DOWNFALL (Der Untergang) (2004)
cast: Bruno Ganz, Alexandra Maria Lara, Corinna Harfouch, Ulrich Matthes, Juliane Köhler, Heino Ferch, Christian Berkel; dir. Oliver Hirschbiegel
Equally bold as it is aesthetically pleasing and artistically accurate, this well-rounded look into Hitler's final days is worthy of all the attention it received at the time of its release, especially the numerous accolades for Ganz's haunting performance. By taking the troubling point of view of the Nazis, 'Downfall' succeeds in highlighting difficult subject matter and problematic characters without a lot of moralizing.
One of the most disturbing moments was when the internist is searching through the hospital for supplies and comes across all the elderly people who have all been pushed together in the basement. It truly drives home the point made earlier by Hitler that the welfare of the German civilians left in Berlin were not his nor the Third Reich's concern at that point in the war.
The young Hitler Youth, Peter's, journey seemed analogous to the 'girl in the red dress' of Schindler's List. Watching him wander the streets of war-ravaged Berlin only to encounter the body of Inge, another Hitler Youth, is sobering in its reality. The viewer's journey through the eyes of an anonymous child seems worthy of a comparison to that element of Speilberg's film.
The entire feeling of the film becomes more claustrophobic as the Nazis are secured in the bunker and the director uses this narrowness to his advantage. We get long pans down long hallways, rooms that double as offices and dining room, a safety bunker that slowly morphs into a bunch of cells and finally, a tomb.
Bruno Ganz's performance as the Führer is horrifying, impassioned, vulnerable, and desolate. His slow descent into his own warped version of reality (a reality in which the Germans triumph over the Russians) is mirrored by the expressions on the faces of his bewildered generals and support staff whose knowledge of Germany's vulnerability is at odds with their allegiance to their Führer.
Juliane Köhler is also a standout as his lover-cum-wife Eva Braun. Her demented hostess scene is one of her most truly revealing moments and the actress revels in the irony of having a party while there are bombs going off not 100 meters away. There are times when you can see the real woman break out from under the hero-worship but she is quickly thrown back into the role of his most loyal supporter, feckless and boisterous to the very end.
Corinna Harfouch is also quite effective as Magda Goebbels, a woman who represents the quintessential Aryan earth mother of National Socialism. Her unflailing allegiance to Hitler up until the end is heartbreaking. Alternately, the scene where she murders her children one by one, especially the oldest daughter, is chilling, to the bone.
A must-see.
***** out of 5
The Official Review Thread of 2004
DOWN TO THE BONE (2004)
cast: Vera Farmiga, Hugh Dillon, Clint Jordan, Caridad 'La Bruja' De La Luz; dir. Debra Granik
This film offers a pretty realistic portrayal of one drug addict's attempt to try and clean up her act for the sake of her family. Vera Farmiga's Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award-winning performance is unflinching and authentic, unglamorous and raw, tough yet vulnerable. In the dearth of lead female performances last year, Farmiga would've made a worthy fourth or fifth spot contender.
The handheld look of the film lends a gritty realism that is augmented by the dull coloring, trailer-trashy settings, cool, wintry New York vistas as well as the pale, washed-out characters themselves. While, the film ends somewhat ambiguously, there's a sliver of hope to grab onto that I found refreshing for a drug redemption saga.
Hugh Dillon's supporting turn as the nurse/sponsor-cum-boyfriend/addict was also quite convincing.
Personally, I even bought the somewhat heavy-handed image/comparison of the addict under the influence just as powerless to their drug of choice as a mouse is to a snake in a cage.
*** out of 5
cast: Vera Farmiga, Hugh Dillon, Clint Jordan, Caridad 'La Bruja' De La Luz; dir. Debra Granik
This film offers a pretty realistic portrayal of one drug addict's attempt to try and clean up her act for the sake of her family. Vera Farmiga's Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award-winning performance is unflinching and authentic, unglamorous and raw, tough yet vulnerable. In the dearth of lead female performances last year, Farmiga would've made a worthy fourth or fifth spot contender.
The handheld look of the film lends a gritty realism that is augmented by the dull coloring, trailer-trashy settings, cool, wintry New York vistas as well as the pale, washed-out characters themselves. While, the film ends somewhat ambiguously, there's a sliver of hope to grab onto that I found refreshing for a drug redemption saga.
Hugh Dillon's supporting turn as the nurse/sponsor-cum-boyfriend/addict was also quite convincing.
Personally, I even bought the somewhat heavy-handed image/comparison of the addict under the influence just as powerless to their drug of choice as a mouse is to a snake in a cage.
*** out of 5
"The mantle of spinsterhood was definitely in her shoulders. She was twenty five and looked it."
-Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
-Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell