10 Best War Films NOT About The US Military
6. Downfall
Moving from one axis power to another, Downfall or Der Untergang as it's known in Germany is a powerfully harrowing recreation of the last days in Berlin. What we remember is the performer who spawned a thousand internet memes, Bruno Ganz. The late swiss actor does an incredible job playing the fanatical fuhrer, who faces up to the prospect that his dreams of an empire face an imminent demise. As the Russians close in on Hitler's bunker, the audience bears witness to the bleak collapse of the German nation from their perspective.
It's more than just Ganz's exceptional performance that makes Downfall so fantastic however. More than any other war film, it humanises the German people; showing how commanding officers, personal staff and innocent civilians respond to the brutal conclusion of the European front in World War Two.
Much of the action is shown through the eyes of personal secretary Traudl Junge (played by Alexandra Maria Lara), who bears witness to Hitler's final hours. We also see countless other real life figures portrayed such as propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels (Ulrich Matthes). As one of very few films to take the perspective of the Nazis, Downfall remains an immensely powerful production.