the rise and fall of the third reich

i've seen two films recently which act as interesting bookends to the rise and fall of Adolph Hitler and the German Third Reich:

Max takes place in 1918, and is the story of an art gallery owner (played by John Cusack) who befriends a struggling young artist named Adolf Hitler. Max encourages young Hitler to channel his raw emotion into his art, while destiny, as we see, has him channel it elsewhere. Although the particulars of the story are fictional, the depiction of the young tyrant has strong roots in history, and the insights into his beliefs (and particularly, his understanding of art as propaganda) are as interesting as they are astonishing.

Fast-forward 25 years: Downfall takes us into Hitler's bunker during the brutal last days of the Third Reich. Seen through the eyes of his secretary Traudi Junge, optimism crumbles into grim realization and terror as it becomes clear that Germany's defeat is inevitable. As the Russian army circles the city, the dimly lit halls of the underground refuge become an execution chamber for the Führer and his closest advisors.

Controversial films? Absolutely. Worth viewing? I think so.