Star of Film 'Downfall' and Widespread 'Hitler Finds Out...' Meme, Dead At 77 (theguardian.com) 50
The Guardian reports: Bruno Ganz, the Swiss actor who played Adolf Hitler in the film Downfall, has died in Zurich at the age of 77, his agent announced. The actor became internationally renowned for his 2004 portrayal of the German dictator's final days inside his Berlin bunker. In a Guardian review of Downfall Rob Mackie described Ganz as "the most convincing screen Hitler yet: an old, bent, sick dictator with the shaking hands of someone with Parkinson's, alternating between rage and despair in his last days in the bunker...." It is widely believed to be the cinematic footage most often shared online, as well as the cause of one of the world's most productive internet memes.
They're referring to "One climactic scene featuring a Ganz tour de force" that was "relentlessly parodied in widespread 'Hitler Finds Out...' videos, featuring anachronistic subtitles depicting his rage and fury over topical, mundane, or banal events and trivial gossip," explains long-time Slashdot reader Freshly Exhumed:
The spread of the meme was aided inestimably by the Streisand Effect caused when the production company, Constantin Films began sending DMCA takedown notices to YouTube. Eventually the company relented as the parodies constituted strong fair use cases.
When the director of the film was asked about the parodies, he admitted that "I think I've seen about 145 of them! Of course, I have to put the sound down when I watch. Many times the lines are so funny, I laugh out loud, and I'm laughing about the scene that I staged myself! You couldn't get a better compliment as a director."
They're referring to "One climactic scene featuring a Ganz tour de force" that was "relentlessly parodied in widespread 'Hitler Finds Out...' videos, featuring anachronistic subtitles depicting his rage and fury over topical, mundane, or banal events and trivial gossip," explains long-time Slashdot reader Freshly Exhumed:
The spread of the meme was aided inestimably by the Streisand Effect caused when the production company, Constantin Films began sending DMCA takedown notices to YouTube. Eventually the company relented as the parodies constituted strong fair use cases.
When the director of the film was asked about the parodies, he admitted that "I think I've seen about 145 of them! Of course, I have to put the sound down when I watch. Many times the lines are so funny, I laugh out loud, and I'm laughing about the scene that I staged myself! You couldn't get a better compliment as a director."
Re: (Score:2)
I like how I can't post a code snippet here but the lameness filter allows this.
Hitler reacts to slashdot (Score:5, Funny)
Office: but mein fuhrer....
Re:Hitler reacts to slashdot (Score:5, Funny)
wall broken (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
Wer sind Sie, dass Sie es wagen mich für tot zu erklären!
Re: Hitler reacts to slashdot (Score:1)
So Hitler was a spelling nazi.
I suppose we can assume Feigelein was the grammar nazi.
Who? (Score:2)
Uh oh! (Score:3)
Wait 'til Hitler finds out!!!
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
He just did. [youtube.com]
Spoiler alert: He's not happy about it.
Re: (Score:2)
He just did. [youtube.com]
Spoiler alert: He's not happy about it.
...and that macroblocking is straight out of Wolfenstein 3D, so it has several layers of Meta! Top notch!
"Hitler finds out about Bruno Ganz' dead"... (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Some of the videos are very very funny and clever, and some of them are rather lame. There sure are a lot of 'em though!
I watched the movie because of the parodies (Score:5, Insightful)
I probably would never have seen that movie at all, but the acting was so great in that one scene that was in endless memes, that I actually did watch the whole thing. It's well worth watching and is almost strange to see the real scene with real lines...
So it's good the eventually left the parodies alone because it really raises interest in the movie as well.
Re: (Score:2)
Indeed. You couldn't buy publicity like that for all the lard in Barnsley.
Comment removed (Score:3, Interesting)
Wings of Desire (Score:5, Informative)
It's a shame that Bruno Ganz is only known here as the guy who played Hitler. He's performed so many excellent roles in classic films. His performances in Wings of Desire and The American Friend were some of the greatest of the 70's and 80's. I recently watched Väter und Söhne, and he was otherworldly (as was Julie Christie).
Those of you who are capable of reading subtitles should go watch those right away. You'll never think of Bruno Ganz merely as Hitler again.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Or haven't had their hearing deteriorate far enough that they turn on the subtitles for movies that are in their native language already
Goodwin Law? (Score:2)
A convincing Hitler... (Score:3)
Yes, he put a convincing Hitler on the screen. But the problem with al those 'historical' movies is, of course, is it true? Dunkirk, Pearl Harbour, A bridge too far, countless movies (and books, and series) are wll-known examples. But movies like U-571, convincing like they may seem, are way off the hstorical facts. Still they have shaped our perceeption of history. That worries me.
Paai
Re: (Score:2)
And then the UN - unnazied the world forever... [youtube.com]
Is this what you're concerned about? I don't blame you, Idiocracy was a warning from the future.
Re: (Score:2)
Thank you, sir, for illustrating both our points.
Paai
Re: (Score:2)
Bruno Ganz didn't just play Hitler (Score:3)
He had a solid career as a German speaking actor with one of his famous parts actually being the angel coming to earth in Women's Wenders "The Heaven over Berlin" which was ripped off and redone as "City of Angels" with Nicholas Cage playing his part.
However, his impression of Hitler actually was pretty good and authentic. He prepped himself thoroughly for the part also utilising a famous secret recording of Hitler having a regular conversation. Downfall is a pretty impressive movie and a good display of the insanity of the Nazi ideology.
Hitler uses docker (Score:2)