Customer Reviews

The Bunker

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

"The Bunker" is rather interesting low budget horror flick which doesn't claim to be a break-through. It has a resemblance with such films as "Deathwatch", Korean "R-Point" and recent "Dead Birds". But here everything happens during WW2 to a bunch of German soldiers falling back through a Belgian forest trying to escape from advancing American troops. They come across a well-fortified bunker and seek shelter thinking they'll be safe there. But as it turnes out it'd be safer in American rangers' hands.
The story-line is rather standard with the necessary set of usual scares and chilling scenes. I guess you won't find anything new for yourself here. But it's a good, solid movie, and I think you won't be disappointed if you like this kind of flicks.
The only thing that annoyed me is that the characters spoke English. I know the film is British/American but people should speak their own language. They are German soldiers, they had to speak German! Producers had to take German actors and make subtitles. But maybe it's just me and you'll disagree :)
Another minus (however not regarding the movie itself) is the box-cover. It's simply stupid. I bought an edition in Germany and it has a fabulous cover (just check amazon.de or watch the image I added). Why did someone decide to ruin the region 1 box?

...All Unquiet Dead on the Western Front.

Front and center, men! Those of you locking and loading and planning to go into this mission with the expectation of killing undead Krauts---well think again! This is pure psychological warfare, do you get me? Alright! Those of you who want Nazi Zombies and the Living Dead crawling through gas-choked tunnels, step back from the line! Don't be ashamed, men!

Whew. Now that they're gone, let's talk about "Bunker", a taut, tightly shot, low-budget little slice of sheer wierd war-story grue set on the Belgian-German border in 1944. The once-reslient German front is crumbling in the face of the Allied onslaught, and a squad of elite German infantry take refuge in an anti-tank bunker, abandoned but for two German privates, one young and terrified, the other the old and half-crazed Private Mirus (played by John Carlisle, who gives the film half its heft with his grisly demeanor and gravelly delivery). The tattered squad is besieged---at first by the imagined American platoon outside the bunker, but increasingly by their own guilt and the voices, echoes, and phantoms within the rotting, creaking bunker itself.

I think it's important to point out that "Bunker" is not a goopy, gory zombie-fest---if you're looking for that, look elsewhere. This is an intricate, involved, often quiet but intensely gratifying horrific pyschological tale of dread and horror and the particular hell that soldiers in the field of battle go through. The Bunker itself has its own history, built on the site of a mass grave of those slaughtered during the Black Death. The bunker is for the moment secure, but the German soldiers know they're surrounded---perhaps the tunnels beneath the structure might have ammunition, or a way out?

I have to confess, I loved the "Bunker" because I have always been hooked on weird war stories---particularly ghoulish tales of World War II. "Bunker" takes that vibe, sinks its fangs into it, and never lets up, so I was hooked from the moment Oberleutnant Heydrich (played rippingly by Chris Fairbank, a veteran actor who was in "Aliens 3") forced his way into the bunker. And that's not the only military-regulation acting in this pup-tent: Jason Flemying (the coachman from "From Hell" and Hyde from "League of Extraordinary Gentlemen) excels in his role as Corporal Bauman, fearful of the advancing Enemy, outflanked by the Enemy within; John Carlisle is a one-man show of cheek-writhing terror..

Half the deliciousness in "Bunker" is the fear and loathing concentrated on the tunnels below the bunker: director Rob Green goes heavy on tension and amps up the atmosphere when the squad goes below-ground. For a low-budget flick, the film is amazing well shot, and cinematographer John Pardue treats viewers to a series of claustrophobic tights shots, smooth editing, and delicious, dream-like flashbacks, all culminating in a harrowing finale. This is one of the most professionally, gorgeously shot low-budget films I have ever seen, and the savvy with which Pardue and Green guide the film adds immeasurably to its intensity and terror.

"Bunker" isn't a zombie film; far from it. The movie succeeds in its gripping, creepy, entirely spooky portrayal of the horrors of war, in the mind, in the flesh, and in the heart; those who savor the quiet terrors of David Twohy's "Below" will relish the understated horrors of "Bunker". War is Hell---indeed.

Why the negative reviews? Two reasons.

First, the cover makes it look like a zombie movie, but it's not, so people are majorly upset when it's not what they expected. Blame that on some brainless executive who took over when the brilliant filmmakers were desperate to get their unique movie distributed. But don't pass it up if you like suspense - there are indeed people getting killed by who-knows-who/what.

Second, it's low budget as heck. That means inaccurate uniforms and markings (though most people wouldn't know) and whatever british actors were good and close by. Americans make movies all the time with people speaking with American accents (yes there is such a thing) playing characters of other countries. Being british actors doing the same, it sticks out like a fire hydrant to American audiences. It may be a bad thing to do with a movie, but this one isn't nearly as bad as it seems.

