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Visitors Review

dtucker86 2012-05-25 19:00:53

chilling

What went on in the last days of the Third Reich in Adolf Hitler's bunker?This tv film dares to answer that question. It is a first class work thatshould be shown more often. Anthony Hopkins is one of our acting icons likeOlivier. He brings the same chilling conviction to the role of Adolf Hitlerthat he brought to Hannibal Lecter in Silence Of The Lambs. He portraysHitler as a drug addicted shell of a man who was once invincible and hecaptures him at the end when all was lost. The most frightning scene in thefilm is where he explodes in rage at Albert Speer when he tells him that thewar is lost. Hopkins captures all of the rage and madness that was AdolfHitler, a demon in human form. It is at this point that I wanted to tip myhat to another fine thespian, Susan Blakely, she plays Eva Braun. She givesa wonderful performance as well. She is a first class actress who has nevergiven a bad performance in anything that she has done and who has never beengiven the credit due her. They talk in this film about how Albert Speertried to assassinate Hitler in the final days of the Third Reich. This is ablatant whitewash. Speer was lucky to escape with his life at the Nuremburgtrial, he got off with twenty years. People called him "the Nazi who said hewas sorry". That is all BS!!!!Speer willingly served Hitler for years! Heknew of the concentration camps and approved of it. He was in on it from thevery beginning and the son of a bitch should have ended his life with ahangman's noose around his neck! There was a writer who wrote a book aboutSpeer called Albert Speer The Whole Story and I highly recommend it.

Stingz 2012-05-25 00:44:56

Excellent Docu-drama

I consider this one of Anthony Hopkins best 'early' performances. Hopkinsimmersed himself into the role of Hitler. In a review it was said after atypical Hitler tirade, Hopkins was so 'into' the role, he would have theroom cleared so he could be alone and compose himself! Awesome,believable,performances by all other's involved also. Especial kudos to RichardJordanas Albert Speer, Hitler's 'adopted' protege'. This film adaptation may beasclose as we will come to what really happened in Hitler's bunker at theendof World War II.

Christian Gilbert 2012-05-24 07:04:58

An intelligent and gripping account of the last weeks of Hitler.

A stunning portrayal by Hopkins. Unfortunately the other cast members(the male ones anyway) do not look enough like the ghastly originals(!) to be convincing. For example, Goebbels is well enough acted, asare they all, but he just does not have the cadaverous look of Dr.Joseph. The Reich architect Speer is portrayed as far too nice a man.He wasn't. The exception is Bormann. Michael Lonsdale is made to look alittle like this detestable man. In bearing, size and demeanor Lonsdalecaptures the essence of Hitler's right hand man He kept in thebackground most of the time, but was nonetheless an extremely powerfulfigure in the Third Reich and his power comes over very well. A goodscript and well directed, this film is well worth watching, especiallynow that it is readily available, uncut, on DVD.

Avinash Patalay 2012-05-23 11:58:30

The "Fuhrer" we never knew (and perhaps never was!)

The movie attempts to depict the final days of the charismatic leaderHitler in his bunker. There are two kind of people around him, onehardcore loyalist who would never desert him and the other "goodriddance".Fuhrer is shown here to be completely lost, incapable of takingdecisions, confused speech, fire in belly nearly extinguished, wakingup heavy heartedly to lead another day of existence and seriouslycontemplating to reinvent himself as a clone of Buddha. Whether Hitlertruly was, is a matter of debate best left to historians, biographersand auto-biographer.It goes without saying that Anthony Hopkins is completely miscast.Perhaps Mr. Hopkins took this on board hoping to bring him laurels &statuettes however in spite of his best efforts it falls flat. Heattempts to mask it up with a performance comprising of estranged lookand long drawn silences. In an attempt to integrate Anthony Hopkins with Hitler he ends up acharacter who seems to be as result of genetic experiment gone wrong.So you will three personalities to a character namely Hitler, AnthonyHopkins and a third which I seriously hope who never was.

