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The Downfall

Hitler and the End of the Third Reich

estimation
The Downfall about the movie
events
Short Biography Adolf Hitler
Short Biography Eva Braun
Chronology Chart of events
The Fuehrerbunker Info & Maps
Who is Who? the bunker-personnel
exchange
Forum: your point of view

Motion Picture / DVD:

The Downfall (Der Untergang)

Drama Germany 2004 150min Rated R

Director: Oliver Hirschbiegel
Producer: Bernd Eichinger
Cinematography: Rainer Klausmann
Music: Stephan Zacharias

Cast:

Bruno Ganz
(Adolf Hitler)

Juliane Koehler
(Eva Braun)

Ulrich Matthes
(Joseph Goebbels, Secretary of Propaganda)

Corinna Harfouch
(Magda Goebbels)

Alexandra Maria Lara
(Traudl Junge, clerk)

Heino Ferch
(Albert Speer, Secretary of Armament)

Christian Berkel
(Dr. Schenck, bunker doctor)

Matthias Habich
(Prof. Dr. Werner Haase, bunker doctor)

Thomas Kretschmann
(Hermann Fegelein)

Michael Mendl
(General Weidling)

André Hennicke
(General Mohnke)

Ulrich Noethen
(Heinrich Himmler, Secretary of the Interior)

Birgit Minichmayr
(Gerda Christian, clerk)

Rolf Kanies
(General Hans Krebs)

Justus von Dohnanyi
(General Burgdorf)

Dieter Mann
(Wilhelm Keitel, field marshal)

Christian Redl
(General Alfred Jodl)

Goetz Otto
(Otto Guensche, aide-de-camp)

Thomas Limpinsel
(Heinz Linge, attendant)

Thomas Thieme
(Martin Bormann, Secretary of the Party)

Gerald Alexander Held
(Walter Hewel, permanent secretary)

Bettina Redlich
(Constanze Manziarly, cook)

Heinrich Schmieder
(Rochus Misch, radio operator)

Dietrich Hollinderbaeumer
(Airforce General von Greim)

Thorsten Krohn
(Dr. Stumpfegger, bunker doctor)

Juergen Tonkel
(Erich Kempka, driver)

Devid Striesow
(Sergeant Tornow)

Christian Hoening
(Reichsarzt SS Grawitz)

Aleksandr Slastin
(General Tschuikow)

Mathias Gnaedinger
(Reichsmarschall Hermann Goering)

Oliver Stritzel
(Johannes Hentschel, bunker technician)

Anna Thalbach
(Hanna Reitsch, aviatrix)

Donevan Gunia
(Peter, HJ-boy)

Karl Kranzkowski
(Peters father)

Ulrike Krumbiegel
(Peters mother)

Pretty 22 year old munician Traudl Junge (ALEXANDRA MARIA LARA) applies with some other young women in the east prussian headquarter "Wolfschanze" for a job as a private secretary of Adolf Hitler (BRUNO GANZ). It´s a cold night in november 1942, but when the "Fuehrer" is calling, everyone has to follow, and she is the chosen one. From now she won´t retreat from his side until the end.

The end is coming 2 1/2 years later: April 20 1945 the Red Army has arrived in Berlin and the capital is an only expanse of rubble. Hitler´s troups are broken up, a final squad of dispersed units, supported by Goebbels´ (ULRICH MATTHES) "Volkssturm" and children from the "Hitlerjugend" like 13 year old Peter (DONEVAN GUNIA), who has destroyed two russian tanks. For this he will be honored later by Hitler with the Iron Cross.

Eva Braun (JULIANE KoeHLER), Hitler´s mistress, is preparing the celebration of his 56. birthday. For the last time the leaders of the Nazi regime meat at a reception, among others Heinrich Himmler (ULRICH NOETHEN), Secretary of Interior. He craves the "Fuehrer" to save himself and leave Berlin. Later, he will deal arbitrary with the allies and offer the surrender - which leads to the immediate execution of his adjutant Hermann Fegelein (THOMAS KRETSCHMANN), Eva Braun´s brother in law. While the town is burning and to hold only a few days, Hitler and Goebbels try to keep the faith for the "Endsieg". With anymore existing forces Hitler wants to retard the end. But Goering, at the Obersalzberg, plans to start the negotiation of capitulation. Hitler interprets his mail as an ultimatum and commands an SS unity to arrest his proxy.

The fight for Berlin is increasing. Brave doctors like Dr. Schenck (CHRISTIAN BERKEL) try hard to alleviate the unbelievable affliction of civilians and soldiers. Goebbels has accommodated his wife Magda (CORINNA HARFOUCH) and the six children in the bunker. Albert Speer (HEINO FERCH), Hitler´s minister of armament and favourite architect, refuses the order to leave scorched earth to their enemies. Before his escape, he asks Magda Goebbels to save her family. But she doesn´t want to leave her children growing up in a world without nazism.

The Red Army moves forward midtown ot Berlin, the situation for the inhabitants becomes more and more desperate. Not seeing a resort anymore, Hitler prepares for his death, adviced by his doctor Prof. Dr. Werner Haase (MATTHIAS HABICH). First he dictates his political testament to Traudl Jung. Then he marries his beloved Eva Braun and advises his adjutant Otto Guensche (Goetz Otto) to burn their corpses. Hitler retracts himself with his wife to their bower. In the noise of the artillery fire sounds a shot - Guensche announces: "Der Fuehrer ist tot".

Even now Goebbels and the military leaders refuse the unconditional surrender, required by the russians. The situation is forlorn. Magda Goebbels administers her children soporifics an then the lethal potassium cyanide. In the yard of the Reichskanzlei first Joseph Goebbels shoots his wife then himself. Loudspeaker cars proclaim the suicide of Hitler, but the soldiers are still continuing ther fights. Traudl Junge is able to escape the bunker together with some others through the ducts of the subway, and further through the area, encircled by Red Army Forces. Suddenly, a child grabs her hand: It´s Peter! The russians let pass the "mother with her child" without harm...

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