It's ironic that a statement about Sigmund Freud opens up the paths of friendship for a young Jewish teenager and a Christian teen in the early days of Nazi Germany which will end with the sudden departure of the young Christien Anholt as threats arise which makes his safety at risk. "Funny, you don't look Jewish", a young German socialite tells him, then understanding why he hasn't joined the Hitler youth. He's perplexed, especially when his friend tells him that his anti-Semitic mother has badmouthed him, the hurt of the rejection of the only friend he has ever known truly impacting him.
The part of the film that takes place in Nazi Germany surrounds the reunion of the two friends, starting with Jason Robards as the older Jewish man now living in New York visiting Germany in the present day, and seeing sites he hasn't seen since he was a teenager. The film utilizes newsreel footage of Germany during the 1930's, showing both the cultural and political climates, and there are also some visits to the countryside where they talk about how beautiful it is, and indeed, outside of the city where the Nazis are dominant, it is.
Another memorable segment has the two young men in a beer garden that is reminiscent of the scene in "Cabaret" where a Hitler youth sings "Tomorrow Belongs to Me". Scenes in their classroom are quite scary with the Nazi propaganda spilled with vile hatred. Through the performances of Anholt as the young Robards and Samuel West as his friend, you really get to see the buildup of a nation and continent filled with horrors. A few scenes had me shaking. This definitely deserves to be seen for the perspective it gives, and definitely as one of the best modern films about the personal side of the war, one that most people have never heard of.
The part of the film that takes place in Nazi Germany surrounds the reunion of the two friends, starting with Jason Robards as the older Jewish man now living in New York visiting Germany in the present day, and seeing sites he hasn't seen since he was a teenager. The film utilizes newsreel footage of Germany during the 1930's, showing both the cultural and political climates, and there are also some visits to the countryside where they talk about how beautiful it is, and indeed, outside of the city where the Nazis are dominant, it is.
Another memorable segment has the two young men in a beer garden that is reminiscent of the scene in "Cabaret" where a Hitler youth sings "Tomorrow Belongs to Me". Scenes in their classroom are quite scary with the Nazi propaganda spilled with vile hatred. Through the performances of Anholt as the young Robards and Samuel West as his friend, you really get to see the buildup of a nation and continent filled with horrors. A few scenes had me shaking. This definitely deserves to be seen for the perspective it gives, and definitely as one of the best modern films about the personal side of the war, one that most people have never heard of.