eigervue It is easy to criticize the actions of others using the clarity of hindsight but realistically Nazis were humans and given the correct conditioning almost any human could be a Nazi. This is a story about one of the few who refused to capitulate and paid a price for it.Some people here have complained about the film being catholic propaganda, something tells me they complain not when they view other propaganda but it is instead the fact that this film portrays some members of the church in a positive light that instead incites a reaction of anger. I don't know what is more hilarious, the fact that they themselves are ignorant of history or that they themselves would be goose-stepping in line to protect their well being. One says that the referenced event (the sending of non Aryan Christians to camps) does not occur for another 3 months. He acts as if this was the first injustice the Nazis ever bore down on anybody. From the beginning of their rule the Nazis destroyed all those that opposed them, yes the more noble thing to do would be to speak out but if by speaking out you only get people killed that doesn't make it the easy thing, or the right thing to do.As for the critics of Pope Pius XII, I wish you would learn some history before looking for someone to scapegoat for the convenient ignorance that prevailed throughout Europe and in America to the horrors the Nazis were committing. As someone of Jewish descent I myself can say that the catholic chruch personally helped members of my extended family. Also in 1941 the Times praised Pius XII as "the only ruler left on the continent of Europe who dares to raise his voice at all". Albert Einstien too praised the catholic effort "Six million of my co-religionists have been murdered by the Nazis, but there could have been many more victims, had it not been for the efficacious intervention of Pius XII" At his funeral the prime minister of Isreal stated "When fearful martyrdom came to our people in the decade of Nazi terror, the voice of the Pope was raised for the victims." An Isreali diplomat has credit the catholic church and Pope Pius with saving more than two times the number of Jews that the allies saved. On October 20th 1939 Pius XII released a encyclical letter condemning fascism nazism and communism. On Christmas, 1942 Pius XII became the first international figure to publicly condemn the holocaust. Could the church could have done more? Possibly, but then again so could every other country and organization on the face of the globe. Trying to demonize the catholic church for its supposed "inaction" is ridiculous. Some people however would rather believe that the catholic church was an evil institution allied with the Nazis (a group which sought to abolish them) rather than an organization which tried to guide its people and save lives throughout Europe.this film is not a propaganda movie, there were catholics who cared about the fate of the jews and there were catholics (like this film also shows) who were under the thumb of the Nazis. There is no way you can say this is a propaganda film. Yes there are some events that are not based directly on fact but there were men of the same conviction who performed similar feats and stood up in the face of the same fate.That being said the lead actor was extremely emotive and the sparse dialog in the film helped to portray the bleakness of his situation. He is faced with a choice no man wants to make and uses his faith and his conscience to reach the right decision

bsinc This movie is full of symbols, noticeable and hidden, and takes quite a different step from other WWII movies. A test of will and faith is the lesson that we are given, and I must admit, the whole concept of Judas as the traitor and Luxembourg as the had me confused at moments because above all, "Der Neunte Tag" is a very philosophical movie.Somebody mentioned the word "propaganda of the Catholic church" in a previous comment-well here's my thoughts on this. When's the last time you celebrated Christmas, had an Ester egg, saw a Pope on TV (not to mention-DIDN'T see any Jewish, Islamic, Hindu, Taoist and other important religious figures) or just passed a Catholic church on the way home. We are surrounded by propaganda, and because a monstrous conqueror of the world used it to achieve his objectives almost 70 years ago people make your so called "propaganda" of the 2nd World War as well, right? Don't be so ignorant and offended without a cause my man-it's the Catholic church that started most historical and current wars in the first place.Now, back onto the tracks. Well written, well acted (I got a chance to ask August Diehl some questions and congratulate him for his role- the 16th Ljubljana Film Festival rocks!!!), and well paced "Der Neunte Tag' is a memorable movie that has something to say and let's you decide everything else. "It's a philosophical sport, boomerang: you give something and it comes back to you"9/10 - Recommendations-Anyone seeking a thought provoking movie

codairem I have no great sympathy for the Catholic Church, but I found the movie quite moving while watching it. There were some rank-and-file Catholic (and Protestant) clergy who spoke up against Nazism. They paid a heavy price - in part because there wasn't an outcry on the part of the higher-ups in the church hierarchy. They were more interested in keeping their perks and playing nice with the powers-that-be. This silent betrayal is very well conveyed in the movie.Unfortunately some of the other dramatic elements don't work as well. I think the movie would have been stronger if Henri Kremer's relationship with his family -- his sister especially, who was willing to put her life on the life so he could flee to freedom -- had been more fleshed out. They don't even show their parting! So although I was interested throughout the movie, it was not quite satisfying.

siegfried hasse Mr. Schlöndorff's "Ninth Day" is clearly in the tradition of Veit Harlan's old Terra movies. The recipe is simple: the director takes some historical events, distorts the inconvenient facts, invents some convenient facts to meet the ax he has been given to grind, and then he shoots away.In this case historical names are changed and events are invented to make the point that the Catholic Church behaved honorably during World War II. Whereas Joseph Philippe, the historical wartime bishop of Luxembourg has acquired the sobriquet "The Silent One," for refusing to speak out against the atrocities committed by the Germans, in this film he is presented as boldly resisting the Germans. With the bishop's celluloid moral credentials thus firmly established, Mr. Schlöndorff expects us to buy the defense of Pope Pius XII's silence about the Holocaust, simply because it comes from the bishop's mouth. Trouble is, the bishop's February 1942 argument rests on events in the Netherlands that haven't even taken place as yet, and were not going to take place until July 1942. What sloppiness! Pope Pius XII may be a controversial figure, and while the case for his defense is far from easy, it is certainly not helped by this kind of massive and careless falsification of history. When you falsify history, you better not land in some trivial contradictions. Much as he would have been pleased by Mr. Schlöndorff's attempt, Dr. Goebbels would not have tolerated such amateurishness. Unfortunately, artistically as well, this film does not hold a candle to its Goebbels-Harlan model.