Hi, everyone. "Moriarty" here with some Rumblings From The Lab...
One of the reasons I love our international readers is because you guys can let us know about these films far in advance of any local press. This one sounds interesting, and we don’t see a ton of German films exported every year. Any time someone breaks through from a film scene that doesn’t export a lot of movies, it’s a good thing:
Hi Harry!
Long time reader - first time writer. I haven´t read this stuff on your site so far so I decided to share some info with you about the ambicious german movie DER UNTERGANG, usually translated as THE DOWNFALL, dealing with Hitler´s last days in his bunker. Publicity and marketing is gearing up in germany (major newspapers and mags picked up the topic) because of the upcoming release of the movie on september 16th in Germany. I´ve compiled the following facts of what I´ve read recently, mostly based on a press conference after a press screening that took place this week.
The most important thing first: the oficial (german) site is up and has a trailer online! Check it out HERE!!
It´s intense, but the format is crap. Click on "Weitere Formate" and choose "Quicktime gross" for the (still rather small) big quicktime version (10MB). There are also some stills of the movie ("Hinter den Kulissen"), but you can find more of them and in better quality at the website of a german magazine HERE!!
The movie assembles the creme-de-la-creme of german speaking actors. It covers a time period of less than 2 weeks in April/May 1945 and tells the story through the eyes of Hitler´s secretary Traudl Junge. Interview scenes with the real Traudl Junge appear serve as an introduction and the ending of the movie kind of framing it. On the helm is the talented and internationally successfull director Oliver Hirschbiegel (THE EXPERIMENT), while Bernd Eichinger (DAS BOOT), the most important german producer, wrote the script. It is almost completely based on facts with only little dialog added which is not historicially proved giving authencity the highest priority.
The movie will be released in the USA in 2005 as an original version with subtitles! (I think it´s a great idea!) and the 60th "anniversary" of WW2´s end is an obvious but powerful marketing tool. The movie turns out to be pretty long with a running time of 155 minutes. Oficial premiere is on september 14th at the Toronto film festival.
The First (online) reviews are raving! Seems like the press is really loving the flick! Together with the strong interest in the topic all over the world it could really become an international success (some reviewers consider it the most important german film since DAS BOOT). If you like I´ll drop you a note after having seen the flick! I really can´t wait....
If you use this, call me Isopren. Keep up the good work - I love your site! And hey, when are you going to give as any more info about the movie projects YOU are working on?!? ;-)
Thanks, Isopren, and definitely write us after you see the film. I thought DAS EXPERIMENT was a good film, and I’m curious to see what this director does with such potentially charged material. As much as I admired the idea of BLIND SPOT: HITLER’S SECRETARY, I found the film’s technique off-putting and felt like it drained the material of all its inherent power. A dramatic presentation of these ideas may well turn out to be the best way into the story. We’ll see...
"Moriarty" out.
