The Diary of Anne Frank
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Movie Reviews of The Diary of Anne Frank
Movie Review: The Diary of Anne Frank
Summary: 5 Stars
Excellent portrail of what went on during the holocaust, when in hiding.Movie Review: Heartbreaking story brought to the screen
Summary: 4 Stars
"The Diary of Anne Frank" was given the big-budget treatment in the late 50s and brought to the screen by George Stevens, who had directed such classics as "Giant" and "A Place In The Sun." Stevens wanted to emphasize the cramped quarters of the tiny attic where Anne and seven of her family members and friends hid for two years from the Nazis. The studio insisted that the film be made in Cinemscope, the new widescreen process and despite this setback, Stevens did manage to convey a sense of claustrophobia by utilizing clever set design and camera angles. The film won an Oscar for set design. A nationwide search for an unknown actress to portray Anne Frank resulted in the casting of a young model named Millie Perkins. While some critics felt that Perkins was too old to play the 13 year old Anne, I think she does a good job here and doesn't really look too old for the part at all. Her voice is a tad shrill in the voice-over monologues but otherwise she is fine. Shelley Winters won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her work as Mrs. Van Daan and Joseph Schildkraut is also memorable as Otto Frank, Anne's father.
The only major fault with the film is its length - at 170 minutes, it is sometimes slow moving. The best sequences are the ones in which the safety of the families are threatened. These sequences are extremely well done and will have you on the edge of your seat in suspense.
Fox has done a good job with the care and resoration of this film for dvd. The picture is presented in its original widescreen format and is sharp and detailed with good contrasts between black and white. Alfred Newman's complete 7 minute overture to the film is also included here.
The supplements on side two of the dvd are fantastic. A 90 minute documentary features interviews with Shelley Winters, Millie Perkins, George Stevens Jr., as well as Holocaust historians and family and friends of the Frank family. This documentary is excellent, in some ways as interesting as the film itself, and answers many questions that you may have after seeing the film. The documentary also shows how parts of the films were sanitized for the 50s audiences. Other features includes Academy Awards footage, film premiere footage, stills gallery, Millie Perkins screen test and a feature on the career of director George Stevens.
Movie Review: POIGNANT TEAR JERKER IN STUNNING TRANSFER
Summary: 4 Stars
"The Diary of Anne Frank" is based on the tragic best selling diary of a young girl's real life account of her secret existence under Nazi persecution. After the war breaks out, Anne's prudent father, Otto (Joseph Schildkraut) whisks the family underground to avoid being sent to a concentration camp. Together with another family, the Franks attempt to wait out the prospect of being discovered in a cramped attic adjacent a factory run by the resistance. Anne (Millie Perkins) endures the hardship, danger and sadness of World War II, but never without hope and astonishment for a better tomorrow. Petronella (Shelly Winters) and Hans van Daan (Lou Jacobi) are also in hiding with the Franks and their son, Peter (Richard Beymer). But the bond of loyalty that develops between Peter and Anne is threatened by Hans' greed and distemper.
Despite being forced by Fox to shoot his film in the widescreen process of Cinemascope, director George Stevens nevertheless managed to capture the claustrophobic atmosphere of a regime slowly closing in on the Frank's precarious abode. Stevens, a member of the first American film corps that liberated several Nazi concentration camps with the allies, was appalled by the overwhelming scope of genocide he encountered. His outrage is channeled on this occasion into a poignant, visceral and emotionally stirring production that not only manages to capture the essence of the period, but rightfully preserves the memory of Anne Frank; a young girl, aged well beyond her years, who had the clairvoyance to put onto paper one of the most heartbreaking and genuine accounts of the second world war.
Fox gives us a stunning B&W anamorphic picture with zero film grain, solid blacks, fine detail and remarkable clarity. Really, there's nothing to complain about in this visual presentation. The audio is equally impressive. The musical score is spread across all five channels and offers a genuinely moving experience.
The extras include a 90 minute documentary on the real Anne Frank, the film and WWII, some period featurettes and the original theatrical trailer.
Movie Review: Sensitive Movie on the short life of a Holocaust victim
Summary: 4 Stars
Movie is almost all filmed in one building, the factory where the Jewish family hides for two years. The set closely resembles the actual building located in Amsterdam right off the Amstel River - and the book shelf that they hide behind.
It centers around the dreams and aspirations of a young girl who has to be taken from her home, her school and friends to hide while others are being hauled off to concentration camps. The family is joined by another family plus a dentist and the 8 people plus a cat all live in the small 5-6 rooms in an annex above a factory that Mr. Frank owns. They suffer through the stresses of maintaining quiet throughout the work day so no one below will hear them, through the sounds of sirens, always thinking they have been found out, through the worry of not getting food from the only four people who know where they are hidden, and through the stress of living too close together with no place to escape the arguing and problems of a young girl trying to grow up.
Very good film and well-acted. Burt Reynolds in NOT in this film, although. Don't know why he is listed here as an actor.
Movie Review: Gorgeous New Transfer
Summary: 4 Stars
For those of you who may be reluctant to buy this because of the specifications listed on the back of the box, let me set your mind at ease. While the box states Widescreen format (Aspect Ratio 2.35:1), it is actually anamorphically (16x9) enhanced. And even though it states English stereo, it is actually dolby digital 4.0 There is no English mono or Spanish and French language tracks. And the commentary track includes Millie Perkins even though she's not listed. The movie looks beautiful and sounds great!