Untergang, Der
The last days of Hitler and the Third Reich…
April 1945 in Berlin. While the allied and Russian forces are coming closer to the city and the end of the Third Reich is near, Hitler and his closest followers seek shelter in the bunker below the Reichs Chancellory. Through the eyes of Hitler’s personal secretary, Traudl Junge, we follow the happenings in the bunker where the biggest murderer of the 20th century decides to remain instead of fleeing.
Sound and Vision:
This Blu-ray has better image quality on all fronts than the DVD release from some time ago. Everything looks sharper, more detailed, there’s better shadow detail and overall everything just looks more natural. Add to that the fact that compression errors have completely no existence here and you know why this release is better than the DVD.
The DVD has already a nice DTS track, but the DTS-HD audio track on this Blu-ray is even better. The sound has better detail, sounds richer and more dynamic as well as more natural. Think of it as a DTS track with another layer of quality added on top.
Extras:
None
Conclusion:
Whether or not Der Untergang is completely historically correct, it’s a great movie.
Bruno Ganz is horrific as Hitler but he isn’t the only one from the cast who really shines (although he does manage to give you the creeps each time he comes on screen). Corinna Harfouch (Magda Goebbels), Ulrich Matthes (Joseph Goebbels) and Juliane Köhler(Eva Braun) all do exactly what is expected from them and this combined with the fantastic atmosphere created by the director and camera crew (along with the soundtrack) make for one of the best WW2 movies of late and most definately the one that shows the insanity of the leaders of the Nazi’s the best.
This is a MUST HAVE without a doubt! Add to that improved image and sound quality and you know why to get it on Blu-ray. The only major downpoint is the total lacking of extras.
9.0