Actor Bruno Ganz, 77, Ruhe in Frieden. (1 Viewer)

[PayOrPlay]

Swiss actor Bruno Ganz died today at age 77. He is doubtless best known now for his much-memed performance as Hitler in Downfall (Der Untergang, 2004). His greatest film performance, however, was as Damiel, the angel who falls in love and literally falls to earth, in Wim Wenders' 1987 masterpiece Wings of Desire (Der Himmel über Berlin).



Reading his obituaries today I learned something I'd never heard before, that Ganz was the possessor of the Iffland-Ring, a diamond ring made sometime around 1800 and since then passed on to the current owner's choice as the greatest living actor of the German-speaking theater, under the watchful auspices of the Austrian government. Ganz's previous choice to inherit the ring died in 2014, and it's not yet known who will receive it now.

Bruno Ganz: always poetic and inspired, from Hitler's bunker rant to a Berlin angel (The Guardian)

Bruno Ganz' Vermächtnis: Wer bekommt den Iffland-Ring? ("Who Gets the Iffland-Ring")(Spiegel Online )

 

[guidomerkinsrules]

Thank you for posting this - there were two lesser known passings yesterday that I wanted to discuss but couldn’t get to it

Wings of Desire had a HUGE impact on me in my young adulthood
One of my all time favorites

 

[mjcouvi]

Downfall is one of my favorite movies. For those who haven't watched it it's streaming on Amazon Prime right now. If you like WWII movies you'll love it.

 

[fred8615]

I have Downfall in my Amazon watchlist, and I own the DVD. It really is good.

On a bit of a side note: I'm surprised no one's made a Hitler Rant parody about the NFC Championship no call, and/or Goodell's response (or lack of). Seemed like a natural to me.