The Downfall (Der Untergang)





Release Date: February 18, 2005 (NY; LA release: February 25)
Studio: Newmarket Films
Director: Oliver Hirschbiegel
Screenwriter: Bernd Eichinger
Cast: Bruno Ganz, Alexandra Maria Lara, Corinna Harfouch, Ulrich Matthes, Juliane Köhler, Heino Ferch, Christian Berkel
Rating: R
Official Website: http://www.downfallthefilm.com
Plot Summary: When writer-producer Bernd Eichinger read the galleys of historian Joachim Fest's book "Der Untergang" ("The Downfall: Inside Hitler's Bunker, The Last Days of the Third Reich"), he knew he had found the dramatic key to a film he had wanted to make for decades, but never thought possible due to its scope. Fess' book focuses on the final days of the Reich, and Eichinger saw that the horrifying epic of Hitler and his people during his twelve years in power was reflected in those last twelve days in the bunker. "The final days tell us a lot about how the mass fanaticism functioned in the regime's earlier years and how it continued to reign until the bitter end," says Eichinger.

Eichinger read another very important book around the same time he read Fest's; the memoirs of Traudl Junge, Hitler's private secretary ("Until the Final Hour: Hitler's Last Secretary".); which was later made into the documentary "Blind Spot: Hitler's Secretary." "Fest gave me the time frame, Traudl Junge gave me the character who could hold it all together."

International Trailer (in German, but I still suggest you to see it, pretty impressive!):

http://trailer.constantin-trailer.de/tr ... ganggr.mov

US-Trailer:

http://prog.videorelay.com/webflow/down ... l-high.mov


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Now this is a movie I personally am pushing for mainly because of how much I liked it. I think that this movie has a really great potential to be a success in the States as it is in Europe. In Germany, it was the 5th biggest movie of 2004 with over 4,530,000 admissions (~$39 million). It has also already opened in Netherlands where it made $2,778,449 so far outgrossing many of last year's blockbusters like The Village, The Bourne Supremacy and I, Robot. It also had a good run in Poland and opened in France two weeks ago with an amazing opening weekend of $1,532,877 and dropped only 6% the 2nd weekend. Looks like it is on its way to become the most successful German movie in France of all time. In Germany Downfall could hold on to the top spot of the box-office for 4 weeks straight.

Personally, I think all this points at a really good run in the USA once it is released. The movie is a controversial one, no arguing about that. Considering the release date and the studio, though, I think it'll only help it. Newmarket Films distributed the controversial The Passion of the Christ last February - with great success. Obviously, Downfall is not going to be nearly as big, but I think it might very well become the most-successful German movie of all tme in the US if marketed right. I think the controversial subject of the movie will attract quite a couple of people and the great reviews will help it to maintain good legs.

Here are the RT and IMDB sites for Downfall:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0363163

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/downfal ... ird_reich/


Obviously the movie is very well received overall. Personally, I am still hoping for a Best Foreign Picture nomination at the oscars and if that happens, it can only help the movie. I expect it to start out slow, with a great PTA and stay steady for quite a while. As far as the total gross goes, I think it should at least make $10 million (considering even Goobye Lenin made over $4 million), but I personally hope for $20+ million if it is marketed well.

Oh and I really hope that some of you will see the movie once it comes out. It's really worth a try. I posted my full thoughts on the film HERE

Here are some pictures from the film:

Bigger version of the poster:

More stills:

when does this go wide Lecter?

and have you seen it?

The official site doesn't tell yet when it's going wide, it probably depends on the success of the plattform opening. Yes, I have seen it, here are my thoughts:

http://worldofkj.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1283

Strong critical support could help this movie to become a arthouse hit in US (grossing more than $5 million.)

However, because of this movie's subject-matter(which isn't very related to Americans' live) , this movie isn't likely to gross more than $10 million in US.

For February movies , I think that "Inside Deep Throat" is more controversial movie(for US mainstream audience, not Hollywood insiders) , and it should get more free publicities and US box office gross.

Well, Inside Deep Throat two things going against it. It is a semi-documentary AND it is NC-17 rated.

