简介：IsawthisobscureGermanfilminTorontoin1956,myfirstexposuretoOskarWerner.A"sleeper"ofamovieforme,butsolongagoanditseemsnevertobeseenagain.Thetopichasbeentreatedmanytimesbutnever,Ithink,tosucheffect.ThelastdaysinthebunkerareentirelythroughthewonderingsubjectiveeyesofWerner,asCaptainWuest,aratherunimportantguardsman.Hitlerandhishenchmenarealwayskeptatadistance,thewayWuestviewsthemfromhisstation,andwhatstandsoutinmymemoryisthefinaleofadrunkenchampagnepartyasthoughincelebrationofsomething,butinrealityastheirmeanstoforgettheimpendingdoomloomingaheadastheRussianscanbeheardclosingin.Theproblemwithfilmsportrayingfamousorinfamouspeopleisthattheyarealmostalwaysunbelievablebecauseweareunwillingtosuspendourdisbelief,awarethattheyareactorsuptheretryingtoimitatetheunknowable.Here,atleastfortheEnglishspeakingaudience,theproblemdoesnotarise,weunderstandonlythroughsubtitles,andwehearthecharactersspeakingintheirownlanguage.And,thankGod,itisinblackandwhite.Theimpactofthefilmstayswithmestill,andofcourse,Wernerwasamajorrevelation.…