Hey what's up, guys? The Explanation pro is here. Today I'll explain a War/Drama
film. Title DOWNFALL. !SPOILERS INCOMING!
The film begins with an interview from a surviving Nazi secretary named Traudl Junge, who admonishes
her young self for being easily swayed by the monstrous historical figure, Adolf Hitler.
In the next scene, we are transported back to November 1942. That night, Traudl and other ladies
are being transferred to the Fuhrer’s headquarters to be interviewed for the new position of
secretary. Without any second thought, Hitler immediately chooses Traudl out of all the ladies.
Right after this, Traudl is quickly led inside Hitler’s room, to which Hitler immediately puts
her in typing position. Hitler then dictates the words to be typed, but Traudl finds his dictation
quite fast, prompting her to stop as if to catch her breath. Hitler then tells her to try again.
Afterward, Traudl goes outside her room gloomily, only to immediately change into
joy when she announces that Hitler gave her a job, making the other ladies happy for her.
The film then transitions to two and a half years later, on Hitler’s birthday.
Traudl wakes up from the sound of artillery.
In the next scene, Hitler angrily asks why there are sounds of artillery in Berlin.
Burgdorf, his officer, tells him that Koller is on the line. Hitler angrily tells him that
the Russians are too close for comfort. After dropping the call, he then tells his
officers that it is outrageous that no one had informed him of the enemy already closing in.
Afterward, Himmler and Fegelein walk in inside a room full of high-ranking officials. Himmler tells
Fegelein that Hitler should retreat somewhere or else the whole Reich will fall with him.
Shortly after, Hitler enters the room, with his hand behind his back shaking uncontrollably,
a sign of his illness. The officers then give a salute to the Fuhrer.
In the next scene, various files are being burned in a building due to Operation Clausewitz
being underway. Learning that Berlin will be a front-line city and that government officials
are to retreat immediately, an officer named Schenck questions his superiors,
telling them that the soldiers will not be given food if the operation continues.
Back in the room full of high-ranking officials, Hitler is concluding their meeting,
with each officer giving him a salute and handshake. Upon reaching Himmler,
Himmler immediately tells Hitler that it is not too late to use politics to
communicate with the Allies, but Hitler stubbornly refuses.
Afterward, Himmler privately tells Fegelein that he will communicate with the Allies behind
Hitler’s back. Fegelein warns him that this is treason, but Himmler insists on continuing.
Just then, Albert Speer arrives, but Himmler leaves his presence immediately.
In the next scene, Hitler inspects the models Speer has constructed,
commenting how impressive it is and that this is his vision. Fegelein then comments that Hitler
needs to leave Berlin if he wants this vision to be fulfilled; so is Traudl, who tells him that
the Russians are closing in. However, Hitler’s wife and Speer implore Hitler to stay in Berlin.
Meanwhile, on the streets of Berlin,
families flee as Russians close in on the city. One father admonishes the
Hitler Youth child soldiers for defending the city when they should be doing other things.
Upon hearing that his son has destroyed two enemy tanks and will be soon awarded a medal, the father
tells the children that the war is already lost. His son then calls him a coward and runs away.
Back in the Bunker, Hitler wants the 9th division army to continue fighting until the last man,
but his officers implore him that they will be wiped off without anything in return.
Hitler then tells them that another army can join the 9th division, but one of his officers,
Jodl, tells him that this other army is moving west to protect them from Americans. Still,
Hitler ragingly tells Jodl that this is his order. At this point, an officer enters, telling Hitler
that he and his army will protect Berlin until the last man, but he has concerns over the millions of
citizens still in Berlin. Hitler then coldly tells him that there are no civilians in such a war.
Afterward, Jodl and other officers understandably talk about how Hitler is
simply losing it with his commands. Fegelein then tells them they should do something,
but Jodl and Burgdorf remind him that they are still loyal to the Fuhrer even if they are angry.
Outside the Bunker, the Hitler Youth is in line to receive the medals from Hitler.
The boy from earlier, Peter Kranz, is personally praised by Hitler for his courage in destroying
two tanks. He then tells the children that they will be heralded as heroes after they win the war.
Meanwhile, Traudl and two other women discuss the war;
that night, Schenk and another soldier talk beside some burning papers.
In the next scene, Eva, Hitler’s wife, invites people in the Bunker to a party upstairs.
