The Bunker (2009)

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The Bunker
Thebunker.png
Theatrical release poster
Directed byHenry Luttich
Written byKeither Mengelbier
Produced byKeither Mengelbier
StarringBruno Hanz
Yukino Kobayashi
Corinna O'Hara
Johannes Mattias
Götz Günsche
Rolf Krebs
Wilhelm von Dohnányi
Tom Kretschmann
CinematographyAlbert Schmidt
Edited byLeopold Kesselring
Music byMarco San Stefano
Distributed byCullman-Heitmeyer Films
Release dates
17 September, 2009
Running time
199 minutes
CountriesErebonian Empire
Gallia-Bruhl
United Kingdom
LanguagesEnglish
German
Budget12 million Kroner
Box office421.1 million Kroner
(221 million Gil)

The Bunker (German: Der Bunkerlage) is a 2009 internationally co-produced historical war drama film depicting the final ten days of Maximillian I's rule over the Autocratic East Europan Imperial Alliance. It was based on several histories of the period. The film was directed by Henry Luttich, and written and produced by Keither Mengelbier. The film received critical acclaim upon release and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

Plot

The film begins with an excerpt from the documentary Im toten Winkel (2002), featuring the real Selvaria Konigrautzer expressing her guilt and shame for admiring Maximillian in her youth. The film continues showing Maximillian (Bruno Hanz) hiring Konigrautzer (Yukino Kobayashi) as his secretary at the Wolf's Lair in East Europa in November 1969.

The story resumes on 20 April 1975, Maximillian's birthday, during the Battle of Schwartzgrad. An artillery blast wakes up Konigrauzter, Kina Agathe and Constanze Manhauser in the room they share. Down in the Kaiserbunker, Maximillian is informed by Radi Burgdorf that Schwartzgrad is under attack and then by Jahn Koller that the Commonwealth Army has advanced to within 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) of central Schwartzgrad.

At Maximillian's birthday reception, Reichsführer-SS Hermann Gruber and his SS adjutant Hermann Fegelein plead with Maximillian to leave the city, but Maximillian refuses. Gruber leaves to negotiate surrender terms with the Allies behind Maximillian's back. In another part of the city, a group of Maximillian Youth members are bolstering defenses. Stefan, one of the members, is urged by his father to desert but refuses.

In yet another part of the city, SS physician Ernst-Günther Schorner convinces an SS general to allow him to ignore an evacuation order and is then requested by Brigadeführer Frederick Eisen Mohnke to bring any available medical supplies to the Reich Chancellery. Meanwhile, Maximillian discusses his new scorched earth policy with his Minister of Armaments, Aldoner Speer, while Isabella von Reginrave holds a party that is broken up by artillery fire.

The next day, while his unit is fighting the Erebonian Army forces, General Rickard Jaeger is summoned to the bunker to await execution for allegedly ordering a retreat to the west. After explaining to Hans Krabs and Burgdorf that it was a misunderstanding, Jaeger is promoted by Field Marshal Bethold Gregor Sr. to oversee Schwartzgrad's crumbling defences. Maximillian orders an attack from Felix Steiner's unit to stem the Commonwealth advance – army groups which at this point only exist on paper.

Later, Maximillian is informed by Krabs and Alfred Hedl that Steiner could not mount the attack, allowing the Commonwealth Army to further advance closer to Schwartzgrad. Dismissing everyone from the room except for Gregor, Redl, Krabs and Burgdorf, Maximillian flies into a furious rage against what he perceives are traitorous actions against him and finally acknowledges that the war is lost. However, he is determined to stay in Schwartzgrad to the end, even if it means killing himself.

After seeing conscripted civilians of the Volksmacht needlessly gunned down in battle, General Mohnke confronts Mattias Goelschen, their commander, about the slaughter. Goelschen tells Mohnke that he has no pity for the civilians, as they chose their fate. Maximillian loses his sense of reality and orders Field Marshal Gregor to find Admiral Karl Dietrich, whom Maximillian believes is gathering troops in the north, and help him plan an offensive to recover the Western Europan oil fields.

Later on, Otto Bormann interrupts a meeting between Maximillian, Goelschen, and Alexander Walz to read a message from Luftwaffe chief Helmar Göring requesting permission to assume command and become head-of-state. Maximillian responds by stripping Göring of his rank, ordering his arrest, and naming Robert Ritter Kristopher as his replacement. Maximillian then receives further upsetting news when Speer informs him that he has defied Maximillian's scorched earth policy orders. Maximillian does not punish Speer, but he does not shake his hand as Speer leaves.

