DownFall - the last days of Hitler

Reviewed by Indeewara Thilakarathne

Downfall is one of the best ever movies made on war and portrays the last days of Hitler who was confined to his underground bunker by the advancing Russian Army. The story starts with a young 22-year-old Munich girl Trudle Jung (Alexandra Maria Lara) facing an interview together with some other young ladies to be the secretary of the leader, Adolph Hitler at his Headquarter "Wolfschanze".

It was in the mid of one November night in 1942 and Hitler was busy with giving orders and meeting people throughout the day. She was chosen for the post, which she did not give up till the end of Hitler's days.

The end comes in two and a half years later when the advancing Russian Red Army reached the threshold of the capital Berlin on April 20, 1945.

The City looked like a ghost town and Hitler's Army was heavily beaten on all fronts.

The German Army then depleted into small groups fought their last battle in street under the instructions of Gobbles' (Ulrich Matthes); the remaining scant army consisted of baby brigade such as 13-year-old Peter (Donevan Gunia). As he destroyed the second Russian battalion, he stayed with Hitler to the last battle in the headquarters.

Eva Braun (Juliane K”hler) prepared for Hitler's 56th birthday celebration. For the last time the Nazi regime met with one another, among them was the Minister Heinrich Himmler (Ulrich Noethen) who advised Hitler to flee Berlin to secure the city from attacks. Later he communicated with the Allied Forces and negotiated his surrender. He witnessed the execution of his adjutant Hermann Fegelein (Thomas Kretschmann), Eva Braun's brother-in-law.

While the city was ablazed and the Army could not hold on to it Hitler and Goebbels tried to give the impression to believers that victory was in sight. With the skeleton Army Hitler planned his end.

By then the Generals new the unspeakable end. While Hitler's plan was in progress G"ring writing to Hitler sought his permission to surrender and told Hitler to consider this as an ultimatum. However, Hitler's reaction to the letter was outrageous and he demoted the General.

With the escalating fighting in Berlin streets, people fled the city while very few like the courageous Dr. Schenck (Christian Berkel) stayed to treats unbelievably wounded men and soldiers. Goebbels, his wife Magda (Corinna Harfouch) and their six children were housed in the bunker.

Albert Speer (Heino Ferch), Hitler's Minister and favourite architect warned Hitler that the city would be burnt lest the population should be moved out in order to protect it and before that plan was put into operation, Speer Magda Goebbels wanted to take her family to a safe place but she did not want to see her children grow up in a world without National Socialism.

As the Red Army came into the centre of the city, it was increasingly difficult to find the area where people were. As Hitler saw no way out, he prepared his death step by step, on the advice of Dr. Werner Haase (Matthias Habich). Thereafter he dictated his political Testament to Traudl. He married Eva Braun and also his personal adjutant Otto G�nsche (G”tz Otto).

Hitler and his wife retired into their private quarters and soon two pistol shots were heard and the personal assistant announced Hitler's death. Goebbels and Generals decided to accept the Russians' offer to surrender.

Magda Goebbels made her children drink a sleeping drug and thereafter she forced them to munch a deadly capsule. In seeing the end to the regime Joseph Goebbels shot his wife and then himself dead.

A wagon with a loudspeaker announced Hitler's suicide, but the troops in the streets still prepared to wage war. Traudl Junge with small groups escaped the bunker through a railway tunnel and emerged into a farm where she met some SS-Officers and their sympathizers who were still willing to fight.

The young girl travelled through the Russian army controlled territory and as soon as she came out, a child grabbed her hand.

It was Peter and the Russian Army allowed the "The Mother with a child " to pass the border. Powerful images capture the gory facet of war and the survival of human relationship. It is one of the best war films that one should not miss. It depicts the character of a megalomaniac who led a powerful nation to ruins.

The film directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel, was produced by Bernd Eichinger while the photography and the music were by Rainer Klausmann and Stephan Zacharias.

Cora de Lang at Paradise Road Gallery

by Aditha Dissanayake

Around 30 paintings by Cora de Lang, world reputed artist currently residing in Sri Lanka, is on display at the Paradise Road Gallery till 7th November 2005.

Born in Argentina, having lived in Germany, Nigiria, Spain and India, Cora de Lang's paintings portray how she has absorbed the cultural nuances of her adopted countries. Her taste for earth colours obviously comes from Africa while India vouch for the spiritual content.

Never drawing a sketch before she starts to paint, Cora trusts her inner voice and paints "Something that comes to mind" straight onto the canvas. Often its a case of painting first and trying to describe or analyze what she had painted, later.

Thus in "The Answer" four faces inside an oracle are surrounded by "thoughts and possibilities". In "Matrimonial Bond" womankind is depicted by a turtle carrying her family on her own.

Always fascinated by other races and beliefs, curious to know more about them, Cora who had depicted her "philosophy" about travel in her painting called "Columbus" hopes that through this exhibition, she will be able to reach out to the people of Sri Lanka, because she sees her exhibitions as open doors through which something good always walks in.

Listening to her confiding in me, who till then had been a complete stranger, I realize how true are the words she had written on her website about herself. "I experienced encounters with souls of old friends dressed in different races, speaking different languages - coined by their immediate natural surroundings, but nevertheless so naturally known to me". She was treating me too instinctively, as an old friend, naturally known to her.

For someone who does not measure time and space in hours and miles but in happy or sad, long or quick episodes, Cora's paintings naturally break away from the monotony of ordinary life. Grey buildings, grey people, grey streets which kill inspiration and enthusiasm are not for her, for she dislikes averagness and imprisonment, and seeks freedom through her paintings.