lord woodburry 2012-05-22 17:27:05

Curtains on this downfall

Adolph Hitler outranks the devil for the number of movies made abouthim. Yet as much as I liked the German films : The last 10 days ofAdolph Hitler and Downfall and as much as I love Anthony Hopkins as anactor, Hopkins played a flat footed Hitler. Hopkins is too English tobe Hitler. As good an actor as Hopkins is, I doubt he'd get more than ayawn from a political gathering. Could Hopkins get a single zeig muchless a heil? Hopkins' performance would have played better in THE PRODUCERS.If Hitler orated the way Hopkins delivered an authentic AH speech atthe end of this film, would Hopkins have revv-ed 61 million Germans upto march in step, commit atrocities and fight 250 million Russians and250 million Americans at the same time? No sir! Hopkins was not a verygood Hitler.At the end of the TV movie, there was a credit to the Trevor Roper bookThe Last days of AH. I didn't see it mentioned in these pages.Like most in the AH genre the film does not mention Hitler's doublealluded to in the Toland work.

CAROLYN_ELLIS 2012-05-22 05:48:56

Best one yet

Hopkins is superb and Hugh Trevor Roper said last year it was the mostaccurate to date i wont argue.Hopkins played late 44 early 45 Hitler perfect, Gans was good butinaccurate and made for German/Austrian cinema so very watered down.This is superb and worth watching for anyone a fan of the era.Long live Hopkins and long live this part of history.The only downfall is the English accents but like i said the Gansversion is wholey commercial and the Goebboels is a dreadful lookalike.Hitler will go down as one of the great vilans along with stalin,Blair, Polpot and Bush but the Fueher did it the best.Seig!

sddavis63 2012-05-22 06:47:13

An Inside Look At The Last Days Of Hitler And The Third Reich

The Third Reich was a land of insanity from its very beginning. Thatinsanity increased as time went on, and this movie offers a pretty goodlook at its last days, as Hitler and his entourage hole themselves upin a bunker underneath the Reich Chancellory and act as if they'reactually accomplishing something, even as Germany is beingsystematically overrun by Allied armies.Of most interest are the various performances and the manner in whichthe various personalities are portrayed. Anthony Hopkins' work as AdolfHitler was very good - especially considering the difficulties involvedin playing such a complex and controversial subject. I thought Hopkinsnailed the emotional complexity of the man - deliberately hidinghimself from the realities of the War, calmly sitting down to tea withhis secretaries one minute, then launching into a deranged tiradeagainst his generals the next, addicted to drugs administered by hispersonal physician. Those who did makeup for this also got Hopkins tolook the part - well not perfectly, but pretty close. Where I thoughtHopkins missed the mark a bit was in Hitler's physical state. Asidefrom some trembling, Hopkins' Hitler actually looked pretty healthy.Other actors have to be looked at as well though, because this movieisn't really about Hitler - it has more to do with how the variouspersonalities involved interacted with Hitler.Much of the movie revolved around Nazi architect Albert Speer. RichardJordan handled the part well, although the portrayal of Speer wasinteresting - probably unavoidably so, since Speer was almost ascomplex a character as Hitler. In the movie, Speer comes across asbasically a good guy, fighting against Hitler's insane plans. There'struth to that view, but it's too limited. Speer was a devoted discipleof Hitler, and his actions against Hitler began only when it becameobvious that Germany would lose the war. For Speer, as long as Germanymight win, the horrors of Nazism seemed acceptable. Something waslacking in Cliff Gorman's portrayal of Joseph Goebbels. A lot was right- the portrayal of Goebbels' fanatical devotion to Hitler and Nazism,his rabid anti-semitism and his cold as ice attitude - to the point ofkilling his own family without a second thought simply because he feltthat without Hitler, there was no reason for any of them to live.Still, something about Gorman as Goebbels didn't work for me. He justdidn't look the part, and I could never really equate the voice withGoebbels either. The third figure of significance was Martin Bormann,portrayed by Michael Lonsdale. Lonsdale was good here. Bormann was arather shadowy character, and Lonsdale portrayed him that way. Youcould never really be sure what Bormann's priority was here - gettingout of the bunker or staying loyal to Hitler. In fact, that's accurate,because above everything else, Bormann's main preoccupation was withpower - whether represented by Hitler or someone else.Largely missing from this account of these last days in the bunker(although it does pop up in the end) is the rather morbid andcompletely unreal question of who would succeed Hitler - as if therewas going to be anything to succeed to. As I understand it, that was arather serious issue in the bunker in those last days and weeks; itgets largely passed over in this movie. Basically, however, this isvery well done. I particularly liked the last scene, when the machinistHentschel (Martin Jarvis) throws papers in disgust at the radio when itannounces Hitler's heroic death, "fighting to the last breath againstBolshevism," when Hentschel knew full well that Hitler had cowardlycommitted suicide and left everyone else to fend for themselves.Overall, I give this a 7/10

