Amen
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Movie Reviews of Amen
Movie Review: An altogether new examination of the Nazi madness
Summary: 5 Stars
The Holocaust may be one of the more frequent topics in literature and film due to the incrediblity of the Final Solution to free the world of Jews, mentally retarded people, gypsies, homosexuals, and anyone else who fell out of favor with Hitler's grotesque vision of the German World. Because the subject matter is so heinous in nature, so loaded in history, and so prone to polarize audiences, what we have seen before this film AMEN is the horror of the fate of the Jews in graphic detail (The Pianist, Schindler's List, The Grey Zone, Bent, Paragraph 175, to name but a few). What Costa-Gavras has done is show us all of the same information, but from the stance of an SS officer who found the Final Solution appalling and fought to have it stopped. When his own efforts to quell the production of the killer gas crystals do not work, he seeks help from the Vatican. But as history has shown us Pope Pius XII failed the world, fearing more for the threat on the Vatican. The cold reception by the American envoys, concerned about battles to be won, support of Stalin and other allies, etc, even suggesting that the US did not want to accept large numbers of Jews as refugees as they would create an anti-Semitic problem for the US! No one escapes Costa-Gavras scathing eye with the exception of a priest within the Vatican who as a last resort places a yellow star of David on his cassock and is gassed with his fellow men, the Jews. The SS officer formally charges the Nazi regime in the language of the Italians, the French, the German people, and the Americans and for this act of bravery his is incarcerated.How much is fact and how much is story telling really makes little difference in this brilliant film. AMEN makes the world take responsibility for the Holocaust and only when we can accept the entire gamut of this horrid mark on history can we be ready to take action to protect against its recurrence.
Many complaints have been made against the "dubbing" of the dialogue. In the DVD version the characters all speak in English and only infrequently is their another language spoken. The film is a must see for everyone and it is a first class film by any standards.
Movie Review: Unholy Alliance
Summary: 5 Stars
Finally, a movie that dares to expose the ties between the Vatican and the Nazi's. While the movie does not expose some of the darker ties--it still goes into areas where others seem to fear to tread. Basically, the movie involves SS Lt Gerstein (erroneously identified as a devout Catholic in another review) and Father Riccardo as they join forces to expose the Nazi evils and attempt to get the Pope to make a stand against the genocide of the Jews. Each man suffers for the stand they choose, though the Fathers course is rather mind boggling-not for it's sentiment but for it's purpose.
Devout Catholics may not enjoy this movie--as humans we tend to favor our beliefs over the truth--just as the coldness of the American representative is not what we Americans want to believe-that after the war we'll resolve the holocaust problem.
In fairness, the German Protestants are not shown in any better light than the Vatican.
All in all an excellent movie--and if my review seems anti-Catholic it is not meant to. In the aftermath of World War 2 there is plenty of shame to spread around-even 60 years later-but this movie is to be lauded for exposing corruption in high places.
For those interested in reality,this is an excellent movie
Movie Review: Thank heaven, for little people.
Summary: 5 Stars
"Amen" certainly ranks with the triad of WWII epics in recent years,"Schindler's List," "Saving Private Ryan," and "Life Is Beautiful." It is not that the film has less bang than its distinguished companions, it still has lasting reverberation. Its sweep is wider than the others, yet the brushstroke of a master storyteller stays meticulously detailed. Its heroes come out of the background quietly, yet with considerable fervor; one from the opulent, spiritual citadel, the other right from the jackals of hideousness. With building suspense the ultimate horror is that the film cannot answer: why did the Vatican aid the Nazi criminals and not the Jews? The telling of this drama has no false note,balancing respect for the Holy See and a paucity of humanity(skepticism)in the SS ranks. For once, there were good Germans, but bad earthly representatives of Christ. Where "Life Is Beautiful" lifts into transcendent philosophy, "Amen" hurls the wine of hypocrisy into the Papal leadership with sobering justification.Movie Review: no blackmail
Summary: 5 Stars
Generally, movies on nazi are stereotyped and promotes the Industry of Holocaust (see Norman Finkelstein books). This is no the typical movie where jews are the only group who was killed in prejudice of communist, gypsies, and others. We can see here how the states negotiate above their own principles without any remorse of the institutions they rule, id est, The Vatican. The end of the movie is very clear, a catholicpriest agrees the flee of a top nazi boss to Argentina.
It's an homage to those who fighted nazism not with words, with facts, as padre Riccardo did when he dies gassed in a gas chamber.
It's an hommage to those german who fought and did what they could against this brutal genocide inside the Wehrmacht and SS.
Movie Review: Far Better Than the Courses Taught In College...
Summary: 5 Stars
If a test where given after viewing this informative, provocative and true story, this film might receive acreditation for College Credit!
I wouldn't add another summary of the story to the long list already published because of the quality and depth of my fellow reviewers descriptions.
Growing up in a Jewish Home, the film's subject was well known to me; but I needed the visuals for my mind to acknowledge acceptance and understanding.
This film will be scheduled for a viewing at an upcoming get-together of our Thursday Afternoon Fine Arts League.