Downfall - the movie

[Jody]

Both of those are worth a watch. I'd add War and Remembrance to the list. And I agree that The Downfall is not really about the Battle of Berlin, although any film about those events would almost have to include the bunker--hence it makes it difficult to do justice to all the events. Would be interesting to see a film about Berlin's final days without Hitler in it. Kind of how The Longest Day never shows Hitler either.

Hi Peter,
I just didn't like War and Remembrance (the bunker stuff was pretty good and the Holocaust scenes were well done). I guess it was my dislike for Jan Michael Vincent and Ali McGraw, and I really couldn't get through it. Plus Robert Mitchum's character got on my nerves. He showed up everywhere in WWII.
Regards,
Jody

Here is Hopkins as Hitler.

[Peter_Suciu]

Hi Peter,
I just didn't like War and Remembrance (the bunker stuff was pretty good and the Holocaust scenes were well done). I guess it was my dislike for Jan Michael Vincent and Ali McGraw, and I really couldn't get through it. Plus Robert Mitchum's character got on my nerves. He showed up everywhere in WWII.

Vincent and McGraw were in Winds of War, which was the first book of this series.

Hart Bochner played Bryon Henry and Jane Seymour was Natalie in the follow-up. And I agree that the Holocaust scenes were probably the best made...and nearly impossible to watch at times.

[Jody]

Vincent and McGraw were in Winds of War, which was the first book of this series.

Hart Bochner played Bryon Henry and Jane Seymour was Natalie in the follow-up. And I agree that the Holocaust scenes were probably the best made...and nearly impossible to watch at times.

That is right. I have not seen them since high school and college. I guess they didn't make much of an impact on me. Winds of War I couldn't stand. I remember it now, because didn't Sir John Geilgud (mis-spelled) play Jane Seymour's uncle or something?

I did not like the actor playing Hitler in that series.
Regards,
Jody

Hitler in Downfall.

[Peter_Suciu]

That is right. I have not seen them since high school and college. I guess they didn't make much of an impact on me. Winds of War I couldn't stand. I remember it now, because didn't Sir John Geilgud (mis-spelled) play Jane Seymour's uncle or something?

I did not like the actor playing Hitler in that series.

I would say they're worth another watch. Strangely the War and Remembrance DVD box sets (two of them) came out a couple of years ago and Winds of War only came out last year. The cast changes from the two is a little jarring, and I tend to like the later cast better.

The assassination plot is very good too. Probably one of the better takes on that subject too.

[DJT]

I like Downfall because they used alot of personal accounts from people who had actually been in the Bunker in the final days. If you see Traudl Junge being interviewed in the World at War series alot of the things she brings up are depicted in the movie (for example her disappointment at his political testament and the shout of bullseye by one of the kids when Hitler shot himself). I think for a movie the dialogue and events depicted are fairly accurate historically and to me thats more important than a few ribbons or badges being inaccurate.

As for the Germans being "crap" towards the end of the war and in the Battle of Berlin I think thats quite a silly remark to make. For the Allies fighting on the ground towards the end of the war many a "crap" German soldier could still rather effectively kill or wound them or their comrades. They respected their opposite number because regardless of calibre, any soldier with a weapon and a desire to kill you has the potential to be very deadly no matter how many advantages you have in terms of supply, equipment or overall situation. The Russians lost something like 300,000 men taking Berlin. To me thats not a bad tally for "crap" defenders and how clever was Eisenhower for letting the Russians "have" the city to themselves.

[DJT]

Its been about 10 years since I saw the Winds of War. I remember some scenes being quite good and I must re-watch it.

[TWP]

Sorry Okrach.

[Okrach]

Sorry Okrach.

Already forgotten

PS. We are here to exchange our thoughts and/or learn from the others - in such a community there (I hope) IS NO ANGER at all - we can have different opinions it is allowed but anger?.. it is FORBIDDEN