'Downfall'

When he was doing promotional work for Inglourious Basterds, director Quentin Tarantino noted that he find it distressing that there had never been a film done about World War II where the Germans actually spoke German.

Over the years, I too wondered why we couldn't do a film in which the Germans were not portrayed by Germans speaking English or just English actors. As if any accent would throw off Americans into thinking they were German.

Downfall is completely German. German or Austrian actors playing Germans or Austrians.

Bruno Ganz depicted Hitler, one of the few if not only time that the fascist dictator was portrayed as a central character by a German-speaking actor.

Ganz spent four months preparing for the role. He spent countless hours listening to Hitler's private recordings nailing down his accent and conversational voice as the orator that has made movie reel of his speeches famous is nowhere to be seen.

Because of this and because of Ganz' portrayal, a hubbub was brought about regarding a humanized portrayal of the man deemed a monster.

I disagree with these assessments. For one, Hitler did not hold German hostage. He didn't run some militaristic coup. The people overwhelming bought into the National Socialist campaign. Hitler won these people over and you don't win people over being impersonal or just this roaring monster all the time. You lull them into a trance. You appeal to their sensibilities and hopes. Hitler did this. The monster. Doesn't sound like a monster to me.

He also had deep relationships with his friends, with his niece, with Eva Braun and with all these other people he had personal relationships with.

We too quickly equate "monster" with being incapable of human traits. Ironically, Hitler was a vegetarian. He almost cared more for a cow or pig than he did a Jew or Pole.

In the end, what made Hitler so "successful" or "impactful" was his human side, his ability to appeal on a wide range of levels. Hitler was a human much like any of us. He just so happened to want to rule the world too.

The funny thing about the criticism of Hitler being made "human" (all of this just is a band-aid for everyone to believe that there's no way we'd be responsible for a guy like him), people have taken the noted scene where Hitler screams at his subordinates and instead puts in subtitles where Hitler is screaming about the Texas Longhorns or something menial or funny.

What's worse: Depicting Hitler as he was or making it a source of humor?