Downfall

[rebness]

I caught Downfall on television last night-- that controversial German film about the last days of Hitler's life, as he spiralled into further delusion whilst the Russians marched on Berlin. It was dark, depressing viewing, as expected, but in humanising Hitler a little (something this film has been criticised for) it actually brought out the sheer horror of this man's regime and twisted viewpoints. It was stringently researched, and scenes and quotes were taken directly from accounts of those with him in those final days, particularly Hitler's secretary, Trudl.

Hitler demonstrated callous disregard for his own people while acting tenderly towards the women in his life. Berlin was torn apart by infighting amongst the troops, some of whom slaughtered shellshocked German people who could no longer struggle on. And yet, despite this, some people still followed him blindly as he passed the death sentence on all those around him, as Frau Goebbels poisoned her own children and took her own life after staying with the dictator. I think it was one of the most effective films I've seen about that terrible period, conveying suffering and the best and worst of human nature succinctly in a film that never patronised nor judged and that was for me more effective in some ways than many other films I've seen about the Second World War.

At the end of the film, the real Trudl (who died in 2002) expressed bitter regret that she was ever foolish and naive enough to take up with such a ruthless regime. She said that she had always told herself that she had been young, she hadn't known about the concentration camps, the widespread slaughter across Europe. And then she said that one day, she came across a plaque dedicated to Sophie Scholl, the young German woman who was executed by the Nazis for drawing attention to the slaughter going on in Germany at the time. Trudl pointed out that Sophie had been born in the same year as her, and was executed in the same year that Trudl began to work for Hitler-- if she had wanted to find out the truth, then she could have. Like a lot of people, she chose to ignore it and the full horror of what had been happening only came out towards the end of Hitler's reign and the dark postwar period. Very sobering.

Comments

[verastar99.livejournal.com]

"in humanising Hitler a little (something this film has been criticised for)"

for all his inherent, inexcusable evils...still one of the most charismatic leaders civilization has ever seen. By far, the most charismatic and influential of the 20th century. Such a curse, such a wasted and perverted gift.

[rebness.livejournal.com]

I definitely agree. Hitler began by turning the country around after the shameful way the allies tried to cripple it via reparations and plunging the common man into poverty. He could have been a great leader, and was for a while... and then yes... perverted is probably the word. His twisted viewpoints turned a great leader into a deadly, dangerous dictator.

[scrr.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the review - Ang and me stayed up for it too (*yawn*), and I don't regret it.
Lots of people should see this movie, BECAUSE it shows evil doesn't come from people who perceive themselves as evil. What if -say- a Tony Blair, a George Bush, a Saddam Hussein or a Bill Gates really thinks he's doing the good thing, and sees all the damage that happens as 'offers neccessary to promote our way of life'?...
It has happened countles times in history and no doubt will happen again, and it can happen anywhere.

Oh, and it does offer a 'clearing' of the Germans as a people: The normal people - and the biggest part of the army - didn't condone (or actually knew about) the mass-murders... It only takes 1 bully to lay the law on 50 normal people.

Back in Highschool when we had the sociology-course (well, nothing as grand as that, but you get my drift), I think we'd been shown this. I think it should be required viewing on all schools.

[rebness.livejournal.com]

What if -say- a Tony Blair, a George Bush, a Saddam Hussein or a Bill Gates really thinks he's doing the good thing, and sees all the damage that happens as 'offers neccessary to promote our way of life'?...

Exactly! And I agree that though the German nation was complicit in the death camps, it's absurd to blame each and every German. Look at the lynchings and the terrorising of those people who didn't fight. Even those Europeans and Americans who agreed with the invasion of Iraq have been shocked and disguted by the events in Abu Gharib and Guantanomo bay, as well as the secret interegration bases set up on European soil. How do we know that people won't look back on us in fifty years' time and condemn us for our complicity, in our failing to find the truth of the matter? It's a hard thing to judge, and everything is so much clearer in hindsight.

I wish we'd had an opportunity to study this at school, as well. It proved that there are multiple shades of grey to the matter and that, in the end, nobody won.

I'm glad you and Ang watched it!

[lost-in-shadow7.livejournal.com]

but in humanising Hitler a little (something this film has been criticised for) it actually brought out the sheer horror of this man's regime and twisted viewpoints.

Precisely, and that is what drew me to this film. Demonising Hitler makes him easier to deal with, it's far more difficult, and terrifying, to accept that humans are capable of committing or creating such horrors.

[rebness.livejournal.com]

Definitely. I'd go as far as to say that suggesting Hitler as anything but a complete demon up until now has been generally frowned upon. But demonising a person doesn't help us to understand, to comprehend and learn lessons from that person, which is surely what the study of history is all about?

I think a film such as this allows us to face up to the ugly fact that power corrupts; that a person with dangerous idelogies is a thousand times more dangerous when given power to wield their prejudices. To see Hitler stroking and playing with his Alsatian one moment, sentencing his own people to death the next, made for uncomfortable but pertinent viewing.

[scrr.livejournal.com]

Just to make a point, here's a Superman-cover from the war-years.
http://www.superdickery.com/dick/20.html
The American government of that time encouraged this stereotyping in comics and movies.
It's not far removed from the German view on Jews. In fact, if you were an Asian American at the time, chances were big that you'd be put in an internment camp. "Just to be sure".

[rebness.livejournal.com]

Dear God. :|

I remember reading about how the Asian-Americans were treated at that time, and the horrors of the internment camps. I always wondered how the Americans could be so hysterical-- until I found out that the British did exactly the same. Italians and Germans living in the UK were persecuted, and a ship carrying some of them to an internment camp during the war conveniently sank off the coast of Scotland. It makes me ashamed that, apparently, we still haven't learned from it.

[scrr.livejournal.com]

Ahhh, and that's the stuff you never hear in grade school...
Straight after the war, our colony Indonesia wanted to be independent. Our government didn't really agree, so we put trouble-mongers in camps too.
But it wasn't war what we did there, it's called something like "politional action". *rolleyes*