The representation of a Holocaust in film, takes on a variety of forms, throughout different films. While there are very few Holocaust films that are up beat, the majority gives an impression of impending doom at a moments notice, and puts us into the shoes of the people that we are looking at. This puts in us to struggle to fight to survive, despite the fact that we are sitting in a movie theater. This movie was no different. Despite the fact that it was a fictional account, it showed a man who is not seemingly affected by the war, until a child shows up at his door. This catapults this man into the war, as well as into the Holocaust itself. It also makes him decide who is his friend, and who is his enemy. As a result, he realized that his son-in-law to be was his enemy, which he had to kill, in order to ensure the survival of himself, as well as the children.
My personal reaction to it is that it was a decent movie, with a viewpoint that I do not usually see, if at all. It was very interesting to see this viewpoint, and it does help me to get a greater understanding of world opinion, inside Europe, but not involved, as well as outside of Europe, but unaware. The different parts of the movie put me through different moods, but for the most part, my mood was very stable. I mostly sat there as an observer from the outside, rather then me being thrust into anybody shoes. This was also an interesting sensation, as I had a chance to observe someone who I had seemingly nothing in common with, nor particularly cared about, at least until he started to help the children.
As a representation of the Holocaust, before me, it failed. This is mainly because it was intended for a French audience. Therefore, I do not share the common memory of what happened in that area, at that time. There are varieties of movies, which I do share feelings with, and for. "Schindler's List," for example, shows an account of the German in Polish Jews, of which I am a part, and therefore share common knowledge, and memory.
