Bormann informs Hitler is a scene in Downfall that is one of the most commonly used in parodies. It can also be used as a stand-alone parody, as is a good alternative to the overly used Original Bunker Scene. Stand-alone parodies that make use of this scene are usually named "Hitler is informed...", a great source of confusion, as parodies where Günsche informs Hitler also use the same name.
In Downfall[]
Rochus Misch is watching a teleprinter print out a telegram from Hermann Göring. Traudl Junge overhears two SS-Officers discuss the Army's transmission failing. After the message is printed, Misch tears it off and tells Traudl to bring it to Martin Bormann. Bormann, who is sitting at Hitler's workplace, takes the folder from Traudl and thanks her. He proceeds to read the letter, only to jump off his seat seconds later and promptly heads to the adjacent room, with Traudl looking at him with a disconcerted face.
He enters Hitler's private room, and informs him he has a message from Göring. Given Hitler's permission, he goes on to read the message, telling him that because Hitler wanted to stay in Berlin, Göring asked for permission to become vice-chancellor, so he can take control of the Third Reich with the "necessary power and authority". He goes on that if he (Göring) doesn't get a response by 10:00 that night, he will assume that Hitler is incapacitated, and finishes that he will serve the well being of the people and the fatherland. Bormann sums up the news: Göring betrayed him and Germany.
Walther Hewel comments that Göring's point isn't unjustified, because the communications system could break down at any time, and that would make them lose contact with the rest of the world, so they couldn't pass off orders.
In contrast, Joseph Goebbels thinks that Göring wants to seize power, and stated that he never trusted the mob he gathered at Obersalzberg, commenting that it "stinks of a coup."
Hitler twitches in anger, referring to Göring as "that loser..." before escalating his voice to the point where he calls him a lazybones. As he rants on, Albert Speer arrives and greets Traudl who is waiting outside the room and overhearing the rant. She asks him about his trip to Berlin, and he tells her that it wasn't easy and that he must meet with the Führer. Heinz Linge who is standing by the door to Hitler's office recommends that he wait for a little while.
Inside, Hitler questions Göring's action with the Luftwaffe and yells that alone is enough to get Göring executed. He continues calling him a morphine addict who corrupted Germany, and mutters "And now this..." before stating that he betrayed him; while twitching, he cries out, "Me of all people!".
Goebbels stares at the ground before Hitler finally declares that he wants Göring to be deprived of power and removed from office, and states that if he doesn't survive the war, Göring will be executed.
In the Parodies[]
This scene has become increasingly common for parody making. It's also an alternative to the often used Original Bunker Scene, because it also shows Hitler being informed of bad news and ranting.
The part where Traudl passes the file and Martin Bormann thanking her are sometimes parodied in an explicit manner, for example, Traudl telling "I got something good" and Bormann replying "dat ass, I hope". It is unknown where this trend came from and who started doing so.
RBC56 edited this scene for Hitler Stuck In Traffic, which eventually turned to be one of his most-viewed parodies.
Speer's use of his Eye of Boob Detection in parodies originated from this scene.
Meanwhile, Heinz Linge's one-liner becomes the basis for the Lingepedia parody series.
Many mondegreens are present in this scene, such as "Wankstain," "Vulpix," and "Wait, I'm not finished!"
Transcript[]
| English translation | ||
|---|---|---|
| Speaker | German | English |
| SS-Officer 1 | Der Sender des Oberkommando des Heeres ist ausgefallen. Die Nachrichtentruppe hat sich abgesetzt. | The Army High Command's transmitter is dead and the entire Army press service has left. |
| SS-Officer 2 | Alle? Er ist niemand mehr da. | All? I didn't know that. |
| Misch | Frau Junge? | Miss Junge? |
| Traudl | Ja? | Yes? |
| Misch | Bringen sie das bitte Herrh Bormann. Er ist dringend. | Please bring this to Mr. Bormann. It's urgent. |
| Traudl | Was schlimmes? | Something bad? |
| Traudl | Das ist eben durchgekommen. | This just came through. |
| Bormann | Vielen Dank, Frau Junge. | Thank you, Frau Junge. |
| Telegram von Göring. | Telegram from Göring. | |
| Hitler | Ja. | Yes. |
| Bormann | Er schreibt: | He says: |
| "Mein Führer! Sind Sie einverstanden, dass ich nach ihrem Entschluss, in der Festung Berlin zu verbleiben, als Ihr Stellvertreter sofort die Gesamtführung des Reiches übernehme, mit voller Handlungsfreiheit, nach innen und außen? Falls bis 22 Uhr keine Antwort erfolgt, nehme ich an, dass Sie Ihrer Handlungsfreiheit beraubt sind. Ich werde dann zum Wohle von Volk und Vaterland handeln." | "Mein Führer! Do you agree that after your decision to remain in the fortress of Berlin, I, your deputy, should immediately take over the overall leadership of the Reich, with full freedom of action, internally and externally? If there is no response by 10pm, I will assume that you have been deprived of your freedom of action. I will then act for the good of the people and the fatherland.". | |