bkoganbing 2012-05-21 15:58:28

In An Ever Shrinking Perimeter

The end of Nazi Germany was not a pretty sight. From a government thatwas the terror of the world in its final days was only able to directthe affairs of its citizens in an ever shrinking perimeter around thecity of Berlin. Around the time FDR was inaugurated for a fourth termand took off for Yalta to discuss post war Europe with Churchill andStalin, Hitler took refuge in a special bunker constructed way beneaththe Reichstag. American bombers by day and British by night gave himlike May Britt in The Young Lions no rest. Seemed like the logicalthing. But some like Martin Bormann played here quite eerily by MichaelLonsdale wanted Hitler to go to his mountain retreat of Berchtesgardenand conduct a resistance of attrition from there. That is the centraltheme of The Bunker. Anthony Hopkins as Hitler in a mad show of bravadowon't do it. Hopkins is a mesmerizing and total Hitler. By total I mean we see himin the big and small things. The big things like trying to keep the warhe started going and dealing with treachery from that curious gang ofsubordinates like Goering and Himmler from cutting their own deals.These two play minor roles because they cut out early. Hitler is alsoseen in the small things, playing with Joe and Magda Goebbels children,playing house with Eva Braun, and caring for his faithful retrieverBlondi whom in the end he poisoned. He genuinely worried about the dognot being able to fend for itself in the rubble of Berlin and itstarving to death. Of all the top aides around Hitler, I think hands down the sickest ofthe lot was Joe Goebbels. Cliff Gorman and Piper Laurie give matchlessperformances, twin studies in fanaticism. As their Aryan world crumblesaround them, Joe and Magda decide they and their six children will notsurvive. Joe won't in any event, but Magda agrees that she and the kidsdon't want to live in a world run by non-Aryans and those Jews leftthat either survived or didn't fall into captivity. The two werematched in intensity for their devotion to Nazi ideology and in libidosthat didn't quit. Joe who ran UFA studios in the Third Reich had acasting couch that was the envy of any Hollywood mogul, he had powersthey couldn't imagine. But according to Albert Speer's post warmemoirs, Magda Goebbels never sat home and let the grass grow under herfeet. According to Speer The Bunker also gets it right about Eva Braun. SusanBlakely plays her just like Speer describes her, just a power groupiebefore that term was invented without a political thought in her head.He also said she was personally kind and devoted and was always beingapproached by people seeking to influence Hitler in one thing oranother. Curiously enough Benito Mussolini's mistress Clara Petacci isdescribed the same way. The Bunker is one of the best made for television films ever done. Itgives quite an insight into the fanatical minds and mad politics thatdominated Nazi Germany as well as a personal view of its leadership.Don't miss this one by any means.

stacyarts 2012-05-20 12:40:54

Video not complete

I saw this film when it was originally on TV in 1981, and then justrecentlyon VHS. I can think of at least three scenes that were cut out on thevideo.Good performance by Hopkins.

