The Downfall by Oliver Hirschbiegel - Movie Review Example

Downfall begins again in the year 1945 in April as the battle of Berlin is taking place. Traudi, Gerda, and Constanze are woken up by a loud blast in their room. Burgdorf then informs Hitler that Berlin is under attack and Hitler gets the information that the red army is within 7.5 miles of Berlin from Karl Koller, who is part of Hitler's military (Smith, 2010).

       Traudi Junge, who is Hitler’s secretary and an individual who is not political, gives an account of the activities that take place over two weeks that begin on the twentieth of April 1945 which is also Adolf Hitler’s birthday. Traudi and a lot of other Nazi party leaders spend these two weeks in a bunker that belongs to the Fuhrer as they seek safety from the ongoing attack by the Russian troops who are getting further into Berlin.  By the looks of how the Russian troops are getting further into Berlin, it is almost guaranteed that the Russians will win this war and be in control of Berlin as Germany loses the war. 

     As this goes on, Hitler together with his army is contemplating on which course of action to take. While Hitler struggles with this decision, many are giving him the option of leaving Berlin or surrendering to the Russian troops, an action that is going to save the lives of the large population of Germans who are civilians. Despite these calls by those around him, Hitler announces that Germany is going to be victorious and instructed all his advisers and the generals in his military to fight the Russian troops to death. The movie gives an account of the last days of Berlin, in which senior leaders in German including Goring and Himmler start to defect from their leader as they try to spare their lives. On the other hand, a leader like Joseph Goebbels gives a pledge to die fighting together with Hitler (Smith, 2010).

     Hitler takes his stand and does what he thinks stands for the political ideas that he holds and treats anyone who disobeys him as one who has committed treason. The effects of the war, gradually turn Hitler into an empty person with paranoia. He is a very optimistic person at one moment and the next he turns into a depressed and suicidal individual. The end then finally comes for Hitler as he lies dead after killing himself. Those he leaves behind in his army now have the task of finding how they are going to put an end to the killings that are still going on in what is called the Battle of Berlin. Those that remain in Hitler’s army finally decide to surrender and put down their arms to signal their surrender