Toytown Germany

Der Untergang is a new German film documenting the final 10 days of Adolf Hitler's life. The film starts with 20th April 1945, Hitler's 56th birthday, and leads viewers through to his joint suicide with Eva Braun ten days later. Also included is the suicide of Josef Goebbels, Hitler's propaganda chief, after he and his wife killed their six children. The Downfall, the film's English title, was premiered in Munich last Thursday and received standing ovations. Public showings open in Munich cinemas such as the Mathäser this coming Thursday (16.Sep.2004). Note that this is a German film, i.e. original language is German. It was filmed on location in Munich and St. Petersburg. Cinema München will be showing the film with English subtitles from Thursday 23.Sep.2004. ...

[img]http://www.toytowngermany.com/munich/der_untergang_hitler.jpg[/img]
Adolf Hitler by Swiss actor Bruno Ganz

Meanwhile, in some sense, the war continues. Also last Thursday the 86 year old Ladislav Niznansky went on trial in Munich to answer charges of war crimes. Niznansky is said to have led a Nazi-backed anti-resistance unit named Edelweiss which killed 146 people in the central Slovak villages of Ostry Grun and Klak in January 1945.

Gewand ist the German word for cloth. The Quandts, Dutch settlers in Royal Prussia, provided the Prussian Kaiser military uniforms for WWI. In WWII they gave Hilter the batteries which powered the terrible U-Boots, which Bletchley Park's Enigma project could stop only after too many tragic losses of merchant and military vessels at sea alike. Magda Goebbles (Joseph Goebbels' wife) was a divorcée of the industrialist Quandt.

That her role as fanatic-to-the-death Nazi Aryian Blonde Icon would be depicted at length, and that the movie would premiére in Munich, might indicate a watershed in German's facing the facts. The Quandt familiy are the sole controlling owners of BMWGroup, and produced landmines in their other ventures until recently, a fact Diana was planning to expose, before she was killed in car accident... in a Mercedes for all the world to see... Respect is due to the courageous Mr. Eichinger (the producer of this movie).

uh gordon, what are you blabbering about? is there any prelude to your diatribe?

Having seen the trailer, I would say it needs more Russian rape.

The trailer or the movie? Reminds me of the very un-pc blazing saddles - 'wait a minute you said rape twice', 'i like rape!'

Trailer is available here... Der Untergang

Every now and again a trailer comes along which sends shivers up my spine. This is one of them. I wonder whether the film will live up to the trailer. I guess we'll see later this week.

Just came back from this tonight. Find it hard to believe that there were standing ovations at the premiere. Not because it's a bad film or anything, but because it's so damned heavy! Geeze! Never have I seen a film where there was such silence from the crowd afterwards. This was in Mathaeser 6, I think the largest theatre in Munich. It was fully booked. But at the end everyone filed out in solemn silence.

Yeah, good film I think. It came across as a very accurate portrayal of what really happened. No dramatisation. Lots of references to Muenchen. Would definitely recommend anyone to go see it.

The Guardian has an English language review of this film.

According to their website, the film opens at the English cinema this Friday (not Thursday), i.e. 24th Sept 2004. At 8.15.

Cinema are showing the German version with English sub-titles. Quite frankly, having seen the film myself already, I'd recommend seeing the unblemished, full on German version. More authentic that way. No subtitles to distract. And besides, even with little knowledge of German you'll still understand. It's a very visual film.

Does anyone know if this film is coming to England? I am dying to see it.

Nice choice of words for a Hitler movie - "dying to see it".

Are we going to be allowed to see this film in Democratic America? If "Yes," WHEN!

America is democratic! Who knew?

Can anyone tell me when this movie might be coming to Australia?

I saw the trailer. I was so captured by it. Bruno Ganz really looks and sounds like Hitler. I very curious to see this film but I don't live in Germany. Will they release this film in the United States either in the movies or on DVD? I would really like to see it.

go to suprnova.org and try to download a bittorrent

it's the german version however.

Wow... this must be the best Hitler-movie until now and with an extra. Everything is depicted just as (I think) it was and should be, without showing so much violence that the true story would drown in it. The funnymen here asking for more rape should spend their time better watching different movies. But as I said, this was the best yest. All the details were just right although I have my doubts about the period-perfectness of the instrumentpanel shown in the background of several scenes taking place in the generator-room of the bunker. Minor detail, I Know, and it was all I could find! The audience was completly silent at the end and it took about a minute or so before the first got up. If you want to see a non-hollywood, non-satirical hitler-movie this is the one. I can now understand what all the fuss in Germany consering this movie is about. Go see it quicky now that it´s still playing. It will not have the same effect on you on DvD as it will in the cinema.

Groeten, Jamie

I saw this film last week in Erlangen Germany, on vacation. I can understand German pretty well, and went with (German) friends whom I know well enough to discuss some obviously difficult topics.

It's been a long time since the Nazi regime, and even so it's still just yesterday. Regardless of one's opinion, I think it's terrific that this is becoming a topic that people (Germans especially) can finally talk about.

Consider the person who gets drunk and kills someone with a car, and then multiply it million-fold. The shame, the inability to face it, the denial, the embarrassment. I don't envy today's Germans trying to reconcile a horrible past and/or go beyond it, I do, however, admire their willingness to look at some awful views of themselves, if only (I hope) in the past. The holocaust can never be forgotten. Still, to be able to openly discuss it is something to embrace.

For my friends and me, this film catalysed several meaningful discussions. How could a people fall for Hilter's charm? How far does the guilt extend? Can I "overlook" the holocaust when it comes to my current German friends (who were not alive in 1940)? Was there something uniquely German, or is racial hatred someting to maintain vigilance about? Is America becoming as xenophobic and paranoid as Germany was?

Best film I have seen in many years!