They then march toward a ballroom to have fun despite the war. Meanwhile,
Hitler discusses with Speer that if the enemy arrives in Berlin, they should see
nothing but a wasteland, ultimately denying the German people the means to survive.
The party that Eva initiated continues, with Eva encouraging everyone there to enjoy the evening
affair. Eva is then pulled aside by Fegelein, with him telling Eva to convince Hitler to flee or die.
Upon hearing this, Eva wants to dance more. When a bomb momentarily stops the event,
Eva invites everyone to dance still, showing that this is how she wants to cope with the war.
While everyone is having fun, Traudl begins to feel disoriented by what she sees,
telling her friend that it seems unreal, like a dream.
Shortly after, a bomb that is too close for comfort permanently stops the party.
In the next scene, a general, Weidling, is being accused of leaving his command post,
which is equated to treason, a crime punishable by death. Because of this,
he goes to the Bunker with his soldier to clear his name and actions.
Afterward, Weidling sits beside the drunken officers, questioning if the Fuhrer really needs
him. Just then, an officer arrives to inform him that Hitler is impressed with his report,
thereby promoting him as commander of Berlin’s defence,
but Weidling seems to regret having this responsibility.
In the next scene, the Russians are starting to close in the city. Peter attempts to attack
the approaching tank, but he is met with heavy gunfire, prompting him to leave. Meanwhile, in
the Bunker, Traudl asks an officer if the sounds she’s hearing is artillery fire and her friend
comments that Steiner should have arrived by now to deliver a counterattack against the Russians.
Fegelein then pulls the two ladies aside, telling them to leave while they have a chance,
but Traudl and her friend still believe in Hitler’s vision of Steiner’s counterattack.
Fegelein then enters the war room.
Inside, the officers fearfully inform Hitler that Steiner’s counterattack did not arrive because he
could not mobilize enough men. Hitler then takes off his glasses, telling the officers to leave
except Keitel, Jodl, Krebs, and Burgdorf. What follows is a loud and furious tirade from Hitler
about how his officers are cowards and traitors. Traudl and the officers listen silently outside;
even Eva is alarmed by her husband’s rant. After Hitler has exhausted himself, he then tells his
officers that he is unfit to lead in these conditions and that the war is finally lost,
but adds that he will not leave Berlin, telling them that he would rather kill himself.
Afterward, Hitler goes outside the room. He then tells Traudl and her friend to leave
as everything is lost . Eva then tells Hitler that she will not leave his side,
and the couple shares a passionate but sorrowful kiss.
After Hitler leaves, Fegelein tells the other officers that they are now free to do anything
because the Fuhrer himself said he is unfit to lead. But the officers remain loyal to Hitler
despite this. Afterward, Eva invites Traudl and her friend to go outside the Bunker because
attacks have stopped for a while. There, they share only a brief moment of freedom before they
are attacked again. Meanwhile, while delivering first aid kits, Schenck witnesses an execution of
old civilians. He also sees an accumulation of both wounded soldiers and displaced civilians.
In the next scene, an officer informs the chief propagandist of the Nazis,
Goebbels, that the men he deployed are inexperienced, telling him that
they are dying in vain. Goebbels then coldly replies that he feels no sympathy and that
the German people have chosen their fate the moment they voted the Nazis to power.
Afterward, Hitler discusses with Eva, Traudl and her friend that the most efficient way of killing
oneself is by shooting at the mouth, but Eva wants to die by a suicide pill. Traudl and her
friend also request to have their suicide pills, which Hitler graciously provides. Shortly after,
both Eva and Goebbels’ wife writes a letter to their family, with Eva addressing her sister and
Goebbels’ wife addressing her son. While this is happening, a montage of various events is shown.
In the next scene, Peter runs deep in the night when he encounters his friends from the Hitler
Youth, but they are already dead. He then flees from the area, later falling in a ditch and losing
consciousness. When he regains consciousness, it is already the morning of the following day.
Meanwhile, Goring delivers a message to Hitler that, as vice-chancellor,
he will immediately assume office should Hitler not stop him from doing so. Hitler,
clearly angered by this attempt of usurpation, orders that Goring is stripped off his ranks.
While this is happening, Speer arrives in the Bunker. He then proceeds to Eva’s room, making
Eva elated because it will make her husband happy that Speer is still by his side. However,
Speer informs her that he is actually planning to leave and is saying goodbye to Hitler.
