Holocaust related movies

[HPL2008]

"The Grey Zone" - already listed above by Carl - is an outstanding film, which I can fully recommend.

Needless to say - for all its deep humanity and moments of hope-against-hope and of inspiration - this is an intense, dark tragedy that goes straight for the viewer's heart and throat.

The title can be read in many ways, as most of the protagonists move in grey zones... Such as the doctor, who is somewhere between a victim and a collaborator and the men of the Sonderkommando who exist between life and death.
Also, many of the characters are confronted with difficult moral choices; dilemmas for which the film offers no easy answers to the viewer, either.
Visually supporting this, much of the imagery is also dominated by cold and depressing shades of grey, such as many a scene in the concrete rooms and hallways of the crematoria complex.

The film has an extraordinarily strong cast down to the smallest supporting roles, but the portrayal that impressed me most is Harvey Keitel's Oberscharführer Muhsfeldt.

This is not a one-dimensional movie psycho; here is a man who derives no pleasure from his work. In his long dialogues with the doctor, we learn that he suffers from permanent headaches, sleeplessness and nightmares and that he drinks way too much. (Indeed, he reaches for a glass of brandy or a hip flask in most of his scenes.) He clearly hates what he does... But, it is his duty and to this simple-minded, thick-necked, unintelligent type, that is all that matters. To refuse orders or to even attempt getting out of it all is, literally, unimaginable to him. And so he carries on with his murderous work. Without joy, but ever so efficient and reliable.

Ultimately, this is a much more powerful and believable portrayal than the all-too-often seen cartoon-villain/movie-psycho Nazis. It is also quite an accurate depiction of the men who made up the majority of the camp guards.

See: The Grey Zone (2001) - IMDb

[HPL2008]

I would also recommend "Uprising".

Made for HBO TV in 2011, the film is about the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, mostly told from the perspective of Mordechai Anielewicz (played by Hank Azaria) and Yitzhak Zuckerman (David Schwimmer).

It may not bee free of clichés, but this is another strong character-driven drama with an impressive cast of well-known character actors (including standout performances by Jon Voight and Donald Sutherland).

Surprisingly, the film even has several moments of humor... sometimes dark, sometimes touching, but never inappropriate or tasteless.

See: Uprising (TV Movie 2001) - IMDb

[Jerry B]

And the violins stopped playing is about the persecution of the Gypsies during WWII.

And the Violins Stopped Playing (Polish: ''I Skrzypce Przestaly Grac'') is a 1988 Polish/American historical drama film written produced and directed by Alexander Ramati and based upon his bio-novel about an actual group of Romani people who were forced to flee from the persecutions performed by the Nazi regime at the height of the Porajmos (Romani holocaust), during World War II.

And the Violins Stopped Playing - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[jimpy]

The TV mini-series "Holocaust" from the (?)1970's is a good one.
It was released on a 3 cassette video series and, basically, follows one particular Jewish family from before the start of WWII to the end of the war, through the ghettos and camps. (Starred a young Meryl Streep)

Well worth it if you can get a copy. And NO, my set is NOT for sale. LOL

Regards etc
Ian D

AKA: Jimpy

[daniel1234]

I agree with the holocaust tv series being a good series to watch.
Some parts of the movie the pianist also deal with the holocaust as well as Jewish uprisings in Poland.
There was another movie what I can't remember the name of where a young couple who are Jewish try to avoid being known as Jewish to avoid being sent to a camp.

[meyle77]

Pianist about Szpilman and Europa Europa.

[StefanM]

Defiance (2008)

Jewish brothers in Nazi-occupied Eastern Europe escape into the Belarussian forests, where they join Russian resistance fighters and endeavor to build a village in order to protect themselves and about 1,000 Jewish non-combatants.

This film stirred up a lot of controversy in Poland when it was releasded.

There is a pretty comprehensive list of Holocaust films listed on Wikipedia: Holocaust films

[CARL]

"The Grey Zone" - already listed above by Carl - is an outstanding film, which I can fully recommend.

Needless to say - for all its deep humanity and moments of hope-against-hope and of inspiration - this is an intense, dark tragedy that goes straight for the viewer's heart and throat.

The title can be read in many ways, as most of the protagonists move in grey zones... Such as the doctor, who is somewhere between a victim and a collaborator and the men of the Sonderkommando who exist between life and death.
Also, many of the characters are confronted with difficult moral choices; dilemmas for which the film offers no easy answers to the viewer, either.
Visually supporting this, much of the imagery is also dominated by cold and depressing shades of grey, such as many a scene in the concrete rooms and hallways of the crematoria complex.

The film has an extraordinarily strong cast down to the smallest supporting roles, but the portrayal that impressed me most is Harvey Keitel's Oberscharführer Muhsfeldt.

This is not a one-dimensional movie psycho; here is a man who derives no pleasure from his work. In his long dialogues with the doctor, we learn that he suffers from permanent headaches, sleeplessness and nightmares and that he drinks way too much. (Indeed, he reaches for a glass of brandy or a hip flask in most of his scenes.) He clearly hates what he does... But, it is his duty and to this simple-minded, thick-necked, unintelligent type, that is all that matters. To refuse orders or to even attempt getting out of it all is, literally, unimaginable to him. And so he carries on with his murderous work. Without joy, but ever so efficient and reliable.

Ultimately, this is a much more powerful and believable portrayal than the all-too-often seen cartoon-villain/movie-psycho Nazis. It is also quite an accurate depiction of the men who made up the majority of the camp guards.

See: The Grey Zone (2001) - IMDb

I agree, absolutely.

[macket]

I love that part when the jews and the gypsy's start to dance....great movie and fun to watch.

[StefanM]

Eichmann



"...Eichmann is a biographical film detailing the interrogation of Adolf Eichmann. Directed by Robert Young, the film stars Thomas Kretschmann as Eichmann and Troy Garity as Eichmann's Israeli interrogator, Avner Less."

Kretschmann's portrayal of Eichmann is utterly believable and cooly understated. There is a brilliant scene of Eichmann swapping food plates with his guards which captures his paranoia about being poisoned by his captors perfectly. Based on the interrogation transcripts definitely recommended viewing.