Dan Miehm 2012-05-19 17:40:07

Good performances, slow-moving film.

A tour de force performance by Hopkins manages to propel this sometimesslow-moving docudrama. The supporting performances, especially by PiperLaurie and Richard Jordan, also drive this intensely psychological take onthe last days of the Third Reich. One criticism though: is a Germanaccentreally that difficult for professional actors to mimic?

markcarlson2222 2012-05-19 05:00:24

Hopkins the best Hitler

As a military historian, I've probably seen every film depicting Hitler andthe last days of the Third Reich there is. Some stand out. "Inside the ThirdReich" with Derek Jacobi, and "Hitler: The Last Ten Days," with AlecGuinness, to name a few. But as slow and downright melodramatic as this filmis, I think that Anthony Hopkins' Hitler is right on the money, A superbacting job with a difficult role. He brings the image of an old man,difficult, palsied, volatile, confused, distant and changeable as achameleon on an acid trip to life for the screen. It's not hard to play theclassic Hitler with fits of rages and dour looks, but there is a lot more toit, and Hopkins pulls it off magnificently. He literally ages before youreyes and the gray pallor of the Bunker's stone walls seems to seep into hisskin with every scene. Jordan as Speer is believable, and the somber,dirgelike music pulls out the hopelessness of the last gasp of the Nazi ratpack's future. Accurately done, but Hopkins is the real star here. But asone other user commented, is it really so hard for a Brit or an American tomanage a German accent? Do all civilized Germans sound as if they had beenraised in coventry? Ach du Lieber!

haldane_iv 2012-05-18 12:11:45

Another TV rewrite of history...

The last days of Shicklegruber...again. In some way this film becomes thestory of Albert Speer rather than Hitler. Speer was a technical advisoronthe set and beefed up his historical role. So Richard Jordan as Speer isasimportant a character as Hopkins. Where Hopkins is hysterical andoverbearing Jordan underplays, undermines. The effect is to have usbelievethere was some rational thought in these last days of the ThirdReich.Yet another TV rewrite of history but at least it gives Jordan one of hisbest roles...

yenlo 2012-05-18 00:29:58

What went on in detail.

This made for TV film seems to be very rarely shown now. Anthony Hopkinsbecomes yet another actor to portray the German dictator. The films coversthe period of Hitler when he ascends into his Berlin bunker up to and alittle while after his suicide. It could be slow at times but if your ahistory buff it's a very detailed picture.

psagray 2012-05-17 15:52:49

Recommended film for those who enjoy historical moments

This film recounts the last days of the dictator Adolf Hitler and thepeople of their environment in May 1945 in its bunker in Berlin, aswell as the climate of dementia that prevailed in the Bunker in theselast hours. Hitler, senile man that passes from the tranquility to anextreme violence, does not accept their defeat. Magnificent productionEuro-American television that recounts the last days of Hitler, with anexcellent division full of international stars and a masterfulsoundtrack of Brad Fiedel "Terminator""The bunker" is based on a book of James P. O'Donnell, correspondentfor the Newsweek that the July 4 1945 was the first not soviet to enterthe bunker of the German federal chancellery. "Der Untergang" is basedon a book of Joachim Fest, the most famous German biographer of Hitler.In contrast, the most famous book, "The last days of Hitler" of HughTrevor-Roper, an official of the military intelligence British isactually an official investigation, has not yet been adapted.Anthony Hopkins is superb in his interpretation of Adolf Hitler,without a doubt is one of his best interpretations, performed a worksuperb in the representation of the Tyrant, manages the bodylanguage-gestural of form sublime, not falling into the easyhistrionics of character and that we transmit the evolution since wesee he as the principle handling the bureau of maps to the GeneralHeadquarters, until his off final. (Richard Jordan) as Albert Speer,the comic new yorker (Cliff Gorman) as Joseph Goebbels and the motherof "Carrie",( Piper Laurie), as Magda Goebbels, Martin Bormann (MichaelLonsdale), Heinrich Himmler (Michael Sheard), General Hans Guderian(Yves Brainville), Herman Goering (David King appears to be a genuinedouble of the true character), also make magnificent interpretations.It's noteworthy in "The bunker" the role that give Albert Speer, theso-called "nazi good", architect of Hitler and minister of weaponryduring the war. . The problem is when types intelligent, capable andcompleteness as Speer are left seduced by great monstrosity. And thisfilm explained very well that although Speer realizes what hashappened, cannot get rid of the night in the morning of the knotsentimental. Albert Speer came out of Spandau, and publish a memoirthat remains one of the best of the twentieth century. By muchrepentance and good manners to take was just as guilty as the other, ormore for their sanity. It also highlights the influence and controlthat kept Martin Bormann especially in the stage within the bunker.

