Heil My Führer!

Thanks to Pure Cinema by Satyam Cinemas, I was able to watch Der Untergang (The Downfall) directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel, at Six Degrees, on a big screen with superb sound effects. But the announcement made just before the movie began really tested my patience. The voice of that female making the announcement made it sound even worse. "Those of you seen using your cellphones or heard having loud conversations during the movie would be asked by the management to leave the hall. Your tickets won't be refunded". I was expecting her to go on and ask us all to keep our fingers on our lips. Thank god!!! She didn't. And guess what, they repeated the announcement right after the interval too!!! Just in case any STML (Short Term Memory Loss) guys all of a sudden remembered their history lessons and decided to watch the downfall of Der Führer!

Unlike my previous reviews, I won't be able to rip apart this movie, for

1. those movies were of the kind that had no need for a really intelligent mind either from the audience or the creator

2. I severely lack the knowledge of WW II history (wonder how i passed out of my school!). All that I remember are some exaggerated stories from the comics that I read during my school days. One was about Himmler being a look-alike of Hitler and that there were even more Hitler look-alikes used to fool the Allies. Another was about the Allied Forces finding the art treasures supposedly hidden away by Himmler. And of course, I have even heard about a compilation of Hitler's romantic missives to many of his love interests across the country.

The whole movie revolves around the emotions of Hitler himself and those around him, as they get ready to face the end of their lives with the impending annihilation of Berlin by the Soviets. And with that, the ultimate downfall of the Third Reich. Faced with inevitable defeat and death, Hitler goes from heights of completely unjustified optimism in one moment to suicidal depression the next moment. Meanwhile, his ladylove, Eva Braun, tries to keep the spirits up by partying and dancing amidst the music of artillery explosions. And some Hitler loyalists, including the narrator, Traudl Junge, Hitler's personal secretary, decide to stay and die with Der Führer. And, Alexandra Maria Lara, who plays Traudl Junge, looks like an angel amidst all that dust, blood and death.

There is no dearth of emotions throughout the film from unflinching belief in Der Führer that the SS troops have to the betrayal by Himmler, the most trusted aide of Hitler. Ironically, in the end, I could not help feeling a strange kind of belonging with Der Führer, whom I know to have sanctioned the death of about 62 million people, including his own countrymen.

The film superbly brings out the human side of Der Führer and at times, leaves one wondering whether this man could really have done what we have heard he did.

"Hitlerae! neenga nallavaraa?... kettavaraa??"