Buzzer

I watched this film last night, OMG

For those that haven't seen it, it is a must!

It's a true story about a young jewish bloke who is in Poland in WWII. It portrays his life during the war and how he came to terms with the victimisation and persecution of the jews in Poland. Directed by Roman Polanski

It had a profound effect on me and i'm still thinking about it now. It's not for people who dont want to see the harrowing parts of what happened to the jews but it did make compelling viewing.

Top marks all round and i'm sure peeps would really find it interesting if not a little sad

Anyway if you haven't seen it then please do so, you wont regret it

Markus

Wasn't sure on it when I heard about it, but watched it and have to agree it's a very good film.

I personally think it ranks up ther with Schindlers List and The Grey Zone, if one can rank a film about such topics.

Buzzer

Markus

I haven't seen the Grey Zone, is this on general release ie DVD. I agree Schindlers list was an amazing film although did get a bit drawn out.

The Pianist seem to cram a lot more in given that it was just over 2hrs long.

I just couldn't believe my eyes when the young jewish woman asked the German Officer where they were going

Markus

looks like it was released in the US in 2003. amazon uk lists it here as a R1 disc, so guess it's not had a release in the UK yet, so guess you could get it on ammy or dvd box office

It's about the Sonderkomando, Jews who are forced to work in the crematoria of Auschwitz against their fellow Jews, and their revolt against the ***** by blowing up the crematoria.

Buzzer

cheers Markus

I shall make some enquiries

paulr

good film,drags a bit after a while.i wouldnt watch it if you are german though,paints a really bad picture of the SS.

Buzzer

I know what you are saying Paul but i dont know how you could paint a good picture of the SS

Harry_Boy

Is there a good picture of the SS??

Danny B

Saw this a few months back, very disturbing film to watch, Life was cheap..

Markus

This is going to sound evil, but it's something I've always wondered about. Did they really, honestly, believe that hitler was not capable of just liquidating an entire population?

First they make you wear a star of david, thus 'exposing' you to the populace, then they ship you off to a gheto, and use you as forced labour. Maybe I'm warped, but to me it'd either stay like that forever, or the next logical step would be to remove them from the equation, as at some point a revolt would occur.

Buzzer

Exactly Markus, you've hit the nail on the head with that one

I think the underlying message of that film was that ALL the Germans stationed or living in Poland were all well aware of what was going on and therefore guilty by association.

It was crazy but the jewish population prior to the shipping out to Treblinka, must not of known that the writing was on the wall. However i can partly understand that without the bat of an eyelid a German could just wipe one of them out coupled with Years of being subjected to starvation, beatings and "arrests" had to of taken its toll on morale and sanity.

The grim reality i suppose was that they just believed that humans couldn't do that to other humans and that there was "light" at the end of the tunnel for them, after all things couldn't get worse, could they ?

As you say, the realisation took place too late

Markus

As was said by people in Schindlers list, round the fire, when the "stories" were being told, "They won't kill us, why would they kill us, we're their workforce! It makes no sense"

This is somewhat true, the Germans had a nearly limitless workforce, and one assumes they could have kept them ensalved, but of course, the Allies were attacking them, so they probably knew this enslavement could not really continue, someone would put the boot in and stop it.

Shame it happened too late. Question is this, did the Allies know what was happening? one would have thought there were recon planes flying all over Germany, and seeing a forced labour camp with huge chimneys, plus daily new arrivals must have caused someone, somewhere to think about what it might mean.

It is dreadful to think this can happen, but look at rawanda (sp) to see that it still ocurrs, even in these so called 'enlightened' times.

As for holocaust deniers, hmm, I cannot really see how they can actually believe that this did not happen, just look at the shoa foundation stories, so many people saying the exact same things, hmm, mass hallucination? I think not.

NotoriousREV

Buzzer, are you a girl?

Buzzer

You've lost me with that one Dave

lem0ncurd

Funny, I watched the same film last night too, and it had the same impact. What bothers me is that something so terrible happened so recently and yet it has almost been forgotten. It's shameful that people are allowed to forget, people should be reminded in some way, it's too important to be allowed to fade away into history.

What I will never understand, is how an entire population can just sit back and watch whilst millions were being murdered in front of their eyes. I don't believe that the whole German race could have been filled with such hatred towards the 'ethnic minorities'. You just can't even begin to imagine it???

I still find the whole thing hard to accept, how was it ever allowed to happen!??

LC

paulr

No,but there are levels.When that disabled guy was thrown out the window,prisoners shot as a "birthday treat" etc you dont dislike the SS,you absolutely hate them.

(of course,its only a film though.)

paulr

I dont think they were fully aware.
Say for example in a years time it emerges that the prisoners in Guantanamo bay have been tortured and mistreated,what could we have done about it?

lem0ncurd

Yes, but that's hardly the same is it? This was happening in full view, in front of people's noses and they sat back and allowed it to happen. Imagine if the police in England just started throwing people out of windows and killing indiscriminately!?? There'd be a national uprising!

LC

paulr

Only if they were small,cute and furry.

lem0ncurd

Eh??