What this movie does have is good acting (from most anyway) and a variety of unique characters. Each one represents some possible type of person that could have been in the German army during the war. They range from smart to crazy, aggressive to pacifist. It is not expected that a random handful of people would have such an even variety (only one of the characters would be close to an average person), but that's part of what makes this movie interesting - you see the interaction of so many character types.

You also get to see things from the main character's point of view. Not literally all in first person, but through good directing. A couple of scenes are cleverly arranged to have more than one interpretation when seen alone, making a character's incorrect interpretation seem more plausible, even though the audience knows what is going on. The movie starts out uncertain, and becomes more clear at the end with a what I think is a stunningly brilliant shot that really sums up the theme of the movie if you know what is going on.

WW2 history has always fascinated me. I am an avid horror fan and the combination of war and horror seemed pretty cool. In my opinion this film is enjoyable to watch. It is spooky, the cast is top-notch and the overall feel the director gave the film gave me a very claustrophobic sensation. I felt uncomfortable durring the scenes of cast hysteria. The sets were tight, dimly lit and each actor gave a very realistic job portraying scarred, frantic and overzealous soldiers. There was no gore in it. This film is basically a pschological thriller. Leave it up to the imagination type of film. My one quam with this is that the soldiers portrayed are germans. The actors casted are all British. Mix British actors portraying hard core German soldiers you get a German soldier with a British ascent.

After reading the synopsis and quite a few reviews I thought The Bunker sounded like a refreshingly different horror flick. I haven't seen a war horror film yet to date and was excited to see what it had to offer. Unfortunately it didn't have too much.

The film is centered around a bunker that is inhabited by an elderly man and a young soldier. As they stand guard inside they hear a knock on the door to find a few soldiers looking for refuge from an enemy attack. Once inside they bigin to learn of underground area that they are warned to steer clear from. The elderly man explains that strange events have taken place down there. From this pointg the film did have a creepy vibe due to the atmosphere which I really enjoyed. The only downside was the story moved a bit slower then I was expecting and never really picked up. I think I was expecting more of a zombie type flick then a psychological thriller. Even at a psychological thriller it didn't have much impact. Overall I would say that this was definately not worth the purchase. It wasn't a complete waste but was definately less then what I expected.

"The Bunker" is a horror film which tries, and mostly succeeds, to be more complex, more "meaningful," than most mainstream horror films. That's not to say it's pretentious (it's not). Nor is it to say there is anything wrong with mainstream horror that is simply trying to entertain (there's not); but "The Bunker" is more theme-driven than most horror flicks. Other Amazon reviewers have already talked about the diverse characterizations, which are excellent for the most part, so I won't repeat those comments. Nor will I spoil the plot for those who haven't seen it. Suffice it to say that, among other things, the characters all inform the film's study of human conscience and guilt. To further this purpose, the war is treated not as a mere setting, but also drives the characters and the thematic development: The past seems to literally haunt the soldiers. The bunker itself thus becomes a classic haunted house setting, and is used very effectively to create that visceral sense of "scariness" we horror fans love. Also, though, the bunker setting could easily be read as an externalization of interior horror -- a defining characteristic of classical gothic horror. In addition, the film is very successful at evoking a sense of supernatural foreboding, but the viewer can't really be sure whether anything supernatural is actually happening at any given moment. In this sense, "The Bunker" reminds me of some of Val Lewton's excellent RKO horror pics from the 1940's ("Cat People," "I Walked With a Zombie," et al).

I agree with other reviewers that "The Bunker's" low budget is sometimes apparent, but this point is irrelevant to the film's quality. Lewton's films show their low budgets too. So does Carpenter's "Halloween." But this fact doesn't make them any less effective. Bottom line: "The Bunker" is a creepy, effective, if somewhat imperfect horror flick. (I could only name two or three prefect horror films anyway.)

THE BUNKER is about a group of WWII German soldiers who take refuge from advancing Allied troops in a bunker haunted by their own personal demons of war. It's an ultimate example of bad karma, with victims of war crimes coming back around to victimize their killers--hence "The dead don't pick sides." I guess you could say that these soldiers should have just taken their chances and surrendered to the Allies!

I liked THE BUNKER, although I admit that not everyone will enjoy this one. It's a little more pensive, with far less obvious interpretations of events and meanings. For example, I'm not sure how much is going on in the minds of a few demented soldiers and what's really happening on a true supernatural level. However, I think the not knowing for sure and the multiple interpretive levels are part of the charm here. Since we get a number of soldier perspectives, rather than what is always one objective view, who knows? It could be either, both, or any way you chose to analyze it, I suppose. In any case, who cares? It's a war/horror movie, after all.

THE BUNKER is also surprisingly well-acted. There's also British accents abound! The word "bloody" (although literally appropriate for this movie) is used by a German soldier, while Germans would not use it, of course. I admit that was momentarily distracting on a language level. However again, I do excuse such movies about soldier ghosts, zombies, etc., from most such things, for obvious reasons. Besides, it wouldn't be the first time I've watched an otherwise good German war movie in English.

