The Grey Zone
summary (no real spoilers)
The story tells of a group of Jews in a German destruction camp (Birkenau) which is responsible for guiding their fellow-jews right into the gaschambers and the disposal of their bodies. In return the Nazis give them a socalled better treatment and they receive things like alcohol and sheets and better food. Each of them copes with his own feeling of guilt that they lead their own people into the gaschamber in return for some vodka. While one man is planning an escape, another is thinking of how to commit suicide, because he can't imagine a life after the gruesome acts he has comitted. Of the Thirteen SonderKommand groups in charge of those duties, the twelfth group is planning an uprising, not to escape, but to destry as much of the camp as possible, before they are destroyed themselves. but with the limited means they have, this turns out to be quite difficult.
My opinion:
I just finished watching this movie two minutes ago and I still feel a bit sick to my stomach. i watched it with two friends and normally when the credits begin to roll we immediately ask each other ''and?'' or ''what did you think of it?''. This time we just shut up.I didn't really know what to say. Was this a good movie? I think it was, but it is difficult to say when youre food wants to come out from the wrong direction.
Off course, this movie was meant to 'shock people', or at least show some truth, director Tim Blake Nelson first made this piece as a Broadway Play. And film gives the opportunity to bring forward different aspects of such a tragedy and it has more visual possibilities.
This film is dramatic, the acting is sufficient, but only Harvey Keitel splashes of the screen as a drinking Nazi Oberschaufuhrer. Steve Buscemi never plays a bad role, and neither does so in this movie. David Arquette, which I only saw in scream and some other movie wasn't bad at all (which I expected him to be). And the supporting roles where fine too.
Music cool have been better though and cinematography too, in my opinion the photography was a bit simple.
But all this doesn't really matter because the message this movies carries comes out anyway. perhaps with a dramatic score, they considered it to get too emotional. I don't know, but it's fine as it is.
in a nutshell, this is a very dramatic and horrifying movie which shows the troubles of a small group of the jews in the camp and especially their guilt for what they are doing. it all seems quite realistic and a small note: This is not a feel good movie.
Other titles:
NUREMBERG: even with alec baldwin this is a very dramatic picture especially in the middle where you get too see original bergen belsen shots which are really horrific.
Schindlers List: a must see, no explanation needed.
Empire of the sun: japanese camp, very different in comparison to other camp movies we're used to see, but still a good Spielberg movie with John malkovich.
La vita e bella: Academy award winning italian movie about a camp in the second world war. Don't let the italian language fool you. I don't speak italian either, but this movie is a must see. first half is almost comedy and second half (in the camp) is very dramtic. about a father who tries to save his son from the cruelties inside their camp by telling him al kinds of stories and giving him other explanations about everything that is happening.
Bridge on the river Kwai: a bit older, but still a very good movie, with alec guiness. about a group of prisoners being held by the japanese to build a bridge, which is a enormous fysical 'challenge'.
summary (no real spoilers)
The story tells of a group of Jews in a German destruction camp (Birkenau) which is responsible for guiding their fellow-jews right into the gaschambers and the disposal of their bodies. In return the Nazis give them a socalled better treatment and they receive things like alcohol and sheets and better food. Each of them copes with his own feeling of guilt that they lead their own people into the gaschamber in return for some vodka. While one man is planning an escape, another is thinking of how to commit suicide, because he can't imagine a life after the gruesome acts he has comitted. Of the Thirteen SonderKommand groups in charge of those duties, the twelfth group is planning an uprising, not to escape, but to destry as much of the camp as possible, before they are destroyed themselves. but with the limited means they have, this turns out to be quite difficult.
My opinion:
I just finished watching this movie two minutes ago and I still feel a bit sick to my stomach. i watched it with two friends and normally when the credits begin to roll we immediately ask each other ''and?'' or ''what did you think of it?''. This time we just shut up.I didn't really know what to say. Was this a good movie? I think it was, but it is difficult to say when youre food wants to come out from the wrong direction.
Off course, this movie was meant to 'shock people', or at least show some truth, director Tim Blake Nelson first made this piece as a Broadway Play. And film gives the opportunity to bring forward different aspects of such a tragedy and it has more visual possibilities.
This film is dramatic, the acting is sufficient, but only Harvey Keitel splashes of the screen as a drinking Nazi Oberschaufuhrer. Steve Buscemi never plays a bad role, and neither does so in this movie. David Arquette, which I only saw in scream and some other movie wasn't bad at all (which I expected him to be). And the supporting roles where fine too.
Music cool have been better though and cinematography too, in my opinion the photography was a bit simple.
But all this doesn't really matter because the message this movies carries comes out anyway. perhaps with a dramatic score, they considered it to get too emotional. I don't know, but it's fine as it is.
in a nutshell, this is a very dramatic and horrifying movie which shows the troubles of a small group of the jews in the camp and especially their guilt for what they are doing. it all seems quite realistic and a small note: This is not a feel good movie.
Other titles:
NUREMBERG: even with alec baldwin this is a very dramatic picture especially in the middle where you get too see original bergen belsen shots which are really horrific.
Schindlers List: a must see, no explanation needed.
Empire of the sun: japanese camp, very different in comparison to other camp movies we're used to see, but still a good Spielberg movie with John malkovich.
La vita e bella: Academy award winning italian movie about a camp in the second world war. Don't let the italian language fool you. I don't speak italian either, but this movie is a must see. first half is almost comedy and second half (in the camp) is very dramtic. about a father who tries to save his son from the cruelties inside their camp by telling him al kinds of stories and giving him other explanations about everything that is happening.
Bridge on the river Kwai: a bit older, but still a very good movie, with alec guiness. about a group of prisoners being held by the japanese to build a bridge, which is a enormous fysical 'challenge'.