Hirschbiegel’s Downfall may help our understanding of the past because we see that the producer, Eichinger, attempts to portray the film by illustrating the End of the Third Reich as (in Leopold von Ranke) how it really happened.
Downfall further benefits our understanding of the past as Eichinger portrays Hitler (played by Bruno Ganz) as the ‘human being’ rather than a ‘monster’. The critic, Tudor Georgescu, agrees that the depiction of Hitler’s humanity in Downfall could help us to understand the past as he argues that “An approachable Hitler may, therefore, better help a broad audience to understand the origins of National Socialism than does his demon archetype.” Scenes showing Hitler speaking politely to his secretaries and other major characters in the film like Joseph and Magda Goebbels reinforce this.
Furthermore, in Downfall, Hirschbiegel illustrates how Hitler is advised by other Nazis to leave Berlin, amidst the fighting outside the bunker, in order to seek refuge. The historian Kershaw argues that “Hitler was not ‘master in the Third Reich’, in the meaning of omnipotence”. This is agreeable because Hirschbiegel’s portrayal of a dependent Hitler helps us to understand the past by suggesting how, in reality, Hitler lacked control and thus enables the audience to question the traditional position of the stereotypical ‘strong leader’.
Hirschbiegel‘s film also helps us to understand the past because Hitler’s secretary, Traudl Junge offers a narration at the film’s start and end. As the film was based on her memoirs and as there appears to be an affinity between film and eye-witness account, suggesting accuracy.
Downfall may furthermore benefit our understanding of past events as, a theme continually running throughout the film, is Hitler’s popularity and support. The critic Jurgen Pelzer agrees as he argues that “Above all, the film emphasises Hitler’s unquestioned popularity, even love affair between the German population at large and the Fuhrer”. This conveys an idea of Hitler’s respectability with the German people and how it was the latter who enabled Hitler’s success from the beginning by voting him and Nazism into power.
Finally, two important figures of the German population, Peter Kranz and Traudl Junge, help us to understand the past because by escaping and surviving Berlin, it enables audiences to identify with Nazism’s legacy and the post-1945 years.
However, Downfall may hinder our understanding of the past as Eichinger, aimed for his film production to be consistent with Fest’s book. Although this may convey a sense of accuracy, Eichinger’s choice of one example of historiography as his basis could hinder our understanding of the past because although some historians agree that visual material needs to produced alongside a wide range of written material, this could perhaps make the audience consider whether the producer is taking Fest’s book as its factual representation rather than just ‘one’ of its interpretations (or representations), by therefore taking a subjective, rather than objective, position.
Our understanding of the past is further hindered because the film appears to miss crucial elements such as historical accuracy. The scene towards the end of the film where Hitler, dictates his personal and political testaments to Traudl Junge is in a way inaccurate. Although Hitler in Downfall conveys how ‘international Jewry’ resulted in the failure of the First World War and are an enemy to the German people, he fails to mention whom would be his successor and whom would fill various government agencies. However, on the other hand, the historian Alan Bullock in his biography, rather than just focussing on Hitler dictating his life and his anti-Semitism, goes on to suggest how Hitler
As his successor he appointed Admiral Donitz President of the Reich, Minister of War, and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces – and promptly proceeded to nominate his government for him.
By not mentioning Hitler’s chosen successor in a film based on Hitler’s last days, would not be of any value to historians, and also to audiences studying the period, because it may distort our understanding of Nazism’s legacy.
Furthermore, in the film, before Hitler commits suicide, Hitler informs Gunsche that he wanted to be burned so that he could not be put on display. Although, accurate, Alan Bullock, further explains Hitler’s decision for his body to be burned, rather than falling into enemy hands, was influenced by his received news of Italian Fascist Dictator Mussolini’s death on the 28th April 1945. A scene not showing Hitler’s reaction to this prior to his own suicide could perhaps limit our understanding of the past. By thus creating inaccuracy, historians still debating Hitler’s death, would not benefit from this depiction of Hitler’s last days.
Furthermore, Downfall hinders our understanding of the past because the film appears to portray Nazi criminals in a favourable light. Two examples of characters illustrating this are SS Gruppenfuhrer Hermann Fegelien and SS Doctor Ernst Gunther Schenk, whom both were more sinister in reality. Furthermore, Pelzer supports this as he argues that
Schenck whose criminal background as an SS physician is not shown (or even mentioned) in the film is even portrayed as a heroic figure that is not afraid to block execution orders and to confront rival authorities in his relentless effort to save lives and prevent further senseless bloodshed.
By associating these two Nazi criminals with heroism, the film seriously distorts our understanding of the past because this could send out the wrong messages to a younger generation and also to those people whom were deeply and directly affected by Nazism and its crimes.
Historical films enhance our understanding of past events as they enable history to be conveyed visually via the media rather than traditional written sources. However, historical films mainly hinder our understanding of the past because films are produced for entertainment purposes. Films are products of their own time and if film producers base their films, like Downfall, on one example of historiography, they are not always objective to further historical sources. Overall, if historical films are to be used effectively to benefit our understanding of past events, they need to be used simultaneously with varying primary and secondary sources to ensure genuine historical accuracy.
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