About This Quiz
The Soviets are coming. The Germans mount one last stand. And deep underground, a twisted mastermind faces his grim fate. How much do you know about the movie "Downfall"?"Downfall" is a movie that follows an unforgettable sequence of events during World War II. It takes place in Europe in 1945.
The film is all about the "downfall" of Nazi ruler Adolf Hitler. In 1945, Germany was certain to lose the war. It was a just a matter of time before Hitler and his cronies were brought to justice.
This isn't a Hollywood production. It's a foreign language film (mostly German) directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel.
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"Downfall" begins with Traudl Junge, Hitler's former secretary. In the clip, she expresses regret that she was a part of the Nazi regime.
After Junge becomes Hitler's secretary, the story flashes forward to the Battle of Berlin in 1945. The war is now almost over and the people in Hitler's inner circle must begin making hard choices for the Third Reich and for their own families.
After years of suffering from Nazi aggression, the Soviets are on a roll. They are bombing the life out of Berlin, determined to end the Third Reich and serve up revenge on Hitler.
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The first scenes take place on April 20, which is Hitler's birthday. Safe in a deep bombproof bunker, the Nazi leaders have a celebration for their dear beady-eyed dictator.
Heinrich Himmler wants Hitler to survive the Battle of Berlin. He tries to convince Adolf to leave the city. But Hitler is stubborn. He plans to ride out the storm in his bunker.
"Downfall" is based on historical writings and interviews. Some aspects are dramatized, but many of the fateful events are very much true to life.
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Eva is Hitler's fiancee. She is transfixed by her cuddly (and angry) little man, not fully understanding the fate that awaits the Third Reich and its evil leaders.
Heinrich Himmler knows that the Third Reich -- and its dear Fuhrer -- are in grave peril. He secretly negotiates with the Allies in hopes of concocting a surrender.
Operation Clausewitz is basically a desperate last stand against the Soviets. Hitler wants every man, woman and child fighting to the death for the Reich.
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Operation Clausewitz is meant in part to evacuate certain critical Nazi party members, including many military officers who are holed up in Berlin. Not all of them will make it out alive.
With his units obliterated by the Allies, Steiner simply has no men with which he can launch an assault. In real life, Steiner was eventually captured … and ultimately freed by the Allies.
The Volkssturm is the Nazi militia. It calls on Germans (including the very young and old) to defend the Nazi capital to the bitter end.
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In his bunker, Hitler has a small-scale model of Welthauptstadt Germania. It's an ambitious plan to rebuild Berlin into a glorious tribute to the Third Reich. Meanwhile, Soviet bombs come ever closer to Hitler's doomed hideout.
By 1945, Hitler's become a completely delusional maniac. He has no intentions of leaving Berlin, saying that he'd rather blow his brains out than flee from the Soviets.
Hermann Fegelein knows the end of the Reich is near. He decides to desert his post, and Hitler orders his arrest and execution.
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Joseph Goebbels couldn't care less about German civilians being killed en masse for absolutely no reason. He wants them to continue their futile defense of Berlin.
The movie drew praise from all quarters. It was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film, but it lost to a Spanish film called "The Sea Inside."
Peter Kranz is part of the Hitler Youth, which is being called upon to defend Berlin. Peter's father begs him to lay down his weapon but the boy refuses to surrender.
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Hitler tells Speer that he wants to implement a scorched earth policy, leaving behind nothing that might help the Allies. He wants to begin by destroying Berlin's industrial centers.
Blondi is Hitler's pet dog. As part of the final proceedings, Hitler poisons Blondi and then prepares to kill himself.
Blondi is, of course, a German Shepherd. Hitler's fiancee, Eva, loathes the furry beast and abuses Blondi whenever Hitler isn't in the room.
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Ernst-Robert Grawitz committed war crimes and knows that he'll be tried for his cruelty after the war. Hitler denies his request to flee, so Grawitz returns home, kills his family and then commits suicide.
He was probably really high on drugs, too, but in the movie, he's shaking because he's experiencing the onset of Parkinson's disease. Hitler exhibited signs of the affliction in 1945.
Hitler knows the war is over. He decides to marry his lover, Eva Braun, in the bunker below the streets of Berlin. As they exchange vows, bombs pummel the city into oblivion.
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Eva takes a cyanide pill and dies. Then Hitler shoots himself in the head, ending the life of one of the most notorious people in human history.
Nazi soldiers burn the bodies, attempting (and failing) to hide the remains. It's a gory and brutal end to a gory and brutal reign.
Junge somehow survives the Red Army's assault. With Hitler dead and the war over, she rides a bicycle out of the ruined city and into the (blackened by smoke) sunset.
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