Der Untergang (Downfall)

This beautiful German movie first came to my attention as --
Well, it's really sort of embarrassing. I saw a parody of the most amazing scene of it (found above!). A ridiculous parody involving Hitler and Xbox that really made me laugh. And about a year later, I decided to look for a good version of the movie it came from on the internet. Three hours of incredible acting, beautiful characterization and just downright perfection of film making. I felt this movie tells more than the fact it seems to present on first sight...It tells such a human story of degradation in such a new way, it is hard not to fall in love with it and be truly hurt by it too. It really is painful to watch after a while. It is painful to watch anything so human set so profound, I think.

The movie does not paint Hitler in a positive light, but in a deeply human one. He is kind to his dog (Blondi), to his secretary and to his wife...He is ruthless to his generals who betray him. He orders executions countless times throughout the movie. He mentions that he does not regret 'clearing the world of the Jewish poison' in his will. But, somehow, you cannot help but actually feel a little sorry as Bruno Ganz's (Hitler's) hands shake as he reaches for his glasses and drops them to the map when he is told of the news that he has (essentially) lost the war. Ganz, as some YouTuber put it, is Hilter come back from the dead. His flawless performance had surpassed many a great performances I had in mind as the best performances of all time for me (including Marlon Brando's The Godfather, Al Pacino's Dog Day Afternoon and Jack Nicholson's As Good As It Gets). The reason why this performance is so great is not only because it (and for the first time) forms a three dimensional image of Hitler in the viewer's mind but that this performance here, even though it suffers from the fact that the viewer knows its ending, manages to keep you hooked throughout.

The way this movie plays out two days after you finish it is always different. You go back to watch a few scenes and you're shocked by the brutality and gore of it. And you just can't help thinking that...Humans can do this. That's the best part of the movie: it gets you to think. Movies that make you think are a rare, rare breed.

Needless to say, this is my top recommendation to anyone looking forward to see a movie about Hitler, world war 2 and learn lessons of acting.