This movie is also not as heavy on the blood and gore as some others in the genre I've seen, such as OUTPOST. So, all you gore hounds out there may have to look elsewhere on that level alone. As I suggested earlier, it's really more of a psychological, thinking man's war/zombie movie, if you will. There are horribly-burned soldiers fighting to the point of unbelievable stamina, a soldier being stabbed by an unseen something or somebody, and more than one example of demonic possession (or just simple insanity).

As you might have already guessed, I am quite partial (and at times even a bit biased) towards war/horror movies. Some will obviously consider this one total trash (or rubbish, as the British would say), so be warned in advance. It's about how much you enjoy watching a war/horror movie, while having the freedom to draw your own insightful conclusions from multiple perspectives. Or, maybe it's just about how much of a cinematic gore hound you are. From here, I'll let you decide for yourself.

As I said in my OUTPOST review, be sure to watch THE BUNKER, just don't take refuge there!

I throughly enjoyed watching this movie. It give a little twist on horror films being produced today. It was set back in Germany about a haunted bunker during war time. Very scarey and the atmospheric effects were great for a B horror flick. But, I am a B horror fan that loves a good twist once in a while. I highly recommend this film to all horror fans!!!

This movies recieved a lot a low ratings... and understandably so considering what people's expectations have been.

Keep in mind, this is not a war movie and this is not a monster movie.

What it is though, is a low budget movie. And to me, that's a good thing. It means you don't have some Hollywood techie butchering the movie by replacing prosthetics and squibs with CG graphics and special effects.

You have to take that with it's downsides however... it's shot in England with British actors along with their accents... they don't have the money to go all over Europe to get actors for their movie.

This film most reminds me of Day of the Dead, where people are being housed in a military facility and start going crazy because they're being attacked by something they don't understand and start killing each other.

The most memorable part of this movie is when one of the soldiers takes a shot in the face from a flare gun... if for no other reason, see this movie for that. I've seen plenty of flare gun and napalm special effect in real war movies, but I've yet to see another one so well orchestrated.

Watch this movie because it's a low budget film... and not because of any other preconceptions you have. I'll admit, it's not my favorite movie of all time... but this is definitely one of those things you should try before you say you don't like it.

Have you ever put a puzzle together, only to discover that a couple of pieces are missing in the end? It's a bummer, right? You can still see the puzzle image with a good understanding of exactly what it is depicting, but it's still incomplete, and you're left feeling frustrated. That's basically the way I feel about The Bunker. I know what the film is trying to express, and I even understand the story, but I can't get past the missing pieces that would have made the story much more effective. Maybe I shouldn't have started watching it at 3 AM, but I just didn't feel that The Bunker made complete sense toward the end, as it never really threshes out some of its characters and ideas.

The pieces seemed to be in place for a pretty creepy film. It's 1944, and you've got a ragtag group of German army survivors holed up in an anti-tank bunker, with - presumably - American forces all around them and a mysterious, unfinished tunnel system below. Into this mix you also have some disaffection among the troops and some important questions as to what really happened out in the field just before these guys retreated into the bunker. Trapped between an enemy without and an enemy within, the viewer is basically poised to find out just what or who will get to these desperate soldiers first. The fact that two of these soldiers are an old man with a habit of getting things mixed up and a young teenager eager to prove himself just makes things more interesting. As for those tunnels beneath the bunker, all we know is that they were never finished and that there's something decidedly not good about them. The old man tells the story of how a large number of bubonic plague victims were rounded up, slaughtered, and buried there on what then became cursed ground.

Naturally, someone disobeys orders and heads down there, and it's not long before the others are down there seeing what they can find. Soon enough, things start to get really weird. The men hear strange voices, get separated, and begin to lose it - especially one really gung ho soldier. Some of them think the Americans are already in the tunnels and are trying to screw with their minds, while others fear they are being punished by the dead for their sins - for reasons that are gradually revealed in a series of flashbacks to the events immediately preceding their retreat into the bunker. Of course, the dark souls of those once slaughtered there also can't be ignored completely.

With so much going for it, though, the film just sort of fizzles in the final half hour, leaving the viewer with something that barely manages to rise above the level of a bunch of guys wandering through some creepy tunnels. With all of the hard work that went into the film, especially in terms of generating the creepy, claustrophobic atmosphere, you expect a much bigger payoff that you actually get.

This was not a big-budget film, and it is sort of strange for a bunch of German soldiers to speak English with the queen's accent (but much stranger to see a seemingly random mix of English and German signs displayed at different times), but these issues could have been overcome by a really effective storyline. Unfortunately, though, The Bunker just doesn't deliver the goods in the end. It's a good try, though, and is certainly worth watching by anyone with an interest in psychological horror.