February 16, 2019

Goodbye to Bruno Ganz.

55 comments:

MayBee said...

I'm Gen X and I have no idea what "Wings of Desire" is. But I know the Hitler meme. RIP Bruno Ganz. I'm sorry you got such a dumb tweet by Weigel to commemorate you.

Dave Begley said...

That scene where Hitler's hand is shaking and he removes his glasses is a classic.

Fernandinande said...

I'm Gen X and I have no idea what "Wings of Desire" is.

IIRC, it's about angels who remain on Earth, in Germany yet, in human form because reasons. Columbo is in it but without his "Basset".

mccullough said...

Wings of Desire is from 1987. It’s a German film by Wim Wenders, who also made a few American films.

It’s not Die Hard. Most Generation X (1965-1980) never heard of it.

tcrosse said...

Too bad that the height of his acting career will forever be remembered as "Hitler finds out his pizza will be late".

Lyle said...

Major German language actor. Got the news early this morning from a Deutsche Welle text. He was Swiss and only 77 years old.

chickelit said...

Ganz traurig

Wince said...

Blogger Lyle said...
Major German language actor. Got the news early this morning from a Deutsche Welle text. He was Swiss and only 77 years old.

Thank God somebody here can translate Swiss.

The Bergall said...

He was great in Bread and Tulips (Pane e tulipani), a rather quirky Italian romance film that also starred Licia Maglietta.

Think one can find it on Amazon video.

Fernandinande said...

Thank God somebody here can translate Swiss.

I thought they spoke Austrian.

Bay Area Guy said...

The Hitler parodies are damn funny.

rcocean said...

He'll always be Hitler to me.

fleg9bo said...

Saw Bruno in In the White City by Alain Tanner, back in the 90s. I liked it a lot at the time but I don't remember it well enough to know if I would like it today.

Original Mike said...

How soon until 'Hitler hears Bruno Ganz is dead'?

Humperdink said...

Ganz as Hitler may be deceased, but Trump as Hitler lives on, as the Commie-Pinko lefties continually remind us.

Also in the news, Dingell has perished, but Dingell lives on in the house.

Paul said...

Humperdink said...

"Ganz as Hitler may be deceased, but Trump as Hitler lives on, as the Commie-Pinko lefties continually remind us."

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.. what a bore. Hitler/Trump.. how F*cking stupid and unimaginative to say such things. Wish you had lived under Hitler and let send you to the camps... bet you would see what freedom we have and you would not say such stupid things.

madAsHell said...

Dave Weigel?? He's a Krugman wanna-be.

Leland said...

Hermann Fegelein learns of Bruno Ganz's death

Leland said...

Trump as Hitler lives on

Humperdink shows he is not a person to be taken seriously.

Two-eyed Jack said...

As Zero Mostel said in The Producers: "We've found our Hitler!"

R.I.P.

chickelit said...

Also in the news, Dingell has perished, but Dingell lives on in the house.

You mean, as a Barry?

chickelit said...

Original Mike said...How soon until 'Hitler hears Bruno Ganz is dead'?

Ganz tot.

Humperdink said...

Humperdink said...

"Ganz as Hitler may be deceased, but Trump as Hitler lives on, as the Commie-Pinko lefties continually remind us."

Paul responded: "Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.. what a bore. Hitler/Trump.. how F*cking stupid and unimaginative to say such things."

C'mon Paul, use your imagination. Think Bush, McCain, and Romney. Or maybe it zoomed right by you.

Humperdink said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Gahrie said...

Ganz hated the parodies.

Yancey Ward said...

Dave Begley wrote:

"That scene where Hitler's hand is shaking and he removes his glasses is a classic"

Yes, that catches my eye, too, every single time I watch the various parodies of that scene that have been done over the years.

Yancey Ward said...

Wings of Desire is the movie remade in City of Angels that starred Nicolas Cage and Meg Ryan.

Humperdink said...

Hump said: "Also in the news, Dingell has perished, but Dingell lives on in the house."

chickenlittle responded: "You mean, as a Barry?"

Nope as Debbie, aka as Dingell III.

Michigan's House of Representative 16th district:

> Rep. John Dingell Sr. 1933-1955

> Succeeded by Rep. John Dingell Jr. 1955-2015

> Succeeded by spouse Rep. Debbie Dingell 2015-present.

If Debbie can last another 14 years or so, it will be 100 years of the Dingells.

Paul said...

Humperdink said...

"Ganz as Hitler may be deceased, but Trump as Hitler lives on, as the Commie-Pinko lefties continually remind us."

Paul responded: "Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.. what a bore. Hitler/Trump.. how F*cking stupid and unimaginative to say such things."

C'mon Paul, use your imagination. Think Bush, McCain, and Romney. Or maybe it zoomed right by you.

Yea it did. I see so many 'Trump/Hitler' things I just, well, automatically though it was another! Apologizes.

MadAir said...

GenXers may be familiar with the music video for REM's "Everybody Hurts" (which was also in the news this week), which was based on a scene from "The Wings of Desire" (Der Himmel über Berlin).

gspencer said...

