Psychopathological Analysis of Adolf Hitler's Portrayal in Downfall

Oliver Hirschbiegel's Downfall depicts Adolf Hitler as a disconcerted, idiosyncratic zealot unwillingly facing inescapable demise during the last days of the Third Reich. As bombs intermittently fall and Soviet forces invade Berlin, Hitler must recognize that his obsession with world domination and racial purity can no longer be realized through military conquest. Hunkering in an underground bunker, he is surrounded by other die-hard Nazi affiliates who have also refused to flee the allied invasion of Germany.

The film presents Hitler in the final years of his life. He is in his mid-fifties and his mental health has deteriorated into a state of delusional preoccupation with winning a lost war. He is highly irritable and is easily angered at the suggestion that the time has come to stop fighting and to engage in diplomacy. Social interactions frequently become heated tirades as well-meaning advisers attempt to persuade him of the uselessness of continued military strategizing. He often makes disparaging remarks to his peers, freely wages false accusations of disloyalty, and resorts to name-calling. He regards most of humanity in general with contempt and prides himself on having organized the systematic murder of countless un-offending people, boasting, "Compassion for the weak is a betrayal of nature. I have always obeyed this law of nature by never permitting myself to feel compassion."

He does, however, place great value on the lives of animals. He is an unabashed vegetarian, berating "gluttonous" dinner guests who dine on meat in his presence. His most beloved companion is a German Shepherd named Blondie. He euthanizes Blondie before eventually taking his own life rather than cede his fate and the fate of his dog to the enemy.

Many of Hitler's behaviors are potentially symptomatic of an array of psychological disorders, including certain anxiety, mood, personality, psychotic, and developmental disorders. A prime example is the seemingly involuntary movement of his left hand. The movement begins and ends abruptly, occurring many times daily in brief episodes. It does not seem to be triggered by emotional stress and occurs during moments of both agitation and calm. It is difficult to ascertain whether the movement is performed compulsively in order to suppress obsessive thoughts or urges, or whether the movement is a repetitive motor behavior associated with Asperger Syndrome.

Other key symptoms of Asperger Syndrome displayed by Hitler are a complete lack of empathy for others, a tendency toward one-sided lectures in place of reciprocal conversations, and an inability to maintain meaningful friendships. Hitler's relationships are based on dedication to a common cause, and involve people listening to and carrying out orders. No reciprocity of emotion occurs. Despite impaired social functioning, though, Hitler remains highly functional cognitively. He is given to pedantic language but unlike many Asperger Syndrome sufferers is able to effectively articulate his points, however unsettling they may be. He also has no problems in utilizing nonverbal forms of communication such as eye contact and facial expression. Many of the social impairments experienced by Hitler are symptoms of Aspberger Syndrome and antisocial personality disorder.

Other characteristics suggest that Hitler may suffer from a mood disorder such as major depressive or dysthymic disorder. He is never shown laughing and is seldom shown smiling. He slumps, walks slowly, eats sparingly, and is not shown sleeping when others are asleep. His speech primarily focuses on negative aspects of the world and his persona is overall brooding, withdrawn, and anhedonic. He quickly assumes a mood of hopelessness about the future and experiences suicidal ideation when faced with failure.

It is also possible that Hitler may have generalized anxiety disorder, as evidenced by his irritability, edginess, sleeplessness, and pressured speech. These symptoms do not fluctuate throughout the film and appear to be chronic. He may suffer from both depression and anxiety. On the other hand, Hitler's irritability may be more indicative of a personality disorder than of generalized anxiety or mood disorder.

Hitler's inane insistence that Germany can still establish victory borders on psychotic delusional disorder. He alone insists on ordering battalions that are widely known to have either deserted or been wiped out by enemy forces. A colleague describes Hitler as positioning troops on a map that no longer exist in reality. However, the duration of his delusional belief is unknown. It is surely less than one month, which is the period of time required by the DSM -V to pass before delusional symptoms may result in a diagnosis of delusional disorder.

A more accurate diagnosis and the diagnosis Hitler would probably receive if he were to seek psychiatric care is that of antisocial personality disorder. Hitler has a long history of disregard for the rights of others, manipulates subordinates through displays of rage, and shows no signs of remorse for the genocide he has engineered. His aggressive anti-Semitic enthusiasm is not culturally atypical. Many Germans during this time period held similarly prejudiced views toward minority populations. It is his motivation to act violently and without regret on these views that distinguishes Hitler as antisocial. Not only has he mercilessly persecuted groups of people he considers inferior, but he also has no concern for the welfare of fellow "Aryan" Germans whom he supposedly considers exemplary human beings. He refuses to allow the evacuation of Berlin's civilians, including women, children, the elderly, and the injured. He states as his reason, "In this war, there are no civilians."

Symptoms of antisocial personality disorder such as impulsivity and lack of regard for one's own wellbeing most likely play a role in Hitler's suicide. His decision to commit suicide is made rashly. Only hours before his death, he is plotting ways of staving off the enemy and cursing officers rumored to have prematurely reported him as incapacitated.

Successful treatment of Hitler's antisocial personality disorder would demand his removal from the context of Nazi antagonism that he has helped create but that also feeds his aggression and antisocial behavior. An important potential obstacle to treatment is his affiliation with people who reinforce his delusions of superiority by sharing much of his resentment of and aggression toward populations deemed inferior. Hitler is not only the leader of a political movement but the cultivator of an ethnocentric cultural sentiment founded on hatred, stereotyping, and displaced negative emotion. He may base his very identity on this sentiment. Treatment is difficult for an individual who so rigidly adheres to his world view that he prefers death to existence in a world in which his view cannot be actualized.