Patrick Nackaert
Producing a film about Nazi Germany is easy and difficult at the same time. It is easy because many viewers are well-informed about the dramatic period in Germany's history, making the viewers' emotional involvement not too difficult. You don't name your son Adolf.It is difficult because clichés are so easy to produce. The classical black-white versions of evil Germans versus glorious Allied forces is an obvious trap.None of this in this film. It follows loosely a true story of a Jewish youngster hiding as a member of the Hitlerjugend - the Nazi youth movement. On top of his puberty, he has to face an identity crisis due to his choices to survive. Other interesting parts of the story are a homosexual German soldier, a girl overly committed to her country and a Polish boy fighting for his catholic religion in communist Poland.The way a part of difficult history books is mixed into the movie deserves to be mentioned, as well as the music. Sometimes though, overacting takes the upper hand.But the fact remains that showing the true horror of the atrocities committed during that period is not fit for film, even in this German co-production, as only very few would be able to watch it.However, it's still a very interesting film to watch.
MartinHafer
"Europa Europa" is the sort of film that is filled with so many ridiculous coincidences that it can only be true...which it is! Time and time again, a young Jewish man's life is miraculously saved during the Holocaust and this film is his story.This film begins in Germany just before WWII breaks out. Salomon Perel and his family are Jews and they leave Germany for safety in Poland. Unfortunately, soon the German army invades and takes Poland...and Salomon and his brother run off to avoid the pograms. Here is where the story starts to get interesting. The brothers get separated and Salomon escapes to the Soviet portion of Poland where he is taken into a communist re-education school. He learns to be the ideal communist. But, the Germans are once again on the move and invade--taking the school and its students. Thinking twice, Salomon concocts a crazy story when he's caught--telling them he's a German orphan and he was forced to go to the school. And, because he doesn't appear Jewish and can understand Russian, the Germans keep him as a sort of mascot in their army. Soon, the soldiers adore him! Later, when he tries to defect back to the Russian lines, through a funny coincidence, it appears he's captured a group of Russian soldiers--and he's an even BIGGER hero to Germany! This is only through about half of the film--the coincidences and difficult to believe situations increase tremendously! Overall, this is an excellent production and a truly unique film. There have been so many Holocaust films that it's nice to see one that is so different. It's interesting from start to finish and I strongly recommend it.By the way, it's a minor problem but the plane Salomon sees up in the sky late in the film is a VERY modern one--made decades after WWII.
Armand
And Shoah, limits, courage and fear. A travel without end. A fight and a testimony. Sparkls of love and pieces of a world. And the life as essential gift. It is story of a Jew. And lesson about small things who must be the essence. But the view is more large. Like a book with illustrations - bones of words. The reality of young Salomon is present in any age. The masks and the shadows, the good people and the territories in same color. So, more than a description of a miracle with many faces, the film is praise of sense, in gloomy time, of every day. It is not The Pianist or Schindler List. Only exercise of feelings and searches, of terror and hope, it is way of a silhouette to his real identity.
haider ejaz (hyder_sagg2003)
Life is the most beautiful thing on Earth. The movie center's a story of a Jew boy and his survival in WW-II. Told beautifully (Considering it a true story), well acted, fine cinematography makes Europa, Europa (1990) a very genuine ,touching and beautiful war drama.The movie looks authentic and there's no content to really criticize on. I kept thinking of "Schindler's List" during the movie but in my honest opinion, I found this a better movie. (Schindler's List was fine too) It was different because the movie was a true story and it was emphasizing on survival instead of war action and provoking sympathy for Victims.P.S. Its a very fine War Drama. 9/10.
AD
