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Hitler: The Last Ten Days

Hitler: The Last Ten Days

  • Status: Released
  • 19-04-1973
  • Runtime: 106 min
  • Score: 6.1
  • Vote count: 35

Hitler: The Last Ten Days takes us into the depths of der Furher’s Berlin bunker during his final days. Based on the book by Gerhard Boldt, it provides a bleak look at the goings-on within, and without.

Alec Guinness

Adolf Hitler

Simon Ward

Hauptmann Hoffmann

Adolfo Celi

General Hans Krebs

Diane Cilento

Hanna Reitsch

Gabriele Ferzetti

Generalfeldmarschall Wilhelm Keitel

Eric Porter

Generalfeldmarschall Robert Ritter von Greim

Doris Kunstmann

Eva Braun

Joss Ackland

General Burgdorf

John Barron

Dr. Stumpfegger

John Bennett

Joseph Goebbels

Sheila Gish

Frau Christian

Julian Glover

Fegelein

Michael Goodliffe

General Weidling

John Hallam

Guensche

Barbara Jefford

Magda Goebbels

Mark Kingston

Martin Bormann

Phyllida Law

Fraulein Manzialy

Ann Lynn

Fräulein Junge

Angela Pleasence

Trude

Andrew Sachs

Walter Wagner

Philip Stone

General Jodl

Timothy West

Prof. Gebhardt

Kenneth Colley

Boldt

William Abney

Voss

James Cossins

German Officer

Philip Locke

Hanske

Richard Pescud

Von Below

Vic Chapman

German Officer (uncredited)

Alan Harris

German Officer (uncredited)

Fred Machon

German Officer (uncredited)

Paul Müller

(uncredited)

John Savident

Hewel (uncredited)

Guy Standeven

German Officer (uncredited)

Reg Thomason

German Officer (uncredited)

Zoë Wanamaker

Eva Braun's Handmaid (uncredited)

Alistair Cooke

Opening Sequence Narrator (uncredited)

Alan Gibbs

German Officer (uncredited)

Ron Gregory

German Officer (uncredited)

Rudolf Hess

Rudolf Hess (archive footage) (uncredited)

Adolf Hitler

Adolf Hitler (archive footage) (uncredited)

Pat Ryan

German Officer (uncredited)

Peter Sallis

Banker #2 (uncredited)

Michael Sheard

Banker #3 (uncredited)

Reg Turner

German Officer (uncredited)

Paul von Hindenburg

Paul von Hindenburg (archive footage) (uncredited)

Derek Waring

Banker #4 (uncredited)

CinemaSerf

Alec Guinness quite convincingly throws himself into the title role here in what is otherwise a rather theatrically dry depiction of the last few days in Hitler's Berlin bunker. With the Allies closing in, the Fuhrer is becoming increasingly desperate, increasingly frustrated and even more mistrusting of those around him. Those once trusted and powerful are being summarily dismissed; his rantings are becoming even more maniacal and his mood swings vacillate wildly so that even the most deft at dealing with him have to tread on eggshells else a firing squad might still be his response. Central to controlling him, insofar as that's possible, is his mistress Eva Braun (Doris Kunstmann) - but even she faces quite a challenge as he sees traitors everywhere and she has to contend with the inevitable for both herself and their children. The supporting cast makes up a powerful who's who of international cinema with Adolfo Celi standing out as the stoic General Krebs, Mark Kingston as the odious Martin Boorman and John Bennett as Josef Goebbels also contributing well to the sense of claustrophobic isolation in the bunker. The audio editing also works well, increasing the sound effects gradually to suggest the imminent arrival of their foes. To break up the rather visual monotony of the thing, it's interspersed with some fairly horrific actuality that illustrates not only the terror the Nazis inflicted on others, but also the extent to which Hitler was prepared to use every resource, even his Youth Movement, to sustain his flailing grip on power. I think this would work better on stage, it lacks an intensity here on screen that despite the best efforts of it's star just doesn't quite get off the ground, and it's also just a bit too verbose to sustain the potency of the sense of imminent threat.