Divided We Fall
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Movie Reviews of Divided We Fall
Movie Review: An underrated, Oscar-nominated black comedy
Summary: 4 Stars
As an Oscar nominee for Foreign Films, this movie has been brushed aside by many critics. It is relatively unknown in comparison to the fanfare that tends to accompany an Oscar nominee these days. The fact that the movie came out one year after Life is Beautiful didn't help either. In a lot of people's mind, it must have been seen as an imitator, a movie riding on the wave of the much beloved La Vita e Bella.Divided We Fall is a very dark comedy telling a story about trust, betrayal and redemption. It does not try to mask the ugliness of human nature during a war. It draws laughs closer to uncomfortable grins, watching the characters get into very compromising situations. Every character is flawed in some ways, and although good triumphs in the end, we have to question if it is inherent in everyone.
Part of the social commentary that might be easily overlooked is the criticism towards the indifferent attitude of the Czech people towards separating the morally right from wrong. This has been frequently documented in books like Tina Rosenberg's "The Haunted Land". Amid Josef and Maria's kind souls, lie a backdrop of ignorance and indifference. People seem too easy too bend, too willing to trade in righteousness for comfort. Even Josef and Maria bicker, wavering in their belief that what they do is right.
Divided a Fall is film that truly deserves a viewing. It might not be the most touching or beautiful film you will ever see. It has its flaws, like the slow-motions that simply refuses to go away. In it, perhaps you will find the old saying that art mimics life. And the life you will find here is far from perfect. Instead you will find one full of compromises and makes you wonder if life is indeed so beautiful after all.
Movie Review: Heartbreaking AND funny at the same time
Summary: 4 Stars
Most films about the Nazis and the holocaust are unrelentingly depressing and hard to watch (although we need to). A few are ultimately uplifting. But this one is the only one I can think of that is both heartbreaking and funny at the same time. That's what puts it far above the rest.
The "moral" of the story -- that we must help each other survive through the hard times -- is never heavy handed, but it a natural extension of the situation the characters find themselves in. The ending is a treasure and one that doesn't feel contrived or unnatural.
The only fault I could find is that the first five minutes seem somewhat irrelevant, since I never could figure out for sure who the people were in the "pre war" clips. And it doesn't really matter. You can pick the film up when it reaches "the present" time of the action.
Movie Review: What a tangled web
Summary: 4 Stars
WHAT: WWII German occupation of Czechoslovakia; middle aged childless couple attempt to conceal Jewish man in their apartment; to avoid suspicion they pretend to be Nazi sympathizersWHY: Excellent performances from cast, but especially from husband Josef and former colleague Horst who is now his Nazi superior; tension and black comedy abound; wonderful irony, not too heavy handed; not as forced as "Life Is Beautiful"; ending is best part of a very good movie