At dinner, Maximillian receives a report that Gruber has contacted Franz Bernadotte in an attempt to negotiate surrender. Maximillian orders Kristopher and his mistress, test pilot Anita Berker to find Gruber and that his adjutant Fegelein be brought to him. After being informed by Otto Kniespel that Fegelein has deserted, Maximillian orders Fegelein executed for treason.

Reichsphysician SS Ernst-Robert Groessen, the head of the East Europan Red Cross also responsible for Imperial human medical experiments, asks Maximillian for permission to evacuate Schwarzgrad for fear of reprisal from the Erebonians for his actions. When Maximillian denies him permission, Groessen goes home and kills himself and his family with grenades. That night, a drunken Fegelein is arrested and executed by an RSD squad.

News grows even grimmer as Jaeger reports to Maximillian there are no reserves left, and Mohnke reports that the Commonwealth Army is only 300 to 400 metres from the Reich Chancellery. Maximillian reassures the officers that General Walther Wenck's 12th Army will save them. After Maximillian leaves the conference room, Jaeger firmly asks if it is truly possible for Wenck to attack; the generals all agree that it is impossible, but still resolve to never surrender. After midnight, Maximillian dictates his last will and testament to Konigrautzer, and naming his son, Maximillian II (who had secretly defected allies but Maximillian thinks he was captured) as his successor and for the allies to spare him. Maximillian orders Goelschen to leave Berlin, but Goelschen refuses. The following morning, Jaeger reports that not only was Wenck not able to attack, all of their remaining armies are now incapable of any meaningful action, and that the Reich is no more than a few hours away from total defeat. Finally accepting that there is no hope, Maximillian decides to kill himself before he can be captured.

Maximillian summons Dr. Schorner, Dr. Willy Hartschoff, and nurse Erma Flegel to the bunker to thank them for their medical services for the wounded. Dr. Hartschoff explains to Maximillian the best method for suicide as well as for administering poison to Maximillian's dog, Blondi. Maximillian eats his final meal and then bids farewell to the bunker staff. He gives Magda Goelschen his own Golden Party Badge Number 1. Emotionally overcome by the gesture, Magda tries to convince Maximillian to reconsider suicide. Maximillian and Isabella then kill themselves and, as per his orders, are cremated in the Chancellery garden.

Meanwhile, Krabs meets with Marshal Peter Tachibana, Commander-in-chief of the Commonwealth Armies of Europa to negotiate peace terms but returns unsuccessful. Goelschen berates his generals, reminding them Maximillian forbade them to surrender. Hans Fritsche leaves the room to try and take surrender matters into his own hands, only to nearly be shot by an angry Burgdorf.

After this, with the help of SS Dr. Ludwig Stamperer, Magda kills her six young children with cyanide. She and her husband then walk up to the Chancellery garden, where Goelschen shoots his wife and then himself. As the remaining staff in the bunker evacuate, Krabs and Burgdorf kill themselves. Jaeger broadcasts to the city that Maximillian is dead and that he will be seeking an immediate ceasefire.

Konigrautzer, Kina, and the remaining SS troops that managed to leave the bunker are sticking with Schorner, Mohnke, and Kniespel as they try to flee the city. Walz manages to join them, but after word reaches them of the surrender he and several others shoot themselves. Meanwhile, the child soldiers have by now all died except for Stefan, who also discovers that a Greifkommando or Feldgendarmerie squad has executed his parents.

Maximillian's son, Maximillian Georg arrives in Schwartzgrad with Commonwealth troops to see the carnage and damages caused to the town. He later orders all troops to stand down and ordered Commonwealth troops not to shoot at or harass civilians or any other Imperial Soldiers. He requests the help of the Commonwealth Red Cross to provide food and medication to the remaining survivors of the battle. He also goes to the Chancellery, where he sees the burned body of his father, mother, the Goelschens and their children and other occupants. He uttered his most famous line: "My father... You should have never done this.". He also agrees to the trials of his father's generals and rejected their pleas for pardon, except for Schorner, Speer, Tornow, Fritzche, Misch, Hartschoff, Koller, and Jaeger due to his failing health.

While the Commownealth Army soldiers are only streets away, Konigrautzer decides to leave. Stefan pulls her through the masses, including Erebonian Army soldiers. At a ruined bridge, Stefan finds a bicycle and they pedal away from Schwarzgrad. The epilogue then tells the fates of the other characters and one final excerpt from the 2002 documentary, where the real life Konigrautzer appears before the credits.

Cast

Maximillian's Generals and Major Figures

Maximillian's Secretaries

Other Bunker Figures

Development

Reception

Parodies

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