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A few questions to those who have seen the movie "Downfall"

M

macgeek2005

macrumors 65816
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Jan 31, 2006
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http://imdb.com/title/tt0363163/

Okay, i'm 15 years old as alot of you already know. I'm below the age to see this movie according the MPAA, and my mom thinks that this movie is gonna be one of those movies that haunts you for 30 years if you see it when you're too young.

Long story short, she won't let me see it.

Now the questions I have are.... (and please answer without spoiling the movie), is there anything that is so gruesome, horrifying, or utterly disturbing that it would give me nightmares for years to come?

Thanks
 
it was creepy watching that movie - will it haunt you for the rest of your life?
maybe depends if your into your world war 2 history.

i saw the film as a fresh look at something i always assumed but never knew for sure.

a very well made film IMO
 
No, the film is great. Beats a lot of the American (lets re-write history our way) rubbish coming out of hollywood. Nothing shocks and I think you will enjoy it!
 
I saw the film on TV in the UK and thought it a very well made, hopefully true-to-the-facts, intriguing film that revealed just how totally barking mad Hitler was. IMO, there is very little, if anything, in it that would affect a mind susceptible to 'gruesome'. Apart from a different, German, perspective of WW2, which will stay with me for a long time, I cannot think that it would haunt anybody ...... Hmmmm.
Does this help?
 
Downfall

I think that this is one of those movies that really need to be seen. It is only by seeing how the delusions of a mad man led the world into conflict that you can really educate people to rty not to fall into the same mistakes.
The whole approach of seeing one of history's biggest butchers through the eyes of his secretary is very different from the usual hollywood stuff. Donwfall is definetely a must see and the gruesome part of it might just be the war scenes, hitler's shocking lunacy and the impact that the battle for berlin had in the german population living there. The war scenes are not any worst than any average hollywood action movie that you would normally be allowed to see... Watch, learn, debate and remember how one mad man with power is the most destructive force in the world.
 
HenryB said:
I think that this is one of those movies that really need to be seen. It is only by seeing how the delusions of a mad man led the world into conflict that you can really educate people to rty not to fall into the same mistakes.
The whole approach of seeing one of history's biggest butchers through the eyes of his secretary is very different from the usual hollywood stuff. Donwfall is definetely a must see and the gruesome part of it might just be the war scenes, hitler's shocking lunacy and the impact that the battle for berlin had in the german population living there. The war scenes are not any worst than any average hollywood action movie that you would normally be allowed to see... Watch, learn, debate and remember how one mad man with power is the most destructive force in the world.
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Now i agree with most of this, but Hilter did not and simply could not do everything on his own - a lot of other players in many many countries all played there part too.
 
I was captivated by this movie because I did not know what to expect. It is the first German-made film specifically about Hitler that I had seen, but more importantly, it is based on the first-hand accounts of Hitler's personal secretary and takes us through the regime's last days in the bunker.

There is in fact a personalization of Hitler that was unexpected. Because the movie shows none of the crimes against humanity or general brutality and wickedness of the regime, it does not paint a balanced view. This is because his secretary, while casually aware of the concentration camps, did not know exactly what was going on.

When Hitler decides to commit suicide, she among others pleads with him to reconsider. Hitler is too important, he will be a symbol for the rejuvenation and rebirth of Germany even after the defeat of the Third Reich, and they plead with him to help rebuild the country. But Hitler concedes no terms -- it's an all-or-nothing proposition. Either there will be a grand German empire or nothing at all.

Without saying too much more, I will say that the movie portrayed the human side of Hitler, his caringness towards his closest friends and relatives in the Bunker. It also portrayed his disconnection with the realities of war strategy and of the location and numbers of his troops. It showed several tirades aimed at his top generals for having failed him and Germany, and for refusing to follow orders. He felt betrayed and deeply disappointed that the grand vision had fallen.

Again, the movie is based on the accounts of his personal secretary so it shows compassion in the waning hours of his life. It does not focus on the crimes that regime committed, so there is little in the way of horror or horrific scenes.
 
combatcolin said:
Now i agree with most of this, but Hilter did not and simply could not do everything on his own - a lot of other players in many many countries all played there part too.
Click to expand...

Agreed. However when I mention "mad man with power" I assume that the said power is the capacity to control and influence others. Hitler was a product of its time and social and economical situation of Germany in the post ww1. The absolute control of the media and the build up of the pride of the nation focusing on the distant enemy, the outsider, the different, are a brilliant strategic move that has been used throughout history. It happened then and it happens now. Hitler's actions were repulsive, especially for the its racial/religious basis, however one of the aspects of the movie that I feel was important was the demonstration that: not all germans were nazi butchers, not all german soldiers were nazi butchers, they were people and most were as shocked as the rest of the world when they found out about the real actions of their leaders.

To the OP - I am sure that any local library will have the resources to provide you with some information of the social and historical context of europe between the 2 ww, or even better gooogle it!

If the whole matter of media control as a tool of government propaganda interests you then you should go and spend a few of your dollars buying George Orwell's "1984" and "Animal Farm", you can also find them in movies! Try and watch/read "V for Vendetta" the basic themes are in there as well and are surprisingly coherent with the current international scene...
 
Alright thanks... then why is it Rated R? There are many war scenes and blood and scary images in Lord of the Rings, and it's PG-13.
 
I have this very movie in my MacBook to watch tonight.

I've seen the first 20 mins or so, and nothing during this time has suggested that it will be a blood bath.
 
macgeek2005 said:
Alright thanks... then why is it Rated R?
Click to expand...

There's a scene depicting infanticide that could be construed as disturbing - despite being presented in historical context.

Would your mom be willing to vet the film before making a final decision? I'm optimistic that she'd be happy to let you see it if she watched it herself.
 
Brize said:
There's a scene depicting infanticide that could be construed as disturbing - despite being presented in historical context.

Would your mom be willing to vet the film before making a final decision? I'm optimistic that she'd be happy to let you see it if she watched it herself.
Click to expand...

The MPAA rated it R for Strong Violence, Disturbing Images and Scenes of Nudity.

According to what you guys are saying there is no real strong violence (anymore than was in Lord of the Rings), and no disturbing images........ so, am I missing something?
 
I watched it several months ago, and I have no idea why it has such a prohibitive rating. Most likely the political implications of showing Hitler as a nice man whom everyone around him liked, instead of as some frothing freak, is why they only want adults to see this.

By that, I mean that it's quite popular to say that Hitler was insane, whereas this film did not give me that impression. True, he held beliefs that most people now (I hope!) disagree with, but at that time were quite accepted in certain circles. I think it's our way of glossing over the shear large scale acceptance of his beliefs, that requires many of us today to simply dismiss him as insane.

This film is based off of a book, written by one of his secretaries, who worked with him every day for years. She sees him in quite a favorable light, and only a very small percentage of the time sees his darker side.

Think of your friends at school, who you mostly like, who might say or do something once and a while that worries you, but it's not really in your face so much, so you let it slide. What if they tortured and killed cats at home? Unless you actually witnessed those acts, and just heard their rhetoric once and a while, and they were otherwise quite nice to you. How would you react? What if it was your teacher or principle, or someone in a position of authority over you? What if it was your boss, who was famous and popular?

If that would make you want to torture cats yourself, then you probably aren't mature enough to watch this film.
 
Thanks for all the help. I just watched the movie myself, behind my mom's back, and since there was nothing that could possibly haunt me for 30 years to come, I am going to tell her that I saw it, and tell her that she was wrong to think that I couldn't see it.

Thanks again,
 
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