It sounds great Lecter :wink: I hope it goes wide some time soon or it will never get to Alaska. This is definately a film to see by the way you described it so its not one Im going to pass up if I can watch it :wink:

As for the awards I thought that a film had to be released before the end of the year before to be able to get any oscar noms, am I wrong about that :???: and your right it would be awesome to see this win best foreign pic :wink:

You are not wrong about it getting oscar noms. The only one it can get is Best Foreign Picture.

Thats to bad, anyway best foreign pic is a lock :rock:

:2up:

The subject-matter of "Inside Deep Throat" is very related to many Americans' live; on the other hand, the subject-matter of"Downfall" isn't very related to many Americans' lives.
In recent years, Many foreign history epic movies weren't very popular in US. ( Jewish movies are exceptions.)

If Downfall can get Oscar nomination, it could do "Nowhere in Africa"-like number.
http://www.the-numbers.com/movies/2003/NOWAF.php

BTW, if "Inside Deep Throat" can gross $4 million in US, I will be happy. :razz:

I am willing to bet that Downfall will do better than Nowhere in Africa, this movie definitely has much more going for it.

Inside Deep Throat is a movie that you can hardly advertise well. I mean its a movie about a porn movie...

I wouldn't bet too much on it...

I couldn't find affirmation for the before mentioned NC-17 rating for the movie at the MPAA website.

Strong support and marketing will help "Der Untergang" passing 20 million.
I haven't seen it, but the film was also superbly received in the Netherlands with close to 250,000 admissions!

The offical site shows the NC-17 rating.
http://www.insidedeepthroatmovie.com

Unlike THE DREAMERS and BAD EDUCATION(which are released by mini-majors.), INSIDE DEEP THROAT is backed by the marketing and distribution muscles of a major studio(Universal Pictures) itself. I hope that it will be helpful.

Anyway, I expect INSIDE DEEP THROAT to do well in big cities, but I don't expect to much on suburbans business.

I hope that DOWNFALL will do better than I expect. However, because of GOOD BYE, LENIN disappointment(I know that this movie's US box office performance is definitely respectful, but I expectation was much higher) , I can't expect too much on DOWNFALL.
Anyway, Bob Berney (the president of Newmarket Films ) had oversaw the US release of MEMENTO, Y TU MAMA TAMBIEN , MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING, WHALE RIDER, MONSTER and THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST, I hope that it will be helpful. (Before joining Newmarket Films, Bob Berney was IFC Films' Senior Vice President of Marketing & Distribution.)

You should see it, it's a very well-made flick.

Maybe I will. But I've already got a dvd screener from the distribution company, which means that I still to have review "Der Untergang".

I assumed he was talking about The Downfall.

Here my contribution:

Here is my contribution:

This movie gets Oscar nomination(Best foreign movie)
http://www.oscar.com/nominees/syn_34079.html

Well, this will definitely help to boost this movie's box-office. I still hope that it will actually win the Best Foreign Picture oscar. It'd deserve it.


Here is an intersting artilc on Downfall:


HITLER FILM WINS OSCAR NOMINATIONS

Downfall's box-office run in Netherlands:

Week - weekly gross - % Change - theatres - (PTA) - total gross


November 4-10 - $287,261 - NEW - 21 - ($13,679) - $300,197

November 11-17 - $389,601 - +35% - 45 - ($11,131) - $689,798

November 18-24 - $372,532 - -5% - 37 - ($10,068) - $1,062,330

November 25-December 1 - $340,977 - -10% - 38 - ($8,973) - $1,403,307

December 2-8 - $274,954 - -20% - 39 - ($7,050) - $1,678,261

December 9-15 - $236,793 - -13% - 39 - ($6,072) - $1,915,054

December 16-22 - $177,470 - -25% - 39 - ($4,551) - $2,092,524

December 23-29 - $189,490 - +5% - 39 - ($4,859) - $2,282,014

December 30-January 5 - $199,711 - +8% - 39 - ($5,121) - $2,481,725

January 6-12 - $174,525 - -12% - 39 - ($4,475) - $2,656,250

January 13-19 - $122,199 - -30% - 37 - ($3,303) - $2,778,449


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This run is phenomenal, especially for a German movie. It has already outgrossed flicks like The Village, Collateral and I, Robot over there and is on its way to outgross Spider-Man 2. On top of that, it is STILL in the TOP 10. I hope this kind of success will also translate into a good run in the States.