Review of Amen.

Amen (2002) was a film that received little or no publicity in the United States. I saw this movie on d.v.d. at my local mega-chain rental store. I was impressed by the story and acting. Costa-Gavras raises some interesting questions in this film. A Nazi Officer learns about the horrific experiments that his government is doing to certain people. At first they experimented on cripples and mental handicapped people. The gas houses they were using had glass peep holes. When this officer saw the horrific sights that were going on inside, he was appalled and stunned. His superiors could't or wouldn't do anything about it. His only chance left was the Roman Catholic Church. The officer befriends an idealistic priest. The priest tries his best to alert church officials but his pleas fall upon deaf ears.

This was a different look at the holocaust. Costa-Gavras makes an interesting docu-drama. Instead of bombarding the viewers with horrific imagery, he let's the actors performances speak for themselves. I liked this movie very much. Costa-Gavras took a big chance in making such a controversial film. But it's not for everyone. In this day in age of short fast paced film making, it was refreshing to see a old fashion movie.

Highly recommended.