Ulrich Matthes brings a gaunt, concentrated presence to historical drama without reducing its characters to collections of mannerisms. We rate his seriousness in Downfall, though the recurring wartime roles risk making a thoughtful actor's casting too predictable.
Fi1m perspective
In Downfall (2004), Ulrich Matthes gives us a reason to look beyond Bruno Ganz. His gaunt appearance and intense focus make Joseph Goebbels a figure worth studying, rather than simply recognising. We were unsettled by this company, with Matthes and Corinna Harfouch's Magda Goebbels giving weight to the different responses to defeat. Oliver Hirschbiegel gets a supporting performance that holds our attention even in such a crowded film. The limitation comes from Bernd Eichinger's screenplay, which follows so many people that sustaining that attention becomes difficult.
The path to that role was less confined to historical drama than the later casting might suggest. After establishing himself in theatre, Matthes became more visible in films through Wintersleepers (1997), playing the amnesiac projectionist René, and Feuerreiter (1998), as Baron Isaac von Sinclair. The turn came in 2004, when Downfall and The Ninth Day brought wider notice. In the latter he played Abbé Henri Kremer, a Dachau priest. That pairing matters: his severe presence could serve characters on opposite sides of persecution.
His later appearance as Lorenz Schwaninger in Terrence Malick's A Hidden Life (2019) continues the historical work. We recommend it warmly, but would not make Matthes the reason. August Diehl and Valerie Pachner carry the account of a farmer's resistance through the marriage it endangers. Malick's attention to that marriage makes the film deeply affecting, though he repeats a point we have already understood. It is a strong film in which to encounter Matthes, but Downfall gives us more to consider about his acting.
He has continued theatre alongside selective film and television appearances, while Munich – The Edge of War (2021) keeps the historical association close. The risk is typecasting: another wartime setting can make his presence seem predictable before he has done anything. The contrast between Goebbels and the priest in The Ninth Day argues against treating his severity as a shortcut to villainy. We would welcome that concentration in a setting without a war.
Biography
Ulrich Matthes is a German actor born on 9 May 1959 in West Berlin. He is best known for his portrayal of Joseph Goebbels in the 2004 film Downfall.
Matthes initially studied German and English before training as an actor in Berlin under Else Bongers in the early 1980s. His theatre work has included the Düsseldorf Schauspielhaus, the Bavarian State Theatre and, since the 2004/2005 season, the ensemble of the Deutsches Theater in Berlin.
Film roles include The Ninth Day (2004), Aimée & Jaguar (1999), A Hidden Life (2019) and Munich - The Edge of War (2021). He has also worked extensively as a voice actor. Awards include the Bavarian Film Award and recognition as Actor of the Year by Theater heute magazine.