Afterward, Speer goes to talk with Hitler personally. After Hitler tells him that
he is at least proud of what he’s done, Speer then admits that he never followed
through with Hitler’s order to turn Berlin into a wasteland. But somehow,
Hitler did not get angry, even accepting Speer’s leaving, but with a noticeable silent contempt.
In the next scene, Hitler goes to dinner with his high-ranking officials, telling them that he never
relies on compassion because it is weakness. While he is speaking, a message is delivered to him:
Himmler had just negotiated with the enemy. This news angers him because Himmler is supposed to be
his most loyal officer, yet even he goes behind Hitler’s back. After telling the others to leave
except for Goebbels and two other officers, he then starts to go on a tirade against Himmler and
how they will unrealistically win the war through an unrealistic number of armies and weapons.
After refusing an officer’s request to leave with his family, another officer informs Hitler that
Fegelein is missing. Hitler angrily insists on finding him and that he is to be executed for
desertion if he cannot be found. After this, the officer, whose request has been denied, committed
suicide with his family. Meanwhile, Fegelein is caught and promptly executed for treason;
this is despite Eva’s plea to spare his brother-in-law.
For some reason, Hitler still believes in a counterattack against the Russians,
even telling high-ranking officials that it will arrive and turn the tides of war.
In the next scene, Traudl wakes up from her bed. As she passes the hallway,
she notices that soldiers are talking about suicide, disturbing her.
Shortly after arriving at where Hitler is, Hitler then dictates to her his political statement.
She then continues to type this in her room and, shortly after, Hitler finally marries Eva.
Afterward, in the war room, Hitler finally learns through a report that the counterattack
against the Russians cannot be carried out. However, he still insists on not surrendering,
even ordering his officers not to do so. After getting out of the room, Hitler then instructs
his officer that he and his wife will commit suicide, and he wants his body to be burned so
that the Russians cannot have it. His officer then calls for the procurement of gallons of gasoline.
In the next scene, Schenck, a doctor, and a nurse are called to the Bunker. There, Hitler
talks to the doctor privately while Schenck and the nurse wait outside with the drunken officers.
After telling the company that he has to use the bathroom because he is not used to drinking any
more, Schenck then overhears the doctor and Hitler’s discussion about effective suicide.
After finishing his bathroom break, Schenck also witnesses Hitler’s dog being fed with
a suicide pill. Meanwhile, Eva talks to Traudl about Hitler,
telling her that she does not know his husband at all. After Traudl suddenly cries,
Eva gives her coat to her as a gift. Eva then asks her to leave the city.
Hitler then says farewell to a few people, including Traudl. Because she cannot bear
what will happen, Traudl immediately leaves after Hitler enters his room. However,
she stops when she sees the Goebbels children. Goebbels’ wife even pleads with Hitler, but his
decision has been made. Eventually, Hitler and Eva have committed suicide, and his officer announces
it to the Bunker. Immediately, Hitler and his wife’s bodies are burned outside the Bunker.
Because Hitler is dead, Goebbels is now the new Fuhrer. Krebs delivers a
message to the Russians to have a peaceful negotiation, but the Russians refuse this,
wanting the Germans to surrender instead. Goebbels is furious because he does not want to submit.
In the next scene, Goebbels’ wife administers a drink to make her children sleep.
Shortly after, Goebbels dictates to Traudl his political statement.
Goebbels’ wife returns to her children and gives them the suicide pills.
Meanwhile, Traudl and others prepare to leave the Bunker. While this is happening, a string
of tragic events occurs: Krebs and Burgdorf committing suicide; Weidling announcing the
surrender of Germany; Peter finding his parents have died; and the Goebbels committing suicide.
On the other hand, Traudl and the others escape the city step-by-step,
sneaking past the enemy through walking to the subway and passing by a bridge.
Upon reaching a meet-up place, Schenck tells Traudl and her friend to try and pass by the
Russians because they are women. Traudl tells her friend to come along, but her friend refuses.
Meanwhile, some Nazi soldiers still firmly hold the belief in dying for their country.
As Traudl walks toward the Russians, Peter suddenly walks in and holds her hand.
Together, the Russians allow them to pass by. After announcing surrender, some Nazis
followed through with their desire to die for their country by killing themselves instead.
The film ends with Traudl and Peter escaping via a bicycle, which is afterward followed by
the fate of the surviving German soldiers and the continuation of Traudl’s interview from earlier,
telling the audience that she regrets not choosing differently.
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