Having had the wind and the rain, the sun and the sounds beating on her face in four continents, Cora says her footsteps are heavy with her increasing load of memories and deeds of dreams and projects, but that she will never stop this "pilgrimage through different continents and cultures till she reaches the last truth within herself." Till then, she is happy doing what she likes doing the most in the world - painting.

Keep a day free in your diary to see Cora's paintings at the Paradise Road Gallery before 7th November 2005.

Richards, Duke of Gloucester (From Richards III)

(Continued from October 6)

The World of Arts by Gwen Herat
When Dighton thus told on; 'We smothered
The most replenished sweet work of nature,
That from the prime creation e'er she fram'd'
ACT. IV Scene III

Richard questions Tyrral whether he was sure the boys were dead. They are 'lodged' in the Tower, he replies. Richard rejoices at another death; This time it is Lady Anne, his own wife whom he poisons.

After accepting the throne, he decides to marry Elizabeth quickly before Richmond does. It is around this time the Bishop of Ely decides to join Richmond and Buckingham who has left for Wales to raise an army. Richard smells that the forces against him are growing.

In the meantime, Queen Margaret is overjoyed at Richard's plight but takes cover when she sees Queen Elizabeth and the Duchess of York arrive, the former weep in over her dead sons at the Tower.

She decides to confront the two royals to remind them that her husband and son were killed by the Yorkists though they are not responsible for the deaths but Richard. Finally, Margaret decide to unite with them for one cause; to see the end of Richard who is living at the House of York which she loved dearly.

While all these royals denounce him as a murderer, he comes looking for Elizabeth, to ask her daughter's hand in marriage which she refuses.

'From forth the kennel of the womb hath crept,
A hell-bound that doth hunt us all to death
That dog, that had his teeth before his eyes,
To worry lambs, and lap their gentle blood.

That foul defacer of God's handiwork,
That excellent grand-tyrant of the earth.

That reigns in galled eyes of weeping souls,
Thy womb let loose, to chase us to our graves.

O' upright just, and true-disposing God
How do I thank thee that this carnal cur
Preys on the issue of his mother's body,
And makes her pew-fellow with others' moan'
Act. IV Scene IV

All over the country the Lords are in revolt as Richmond arrives with an army and Richard must fight to keep his throne. Cleverly and tactfully he gets his men to capture Buckingham and lead him to execution.

As he faces death, Buckingham recalls how Margaret warned him that he would die at the hands of Richard. But he dies in the comfort that Richmond will overcome his executioner with the grace of God. As the two leaders pitch their royal tents until dawn to fight each other, the armies too are in readiness.

This is the crucial night for Richard and as he sleeps, the ghosts of his victims haunt not only him but also the Earl of Richmond to wish luck and victory to overcome the 'devil'.

Ghosts to Richard: 'Let us be led within thy bosom, Richard And weigh thee down to ruin, shame and death.

Thy nephews' should bid thee despair, and die;
Ghosts to Richmond: 'Sleep Richmond, sleep in peace and wake in joy,
Good angels guard thee from the bear's annoy;
Live, and beget a happy race of kings
Edward's unhappy sons do bid thee flourish

ACT. V Scene III

As Richard goes to battle where he meets the Earl of Richmond who is ready with his army from France at Bosworth Field near Leicaster. He is suffering from trauma and desperation after his ordeal with the ghosts the previous night. Richmond reads it on his face. In this play and at this point, Shakespeare emphasises the conscience of Richard as the dominant theme in the play as he struggles desperately, knowing he has only a minute left to live.

He is defeated and killed and Richmond orders his men to give him a decent burial. The Earl of Richmond marries Lady Elizabeth, the daughter of the Duke of Clarence and later become King Henry VII. Thus ends the Wars of Roses and unite the warring Houses of Leicaster and York.

The full and rich storehouse of English history has been maintained by the Bard who had a reputation of moving out of the pages of history when he chose to give a different twist to his plays but in Richard III, he has been faithful though later, a society exists even today, to clear Richard' name as the traitor king of England. Many different versions keep cropping up annually at Stratford-upon-Avon during Shakespeare celebrations which I too have heard on and oft.

Because of its magnificent and eloquent dialogues, Richard III became a firm favourite both for stage and school drama. Very few have attempted the full play because of its cast of over fifty players. It was also very important that each actor knew the history involving Richard III before he went on stage.

Richard IIIs First Folio appeared in l623. Since Burbage created Richard in Shakespeare's lifetime, thousands of actors have done theatrical parts of the play. Shakespeare's Richard may move to melodrama but it is the blood that make it move.

The Red King is not merely an animated oleograph. However, curiously and strangely the approved acting versions did not belong to Shakespeare during 1700 to 1850.

Among the English Richards were David Garrick in 1741, John Phillip Kemble in 1783, Edmond Kean in 1814, Samuel Phelps in 1845 at Sadler's Wells. In the 20th century in 1815 to 21 at The Old VIC many an actor portrayed Richard while in 1941 Donald Wolfit made a memorable appearance in the title role.

Came 1944 when Sir Lawrence Oliver performed for The Old Vic which became a major classical event of the century. He portrayed the outwardly limping panther with no laments in his mind. Pale, lanky, black-haired, evilly debonair. Oliver projected Richard's pride with the glittering irony into such frightening rage that the audiences clutched on to their chairs wondering whether it was Richard himself.

This performance boosted not only the play's historical integrity of British history but also Oliver's sterling acting capabilities. The impact of it was so great that an epic film was made with Oliver in the title role that won him an Oscar among other several prizes.