AMD 2

For my second AMD assignment I watched the first half of the movie Der Untergang (Downfall). The movie is about Hitler's last 10 days, from the perspective of his secretary Traudl Junge. In the beginning of the movie several excited women are interviewing to become Hitlers secretary. Hitler chooses Traudl very quickly. It then flashes 2 1/2 years later to Berlin. It is Hitlers 56th Birthday and the Russians are only 12 kilometers from the city. Most people are being evacuated, but Hitler refuses to leave. Hitlers generals are worried that if he dies there will be no one to negotiate with the Allies, but Hitler says he is "sick of politics." Then it goes to what I thought was the most disturbing scene to watch. Young children, even young girls, were dressed as soldiers preparing to protect Berlin. A man tried to reason with his young son, only 12, to leave the city. The children had already made a pledge to Führer (the chief). Hitler just does not care whether women, children, sick, or elderly people perish. "In a war like this there are no civilians." Traudl and some soldiers realize they made a mistake joining Hitler, they are now stuck in Berlin. Hitler is becoming irrational, saying the people left are inferior and all of the best people have fallen. I ended right before Eva (Hitler's mistress) was throwing him a birthday party in the bunker.

It was very exciting for me to begin to recognize, and make out things they were saying without subtitles. Even though this movie makes me tense when I watch, I look forward to watching more. It is fascinating to see the perspective from Hitler's secretary, and also to recognize the German.