ozthegreatat42330 2012-05-17 01:23:45

Excellent story of a Descent into Madness

Unless you understand the psychological make up of the German Peopleand can clearly understand the German language it is hard to understandthe absolute Charisma of Adolph Hitler or how the Third Reich came intobeing. This made for TV documentary is very accurate in its depictions,taken from interviews of an American officer over many years with thesurvivors of the events portrayed. The film chronicles the last 105days of the life of Hitler and his inner circle from the moment hedescends to the bunker in January 1945 until his death on April 30th ofthat year. Between the make-up and the acting of Anthony Hopkins youmight well believe that Hitler was alive again, so compelling hisperformance. The late Richard Jordan gives one his finest performancesas Reichsminister Albert Speer, Hitler's architect and later ministerof munitions during the war. And to answer the carping critique ofanother commentator, everything I have read in history, which as it ismy college major, is considerable, points to Speer's becoming a voiceof reason and having a change of heart about the German Empire towardthe end of the war. What was undeniable is the fact that those closestto him remained fanatically loyal, for the most part, some of them evenpot the time that this film was made. Two other outstanding performances were Michael Lonsdale (Moonraker) asMartin Borman and Piper Laurie as Magda Geobels, wife of Hitler'spropaganda minister. She did kill her six children (or was it 7, I lostcount) before dying with her husband in a suicide pact at the bunker.Whatever your feelings about Hitler, this film is a definite must see.

Thomas Gill 2012-05-16 07:43:08

Absolute Junk

Not the worst piece of crap I have ever sat through, but darn nearclose. A bunch of film students at a state college could have producedsomething of this caliber. First of all, Nazis with British accents?That was the first indication that the director would be asking theviewer to suspend one's disbelief. Then, Anthony Hopkins as AdolphHitler? Charlie Chaplin could do a better job. Hopkins performance wasa parody of Hitler. Was he serious? When the director yelled cut, didthe entire cast break out in giggles? At times he portrayed Hitler as ajolly Englishman. When it began to fall apart all around him, he was aranting lunatic, but not a very believable ranting lunatic. DerUndergang ( The Downfall ) was the most powerful movie I have everwatched. It is a German made movie with an all German cast. Thelanguage is in German with English subtitles. It makes you feel youwere right there in the bunker in the final days. You felt what thosewho were actually a part of this history felt. This made for televisionmovie was so inferior that it made me wince at how bad it was.

naseby 2012-05-16 09:38:39

Faithful reproduction

A very good insight into the last days of 'Der Fuhrer' and his chums,charting the atmospheric goings on, in the bunker. Somewhat suspensefuland a narrative of the facts, but partly let down not by theperformances of, but as, some have said on here already, the un-matchedlookalikes. (I.e: Richard Jordan as Speer and the Goebbels one).Though it has to be said, Anthony Hopkins gave another of hisoutstanding performances as Hitler. (Though I thought the moustache wasa little broad - this may have been the light or the fact that itseemed more brown than black, like Hitler's).Well worth watching. A comparative favourite of mine is 'Hitler, theLast Ten Days' which I still believe to be superior, though there arethose who don't agree on here, on this review. A deciding factor Ithink was a better bunker, interjections of documentary footage mainlycompromising Hitler's words and of course the lookalikes (John Bennettas Goebbels and Mark Kingston as Bormann, Doris Kunstmann as Eva Braunand an equally impressive Alec Guinness's Hitler). Watch them both!

