Top 250 Challenge: 162

Der Untergang (2004)
Number 42 on IMDb's Top 250

In April of 1945, Germany stands at the brink of defeat with the Russian Army closing in from the east and the Allied Expeditionary Force attacking from the west. In Berlin, capital of the Third Reich, Adolf Hitler proclaims that Germany will still achieve victory and orders his Generals and advisers to fight to the last man. "Downfall" explores these final days of the Reich, where senior German leaders (such as Himmler and Goring) began defecting from their beloved Fuhrer, in an effort to save their own lives, while still others (Joseph Goebbels) pledge to die with Hitler. Hitler, himself, degenerates into a paranoid shell of a man, full of optimism one moment and suicidal depression the next. When the end finally does comes, and Hitler lies dead by his own hand, what is left of his military must find a way to end the killing that is the Battle of Berlin, and lay down their arms in surrender. Not much hilarity here.

Trivia: Of the thirty-seven named real life people featured as characters in the film, Rochus Misch was the only one who was still alive when the film was released. As of 2006, he is one of the last remaining survivors of the Führerbunker.

Well, as a movie this was pretty good. It shows the last days of Hitler all of which are in his Berlin bunker. He is shown in a sympathetic light at times, defiant at times, sometimes furious, sometimes pensive, sometimes downright delusional. You see the beginning stages of Parkinsons disease as he struggles to stay in control. It was kind of surreal watching this movie so soon after watching the Pianist.