw the movie, and thought it was quite powerful. As a Father, I was quite disgusted by the Goebbel's murdering their own trusting children...almost a metaphor for what happened on a greater scale in Germany as a result of Nazi rule.

[75th Ranger]

Downfall is powerful and excellent film. Not one person left their seat during the 2 & 1/2 hour epic. Basically, the crowd was left speechless.
That said, Downfall is more or less a political drama with very little combat scenes.


I agree, it is a really good movie that shows what was really happening on the side of the German machine at the end of WWII.