Whose Hi/story Is It? The U.S. Reception of Downfall

Before I address the U.S. media response to the film Downfall, I would like to mention a methodological problem that I encountered time and again when researching this essay: whether it is possible to speak of reception in purely national terms in this age of globalization, be it a foreign film or any other cultural artifact. Generally speaking, Bernd Eichinger's large-scale production Downfall can be considered a success in America both financially and critically. On its first weekend alone in New York City it broke box-office records for the small repertory movie theater Film Forum, grossing $24,220, despite its consider able length, some two and a half hours, and the fact that it was shown in the original with subtitles. Nationally, audience attendance remained unusually high for the following twelve weeks, compared with average figures for other German films made for export markets.1 Downfall, which grossed $5,501,940 to the end of October 2005, was an unequivocal box-office hit. One major reason for its success was certainly the content. Adolf Hit ler, in his capacity as star of the silver screen, has always been a sufficient

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