Hitler's dead body in Der Untergang / Downfall

Cafe Society
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[Note: I wouldn’t talk spoilers here, everybody knows how it ends, but if you are going to watch this film, this post might spoil some of the cineatic experience for you.]

I saw Der Untergang/Downfall the other night. I kinda enjoyed the accuracy, deemed from Traudl Junge, Trevor–Roper, Joachim Fest, and other books I’ve read on the subject; and the man is a very good actor, obviously.

But when the film was over, and contemplating it before I fell asleep, it struck me that you actually never saw Hitler dead (except for his feet when carried outside, but that’s just the audience presuming it is his feet seen).

Now I wonder two things:

1st: Am I wrong? Did you in fact see Hitler dead? – In that case, please disregard this post.

2nd: Assuming I remember correctly : **Why didn’t the director Hirschbiegel show the audience a scen, where Adolf Hitler is dead? ** Wouldn’t that be an obvious scene? Dramatic, and very “untergangish”?

For obviously somebody saw the man dead (and there was some commotion about it; I remember from some of the books when, for instance, someone was asked to get a flag to wrap his body in it, but couldn’t find any, which was kinda ironic) – so lack of witnesses can’t be the reason for not showing that scene. Also, not everything in the movie is from Traudl Junge’s eyes, which otherwise would explain it artistically.

On the other hand: In the film there is a scene where Junge (?) stares at the empty sofa after the bodies had been carried out, the blood and the pistol. But that sort of enhances the impression of not seeing the dead body.

What might be his reason for that? – One could assume the “Darth Vader backdoor”: Hey, he might come back in a sequel! On the other hand, perhaps not…
One could also assume, that Hirschbiegel is leaving the door open, that this particular detail is not actually proven, i.e. the man died, but that would be not as ridiculuos as the first assumption, but leaning towards it.

So, if I remember correctly, what could the artistic or otherwise motif for leaving out such a dramatic scen?

(Just to avoid perfectly clear now, discussing sensitive subjects: I do not believe there’re any political motifs behind this, I’m just curious 'bout possible artistic or historical points.)

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I haven’t seen the movie, but I think it’s more likely the director made that choice for dramatic reasons (perhaps to emphasize his absence) rather than trying to suggest Hitler survived.

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It was a great film. Just watched it two weeks ago with some German friends who were in town for a visit.

None of us game much thought to that point, but as you pointed out - although all reports are that the scenes in the film are accurate, there was no actual proof, so the film simply does what was reported - that what everyone assumed to be the bodies of Hitler and Braun were carried out and burned. My guess is, that whether or not they were or were not their bodies, those left behind would have wrapped them before disposing of them no matter who they were - either to finish the cover up or to pay their respects to their leader. Either way - that was how the end was reported to have happened.

And to anyone reading this who has not seen the film - rent it! It is very well done and Bruno Ganz is fantastic in the role - as were all the other main character in the story.

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There’s very, very clearly a decision in the film that it’s going to avert its gaze from the actual suicides of the principals. This is most obvious in the way that there’s that very deliberate shot of the door closing on the private apartments after Hitler and Braun have made their final farewells. The film approaches thus far and then deliberately stops. Similarly, IIRC the editing is such that we never actually see either of the Goebbels die.
Since the two bodies were transfered from the sitting room to the outside in blankets, the other decision is only to show the scene in that room afterwards via Junge’s eyes. There was a certain amount of disagreement amongst the witnesses as to the position of the bodies on the sofa, so avoiding showing this does allow them to dodge this point.
But it seems far more likely that it’s purely a dramatic preference that, having not entered the room after the door has closed, the only view we get of it thereafter is via a shocked and hesitant Junge.

Offhand, I’m actually not sure that in real life Junge either did see the room or - and the careful distinction has to be made - even ever claimed to have.

One does have to be careful. Most details in the film can be backed up by at least one eyewitness report, but there are crucial points where the makers have, uncritically or otherwise, accepted accounts that have previously been questioned by historians. For one example, see the end of my post in this thread. There are others.