Les dix derniers jours d'Hitler

Good rendition about the last days of Hitler with exceptional performance from Alec Guinness .This is the true story of the infamous Nazi dictator with his historic downfall . The story of Hitler's last days in an underground bunker gives insight to his madness . Here in the midst of his lackeys , the dictator played out the final act of his life . It's very well played by Alec Guinness who does a first rate acting . The film deals with the history of Hitler's last days in underground bunker , it's the true story of the historic downfall and death( 1945 at age 55 ) of the infamous Nazi dictator , culprit of death about 50 million people during second war world and killing of 6 million Jewish in concentration camps . The Fuhrer's last few tortured days in his underground bunker against a Berlin background and adding some documentary scenes from exterior . Hitler had height five feet, seven inches, eyes black, hair black, shaggy locks hung over forehead, complexion sallow, wide mustache, various hairs on each side, besides had marked devotion to brown shirts and old trench-coat and always surrounded by armed thugs and expert gunmen . He had demented gaze with tendency to become hysterical on slight provocation with delusions, particularly upon his place in history and his powers over vast numbers of people and addicted to public hysteria on race purity, he has known to throw himself on the floor and gnaw rugs,guttural voice apt to rise to shrill tones when excited or thwarted . He was a congenital liar suffering from dreams of persecution . Almost all these physical descriptions and particulars of Hitler are perfectly incarnated by Guinness . Thus , he plays him as sadistic, malicious , dangerous, vengeful, mystical and maniacal . Guinness's portrayal is the perfection in the Hitler role one would expect at least on the surface , he gives insight to his madness and with persuasive qualities of his interpretation . This flick is finely written and professionally directed by Ennio DeConcini , a prestigious screenwriter in his only film . Other adaptations about this historical character are the following : ¨Hitler(1962)¨ by Stuart Heisler with Richard Basehart, ¨Hitler : The last days(1958) by W.G.Pabst and the best is ¨The Downfall¨ by Oliver Hischbiegel with Bruno Ganz , furthermore for TV , ¨The bunker¨ with Anthony Hopkins .

The picture is correctly based on real events , adding more details , the deeds happened of the following manner : ¨Fuehererbunker¨ (Leader's Bunker)is the subterranean headquarter below the Chancellery and its garden in Berlin where Hitler spent his last days, from April 20 to 30, 1945 . It was constructed during WW2 some 50 feet below the ground . It could be reached through the New Chancellery by descending a stairway from the butler's pantry. There were two levels, on the upper level was a dining passage separating six rooms on each side . At the end of the central passage a curved stair led down to Hitler's own deeper bunker. This area had seventeen rooms , all small, cramped , and uncomfortable : Hitler's suite of three rooms, a map room used for conferences, the dressing room and bedroom of Eva Braun(Doris Kuntsmann), the bedroom of Dr Paul Joseph Goebbles(John Bennett) and wife (Barbara Jefford), the rooms of Dr Ludwig , lavatories and bathrooms, an emergency telephone exchange, a drawing room, guardroom, cloakroom and a dog bunker for Hitler's Alsatian bitch named Blondi, with her four puppies . Hitler spent hours before giant war maps, shifting colored pins about to locate units that no longer existed . By this time he was in a state of extreme nervous exhaustion : although only fifty-six, he moved as if he were prematurely senile. His health grew even worse the ministrations of his doctors. With the exception of Goebbles and Martin Bormann (Kingston), his secretaries and several others, his lieutenants began to desert him . He denounced Herrmann Goering for trying to usurp his leadership and Heimrich Himmler for seeking to negotiate with the count Bernadotte and Allied. Albert Speer his minister of Armaments and War Production , refused to carry out his orders for a scorched-earth policy. At last acknowledge defeat, the Fuehrer decided to leave the world in a gesture of Wagnerian self-immolation . In the early hours of April 29, 1945, he married Eva and immediately afterward dictated his last will and political testament, in which he justified his life and work . The next day he retreated into his suite and shot himself while Eva took poison to end her life. In accordance with his instructions, the bodies were dumped into a trough in the Chencellery garden,doused with gasoline and burned. From April 22 to May 1, 1945 , the following were present in the Bunker: Gen Keitel (Gabriele Ferzetti), Gen. Hans Guderian , Col.Von Below (Richard Pescud) , Gen. Alfred Jodl(Philip Stone) , Major Gen. Rattenhuber, Lieutenant Genen Fegelein (Julian Glover), Fraulein Junge (Ann Lynn) Dr. Ludwig Stumpfegger ( John Barron) , among others.

"Hitler: The Last Ten Days" is a powerful and stunning film based upon the demise of one of the most evil men that have ever lived. At the start of the film, the producers stated that they attempted to portray everything as it was historically documented. It worked. It explored Hitler's obvious mental problems, his charisma and how he managed to unite a disgruntled country under him. Sir Alec Guinness is a perfect choice to portray the Fuhrer, and he brings experience to an otherwise unknown cast. **** out of *****.

"The last ten days" was dwarfed by another recent movie dealing with the same subject.This latter movie ,however ,owes a good deal to the Italian/German effort which was made 35 years ago and which holds up very well,thanks to Alec Guiness's sensational performance which easily equals that of Bruno Ganz .Ganz was more credible only because he used his first language: German speaking English,it does not always ring true .Historians often write that the 1973 effort was often historically accurate.

Filmed in color (in the bunker) or in bleak black and white in Berlin in ruin: pictures of destruction,of death and of terror ,with snatches of "Das Lied der Deutschen" as a pathetic dirge.Inside the bunker,a man who still believes he is something like a messiah ,and in front of his "apostles", he seems to play the part of a martyr.Outside the walls ,soldier boys are fighting -one of them even gets a laughable medal- "Hitler:the last ten days" is a movie to remember.

This starts with a recap of the Nazi rise to power. The opening credits roll as German forces roll through a map and then they retreat back towards Berlin. It's April 20, 1945 and the Russians are closing in on his Berlin bunker. It's the 56th birthday of Adolf Hitler (Alec Guinness) and ten days before he commits suicide. It's a delusional place where Hitler directs non-existent and depleted forces. There is an air of unreality. After Hitler's death, the remaining personnel light up their cigarettes which was forbidden during his life. It's purported to be based on eye-witness accounts of the true events. Guinness brings his legendary acting prowess to the character. It's not the most thrilling story especially since the ending is inevitable. It's a methodical telling. It is the performance that holds it all together.

"Hitler: The Last Ten Days" is watchable chiefly due to the remarkable portrayal of the Nazi dictator by Alec Guinness. Guinness sought to portray Hitler as a man and succeeds in his efforts.

The opening credits, narrated by Alstair Cooke are noteworthy in giving a 5 minute history lesson bringing the viewer up to date - April 20, 1945 in the Berlin bunker of Adolph Hitler. The acts of Hitler in the final 10 days of his life, bizarre and murderous to the end, are worth watching only because of Guinness. He has the mannerisms and although I've never met Hitler, after watching this film, I felt that I had. The physical resemblance is startling.

Most frightening scene: Hitler's worst tantrum ever after finding out he had been "betrayed" by his generals. Alec Guinness goes from hysterical rage to sobbing "the war is lost" and makes you feel the terror his underlings must have felt.