ma-cortes 2012-05-15 12:06:34

Excellent TV rendition about the last days of Hitler with exceptional performance from Anthony Hopkins

This is the true story of the infamous Nazi dictator with his historicdownfall. The story of Hitler's last days in an underground bunkergives insight to his madness. Here in the midst of his lackeys thedictator played out the final act of his life . It's well played byAnthony Hopkins who won an Emmy prize for his excellent acting.Atmospheric cinematography and gloomy musical score by Brad Fievel.This television movie is finely written by prestigious scriptwriterJohn Gay and stunningly directed by George Schaeffer. Other adaptationabout this historical character are : ¨Hitler(1962)¨ by Stuart Heislerwith Richard Basehart, ¨Hitler : The last days(1973)¨ by Ennio DeConcini with Alec Guinness and the best is ¨The Downfall¨ by OliverHischbiegel with Bruno Ganz.The picture is correctly based on real events, adding more details ,the deeds happened of the following manner : ¨Fuehererbunker¨(Leader'sBunker)is the subterranean headquarter below the Chancellery and itsgarden in Berlin where Hitler (Anthony Hopkins) spent his last days,from April 20 to 30, 1945. It was constructed during WW2 some 50 feetbelow the ground. It could be reached through the New Chancellery bydescending a stairway from the butler's pantry. There were two levels,On the upper level was a dining passage separating six rooms on eachside. At the end of the central passage a curved stair led down toHitler's own deeper bunker. This area had seventeen rooms , all small,cramped , and uncomfortable : Hitler's suite of three rooms, a map roomused for conferences, the dressing room and bedroom of Eva Braun(SusanBlakely), the bedroom of Dr Paul Joseph Goebbles(Cliff Gorman) andwife(Piper Laurie),the rooms of Dr Ludwig, lavatories and bathrooms, anemergency telephone exchange, a drawing room, guardroom, cloakroom anda dog bunker for Hitler's Alsatian bitch named Blondi, with her fourpuppies. Hitler spent hours before giant war maps, shifting coloredpins about to locate units that no longer existed. By this time he wasin a state of extreme nervous exhaustion : although only fifty-six, hemoved as if he were prematurely senile. His health grew even worse theministrations of his doctors(Frank Gatliff, Morris Perry). With theexception of Goebbles and Martin Bormann(Michael Londsdale), hissecretaries and several others, his lieutenants began to desert him. Hedenounced Herrmann Goering(David King)for trying to usurp hisleadership and Heimrich Himmler (Michael Sheard) for seeking tonegotiate with the count Bernadotte and Allied. Albert Speer (RichardJordan) his minister of Armaments and War Production , refused to carryout his orders for a scorched-earth policy. At last acknowledge defeat,the Fuehrer decided to leave the world in a gesture of Wagnerianself-immolation. In the early hours of April 29, 1945, he married Evaand immediately afterward dictated his last will and politicaltestament, in which he justified his life and work. The next day heretreated into his suite and shot himself while Eva took poison to endher life. In accordance with his instructions, the bodies were dumpedinto a trough in the Chencellery garden,doused with gasoline andburned. From April 22 to May 1, 1945 , the following were present inthe Bunker: Gen Keitel(John Paul), Gen. Hans Guderian(Brain Villa) ,Col.Von Below(Julian fellows), Gen. Alfred Jodl(Steedman) , Major Gen.Rattenhuber(David Swift), Lieutenant Genen Fegelein (TerrenceHardiman), Dr. Ludwig Stumpfegger , among others.