The film was debated by critics and audiences upon its release , although Bruno Ganz 's portrayal of Hitler was praised . On the film 's depiction of Hitler , David Denby for '' The New Yorker '' said that Ganz " made the dictator into a plausible human being " . Addressing other critics like Denby , '' Chicago Sun-Times '' critic Roger Ebert said the film did not provide an adequate portrayal of Hitler 's actions , because he felt no film could , and that no response would be sufficient . Ebert said Hitler was in reality " the focus for a spontaneous uprising by many of the German people , fuelled by racism , xenophobia , grandiosity and fear " . Author Giles MacDonogh criticised the film for its sympathetic portrayals of the SS officers Wilhelm Mohnke , and Ernst-Günther Schenck , the former of which was accused of murdering a group of British prisoners of war in the Wormhoudt massacre . MacDonogh also pointed out that Schenck 's medical experiments on concentration camp prisoners using herbs in 1938 allegedly led to deaths among his subjects and among the slaves growing the herbs . But at a discussion in London , Hirschbiegel said in response that he did his own research and did not find the allegations for Schenck convincing
Wormhoudt massacre
Wormhoudt massacre
Downfall (2004 film)