Der Untergang

Right... I know I haven't updated in ages, but some of us have a LIFE, capiche?

Anyways... today's topic: MOVIES! I watch quite a few, and since they're an easy topic to write about, from now on I shall bore/enlighten you with my take on them.

Last week I went and saw one of the best movies ever: Der Untergang (The Downfall). Yanks, please don't be intimidated by having to read subtitles and listen to Krauttalk, nor by the lack of Hollywood stars and ridiculous plot twists. This movie is probably the best you will see all year.

The topic is the final days of Hitler, hunkered down in his Berlin bunker in late April 1945. The Russians are closing in, the city itself is under attack, and all but the most fervent believers understand that the end is near. There are so many things one could comment on... the cast is brilliant, especially Bruno Ganz, who plays Hitler. He makes the man come alive without ever seeming too theatrical. He also gets the Austrian accent very well. The rest of the cast is great too, there is none of the overacting or simplification so often seen in movies about this period.

The film was criticized (especially in Germany, where they naturally tend to be very sensitive about this stuff) for portraying Hitler as "too human" and some said it could give people "sympathy" for him. My opinon is that no one can watch this movie and come away thinking Hitler was anything but stark raving mad, but it IS true that we are treated to something much more complex than the usual Hollywood cardboard figure of pure evil. This, however makes the movie both more realistic and much more educational. Think about it: How could a man achieve this kind of power and following if he spent his entire life just shouting and bullying? By showing Hitler as a human being and as someone capable of personal charm and consideration for the well-being of his subordinates, the movie also lets you understand how Germany could fall under the spell of this madman.

Another interesting thing is the conflict between the Nazis and the professional German military. These two camps were deeply suspicious of each other. The Nazis never trusted the generals to be sufficiently loyal to Der Führer and to the cause, while the generals despised the Nazis as opportunists and politicians with no knowledge of warfare and no sympathy for the ultimate fate of the common soldier. Their problem was that they had all sworn an oath of allegiance to Hitler personally, and thus most of them found it unacceptable to surrender to the Russians even though they strongly urged Hitler to do so.

This brings me to another point, where again the movie gives us what some would see as an "excuse" for the Nazis, but which I think is just a necessary fact for understanding history: The Nazis' belief in what they were doing. You cannot possibly understand history if your image of the Nazis is that they were simply a bunch of bullies hellbent on global destruction. They waged war for a reason. For sure, there were plenty of opportunists who just grabbed at power, and one could probably say a lot about the psychological aspects of many of the people involved. But there was also the ideological aspect - people who truly believed that they were doing something right. When they were hunkering down in that bunker, it wasn't just because they refused to accept a military loss, it was because they actually thought that Nazi Germany was the last defense against what they called "the Asian hordes" - Russian communists. When Mrs Goebbels, in one of the most heart-wrenching scenes of the film actually poisons her six children it's not because she hates kids; it's because she truly believes that the world of tomorrow - one without National Socialism - is worse than death. It is only if we understand the nature and the strength of their beliefs that we can hope to truly comprehend this regime and this period in history.

On a side note, I also think this message is important in today's world, where we're facing a different ideological enemy - Islamofascism. As with the Nazis, we're mainly dealing with people with a twisted ideology, an uncertain grasp of reality and an absolute belief in the justness of their cause. As with the Nazis, a negotiated peace - a compromise - is impossible, because their ideas and their ultimate goals are incompatible with modern liberal civilization.

Anyways... there's lots more to be said about this movie, but I won't spoil it for you. Just go and see it. You certainly won't be disappointed, and quite probably you'll be a lot wiser.