Anthony Hopkins displays a commanding presence as Hitler in this TV-made version of Hitler's final days in his underground Berlin bunker. Albert Speer, played by Richard Jordan, somewhat rivals him in prominence.
The film writers put a major focus on Hitler's scorched earth policy of the final days, to destroy civilian infrastructure and life staples of the German people as enemy armies advanced. This is without regard to their survival, and Hitler wants to kill anyone who resists. No Germans really wanted to obey this order, and only Martin Bormann and, we know, Dr. Goebbels, were willing to support it. Speer had received this order on March 19, 1945, and had no interest in enforcing it. He came to the Bunker on April 22, about 10 days before Hitler's death, and left shortly before it. Speer resists Hitler's orders to his face while swearing loyalty and vaguely agreeing to execute them, sort of, always citing obstacles. Later, he tells Hitler to his face he did not implement the orders. Whether this occurred is doubted by some historians. If it did, one might question Hitler's compassionate response.
As evil as he was, Hitler's hypnotic effect on all German people is a reality, and this remained until the days of his death. The women were blindly loyal, idolaters, but then they did not have to give him all the negative military news and be on the wrong end of his tantrums. As for the men who had to, even though they grimaced in the face of Hitler's rants and rolled their eyes behind his back, their faces and conduct at other times in Hitler's presence always seemed to reflect a sincere, unwavering loyalty and idolization. Ultimately, Hitler saw the German people as cattle just like the Nazi-declared inferior races, for he never showed any reluctance to inflict murder and cruelty on German soldiers and civilians. So, those who surrounded him they liked the person, just not what he did? Hitler's female cook (played by Pam St. Clement) remarks "His eyes, so clear and strong as always. The man is a God " Hopkins displays the intensity and mannerisms that director George Schaefer uses to make the audience understand this.
A distinctive feature here vs. other Bunker films is a substantial focus on the physical layout and maintenance of the Bunker and the people in charge of the maintenance: Machinist Johannes Hentschel (Martin Jarvis) is one of the main characters. We even see Speer considering the logistics of a poison attack on the Bunker as an alternative to letting the resistance to Hitler's scorched earth policy come to a head (another thing questioned by historians).
I got annoyed with the non-moderated British accents all over the place, but on the part of the supporting cast only (Hopkins' accent as Hitler, like that of Alec Guiness in "Hitler: The Last Ten Days," is not as bad as Robert Carlyle's in "Hitler: The Rise of Evil"). Setting this aside, the acting performances are all solid. Goebbels and Bormann are effectively portrayed as the disgusting persons they were. The generals and others are shown as combinations of military men and lackeys who occasionally show some sense of right and wrong. I have noticed that Bunker films after all, this is the movies tend to portray the German women as quite glamorous, and Eva Braun (Susan Blakely) and Magda Goebbels (Piper Laurie) are eye Candy, along with other ladies. Richard Jordan is a dapper, handsome Speer, not creepy at all. Maybe the real Speer did not want to liquidate all German civilians, but Jordan's portrayal does too much kindness to a creepy guy. No worries, for Hopkins as Hitler is the focal point, and any human feelings he shows are superseded by the obvious incarnate evil he represents.
The film writers put a major focus on Hitler's scorched earth policy of the final days, to destroy civilian infrastructure and life staples of the German people as enemy armies advanced. This is without regard to their survival, and Hitler wants to kill anyone who resists. No Germans really wanted to obey this order, and only Martin Bormann and, we know, Dr. Goebbels, were willing to support it. Speer had received this order on March 19, 1945, and had no interest in enforcing it. He came to the Bunker on April 22, about 10 days before Hitler's death, and left shortly before it. Speer resists Hitler's orders to his face while swearing loyalty and vaguely agreeing to execute them, sort of, always citing obstacles. Later, he tells Hitler to his face he did not implement the orders. Whether this occurred is doubted by some historians. If it did, one might question Hitler's compassionate response.
As evil as he was, Hitler's hypnotic effect on all German people is a reality, and this remained until the days of his death. The women were blindly loyal, idolaters, but then they did not have to give him all the negative military news and be on the wrong end of his tantrums. As for the men who had to, even though they grimaced in the face of Hitler's rants and rolled their eyes behind his back, their faces and conduct at other times in Hitler's presence always seemed to reflect a sincere, unwavering loyalty and idolization. Ultimately, Hitler saw the German people as cattle just like the Nazi-declared inferior races, for he never showed any reluctance to inflict murder and cruelty on German soldiers and civilians. So, those who surrounded him they liked the person, just not what he did? Hitler's female cook (played by Pam St. Clement) remarks "His eyes, so clear and strong as always. The man is a God " Hopkins displays the intensity and mannerisms that director George Schaefer uses to make the audience understand this.
A distinctive feature here vs. other Bunker films is a substantial focus on the physical layout and maintenance of the Bunker and the people in charge of the maintenance: Machinist Johannes Hentschel (Martin Jarvis) is one of the main characters. We even see Speer considering the logistics of a poison attack on the Bunker as an alternative to letting the resistance to Hitler's scorched earth policy come to a head (another thing questioned by historians).
I got annoyed with the non-moderated British accents all over the place, but on the part of the supporting cast only (Hopkins' accent as Hitler, like that of Alec Guiness in "Hitler: The Last Ten Days," is not as bad as Robert Carlyle's in "Hitler: The Rise of Evil"). Setting this aside, the acting performances are all solid. Goebbels and Bormann are effectively portrayed as the disgusting persons they were. The generals and others are shown as combinations of military men and lackeys who occasionally show some sense of right and wrong. I have noticed that Bunker films after all, this is the movies tend to portray the German women as quite glamorous, and Eva Braun (Susan Blakely) and Magda Goebbels (Piper Laurie) are eye Candy, along with other ladies. Richard Jordan is a dapper, handsome Speer, not creepy at all. Maybe the real Speer did not want to liquidate all German civilians, but Jordan's portrayal does too much kindness to a creepy guy. No worries, for Hopkins as Hitler is the focal point, and any human feelings he shows are superseded by the obvious incarnate evil he represents.