| Das ist Landesverrat, und Verrat an Ihrer Person. | This is treason to the country and to its people. | |
| Hewel | Görings Sorge ist nicht unberechtigt. Wenn unsere Kommunikationssysteme zusammenbrechen, und das kann stündlich geschehen, dann.. sind wir in der Tat von der Welt abgeschnitten. Befehle und Anweisungen können dann nicht mehr übermittelt werden. | Göring's concern is not unjustified. If our communication systems collapse, and that can happen hourly, then.. we are in fact cut off from the world. Commands and instructions can then no longer be transmitted. |
| Goebbels | Ich sehe das anders. Göring will die Macht an sich reißen! Diese Mischpoche, die sich am Obersalzberg um ihn rottet, war mir noch nie geheuer. Das riecht nach Putsch! | I see it differently. Göring wants to seize power! I have never had any sympathy for this mob that he rallied around himself in the Obersalzberg. It reeks of a coup! |
| Hitler | Dieser Versager, dieser Schmarotzer! Ein Parvenu, ein Faulpelz! | This failure, this parasite! An upstart, a lazybones! |
| Wie kann er es wagen, mich als handlungsunfähig zu erklären?! | How dare he declare me unable to act?! | |
| Vielleicht behauptet er morgen, ich sei bereits tot! | Maybe tomorrow he will claim I'm already dead! | |
| Eine SS-Einheit soll sofort zum Obersalzberg! | An SS unit should go immediately to Obersalzberg! | |
| Speer | Guten Tag, Frau Junge. | Hello, Frau Junge. |
| Traudl | Herr Speer. Wie sind Sie nach Berlin reingekommen? | Herr Speer. How was your trip to Berlin? |
| Speer | Einfach war es nicht. Aber ich muss noch einmal zum Führer. | It wasn't easy. I must see the Fuhrer. |
| Linge | An Ihrer Stelle würde ich damit lieber warten. | I'd wait a bit if I were you. |
| Hitler | Die Luftwaffe! Was hat er daraus gemacht? Allein dafür müsste man ihn an die Wand stellen! Dieser Morphinist hat die Korruption in unserem Staate erst möglich gemacht! | The Luftwaffe! What did he do with it? That alone is enough for us to make him have his back against the wall! That morphinist has made the corruption in our country possible in the first place! |
| Und jetzt das! Verrat an meiner Person. AN MEINER PERSON! | And now this! A betrayal against me personally. AGAINST ME PERSONALLY!! | |
| Ich will dass Göring sofort entmachtet wird, und alle Ämter aufgibt. Für den Fall, dass ich den Krieg nicht überstehe, ist der Mann auf der Stelle hinzurichten. | I want Göring to be removed from power immediately, and to give up all offices. In case I do not survive the war, that man is to be executed on the spot. | |
Trivia[]
- This scene is not to be confused with the Günsche informs Hitler scene because many parodies from both scenes use the title of "Hitler is informed ______"
- This is the only time Göring's morphinism is mentioned in the film.
- Hitler is shown to twitch while ranting, and his eyes seem to pop out when he stated that Göring corrupted Germany.
- The beginning of the scene which features Misch receiving Göring's telegram, Traudl being handed the telegram and Misch watching her depart is rarely used in parodies.
- In the theatrical version, the scene begins with Rochus Misch receiving a telegram from Göring. It abruptly cuts to Bormann already reading from the folder. Traudl delivering the report to Bormann didn't make the cut and is only in the extended version.
- The theatrical version, however, found much less use in parodies compared to the extended edition counterpart. This can be attributed to Hitler Rants Parodies supplying the extended version of the scene as a blank scene (without subtitles).
- Due to Göring's association with food among Untergangers, they started bufallaxing "Luftwaffe" to "Luftwaffles." The joke then entered the Bunker Jokes.
- Goof: When the teletypewriter is receiving the letter, Göring's name is aligned to the left of the paper. When the letter is being pulled out it visibly switched to the right. The left-aligned letter also appears to be in all-lowercase, while proper cases are used on the other one.
- Goebbels uses the Yiddish term "Mischpoche" to insult Göring's entourage. Even though it is strange, that Goebbels uses a word of Hebrew origin, the word was actually added to the German dictionary Duden during Hitler's rule.
- There is a mysterious shadow cast on the door behind Hitler's back in the close shot of him. First pointed out by mfaizsyahmi, he first speculated that it was a filming crew member's shadow, but upon later inspection, he believes it was Bormann with the folder, and the table lamp being the light source. Interestingly, the shadow indicates Bormann closes the folder immediately, but a split second later it shows him still looking at the open folder. Later, the close-up of Hitler shows the shadow of Bormann flipping the folder.
- "AN MEINER PERSON!" can be mondegreened in Chinese as "俺 make love 不爽".
Gallery[]