Those disgusting facts about the length of Dingell time in the House reminds me of Section 5 of the Virginia Declaration of Rights (1777),

That the legislative and executive powers of the state should be separate and distinct from the judiciary; and that the members of the two first may be restrained from oppression, by feeling and participating the burdens of the people, they should, at fixed periods, be reduced to a private station, return into that body from which they were originally taken, and the vacancies be supplied by frequent, certain, and regular elections, in which all, or any part, of the former members, to be again eligible, or ineligible, as the laws shall direct.

To repeat, "and that the members of the two first may be restrained from oppression, by feeling and participating the burdens of the people, they should, at fixed periods, be reduced to a private station"

Andrew said...

For those who have never seen it, the entire movie ("Downfall") is worth watching. An amazing acting job by Ganz. At the very least, watch the famous clip with the original subtitles.

My favorites of the parodies were the Hillary ones. Sorry, Mr. Ganz, but you'll always be Hillary to me. RIP.

Ann Althouse said...

I've seen "Downfall" and "Wings of Desire."

Here's the trailer for WoD.

Howard said...

First saw Bruno in "The American Friend". Adapted from Highsmiths Ripley's Game with Dennis Hopper as Ripley. Cameo roles by Nicholas Ray and Samuel Fuller. Director Wim Wenders. Great flic

YoungHegelian said...

In my younger years I was a big fan of the German New Wave directors, and thus saw quite a bit of Ganz. My favorite: Wim Wenders The American Friend.

And, yeah, count me as another big fan of Downfall.

Hammond X. Gritzkofe said...

Thank you for your dedication and talent, Bruno. You may not have liked the parodies, but they will make you immortal.

Mark said...

IIRC, it's about angels who remain on Earth

Such beings are known by the less attractive name of "devils." And, yes, Hollywood did make a few movies about them.

Earnest Prole said...

I knew Google would not be a reliable guardian of Fair Use the moment it banned parody use of this video.

gadfly said...

So the mystery is solved . This video provides the basis for Trump's acting career as our president! Somehow I knew that Donald was too dumb to be capable of pulling off his imperfect imitation of the Greek God Narcissus using mirrors while procrastinating about the need to quit watching his reflection.

Trumpit said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Caroline said...

I’m seconding the huzzahs for Bread and Tulips....tender, funny, I could watch it again and again.

Trumpit said...

I watched his performance as Hitler, and Bruno did a fine apoplectic performance of the devil incarnate - no horns were needed.

"Hitler used vivid and gruesome descriptions of animal suffering and slaughter at the dinner table to try to dissuade his colleagues from eating meat."

A sadistic mass murderer apparently had a heart when it came to his German Shepard Blondi and to the suffering of farm animals. So Hitler wasn't all bad. Schlump probably isn't all bad either. On the other hand, Hitler poisoned Blondie to death to test the efficacy of the cyanide that he used to commit suicide, so the devil has nothing on Adolf. Schlump may be the first non-animal-lover president in U.S. history. He doesn't much like poor Mexican kids either.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blondi

Humperdink said...

@Paul. No problem. :).

D 2 said...

Speaking as a Gen Xer, I might suggest Raising Arizona is the film from 1987 which spoke better to our needs than angels in ol Europa
Nic Cage's hair. And dreams of a happy family life in Utah.

Phil 314 said...

Der Himmel Uber Berlin.

“It's great to live by the spirit, to testify day by day for eternity, only what's spiritual in people's minds. But sometimes I'm fed up with my spiritual existence. Instead of forever hovering above I'd like to feel a weight grow in me to end the infinity and to tie me to earth. I'd like, at each step, each gust of wind, to be able to say "Now." Now and now" and no longer "forever" and "for eternity." To sit at an empty place at a card table and be greeted, even by a nod”

A great movie. The movie set in the half destroyed building still shows up in my dreams

Andrew said...

"This blog deserves a better class of troll. And I'm gonna give it to them!" - Hitler

MountainMan said...

"Downfall" is a great movie and Ganz gave a great performance. It's a shame most people only know it from the parodies. If you haven't seen it is well worth your time. "Das Boot" - the longer version - is another fine movie from Germany about WWII. Two of the best WWII movies produced in recent years.

William said...

It must be kind of a downer to be remembered mostly for your portrayal of Hitler. Hitler doesn't appear in many movies, but Ganz apparently was the definitive Hitler. That's not a competitive field. There have been lots of Lincolns, Sherlock Holmes, and Henry VIII's, but I can't think of an other Hitler. I think Meryl Streep would make an interesting Hitler. She's good with accents, and it would be a welcome break from the gender stereotype roles she usually plays.

Ingachuck'stoothlessARM said...

when Vim Vender's Vings-0-Desire came out,
there was dogshit on the streets of Paris,
where even Angels feared to tread. So they hung out in Berlin.

Bill Peschel said...

Near the end, Goebbels implored the staff to stand by them, saying that generations from now, they will make a movie about these events. How do you want them to be portrayed?

He wasn't wrong.

Fen said...

No one linked the Althouse Downfall parody? BRB...

Fen said...

Here we go

Madison Downfall

https://youtu.be/N-9A2bLYKPs

Alex said...

William... that's because of the meme-ification of that Downfall scene.

Skipper said...

A strong argument against formal educational institutions.

Mazo Jeff said...

My favorite was "Hitler learns Brett Favre throws interception and the Vikings aren't going to the Super Bowl" HILARIOUS!!