bfp13108
I was literally moved to tears by this movie which recreates the terror and death faced by the Jewish race during WWII. Melanie Laurent and Hugo Levedez are incandescent as the nurse and young boy who endure the horrors of the Vel D'Hive roundup in Paris during 1942. I was surprised that this movie did not get a higher rating on IMDb, possibly attributed to the small number who have seen it in the U.S. Of personal interest to me is the fact that I wrote a short story, "Black Thursday", on the same subject in 2011. I'm willing to make it available to anyone who wishes to read it by contacting me at: bfp13108@yahoo.com. On another personal note, I am repulsed by the racist, ignorant and hateful remarks made by so many on the various comment boards located on the internet. I often wonder how these people would react if they were in the same situation as Jo's family. I rarely rate a movie as 10 on IMDb, reserving it for the finest of cinema. However, I did rate this 10 based on it's artistic, dramatic, and superb representation of one of the most horrific events in the 20th century.
Deb VintageSoul
I never knew about the Jews who were taken out of their homes and kept in the Velodrome d'Hiver in such awful conditions. While I had some idea of the treatment of the French Jews by the Vichy government, having read some historical fact it never hit home to me in such concrete detail before. I liked the juxtaposition of the lighthearted behavior of the children with what was about to happen to them and their families very interesting. I gave it 9 stars instead of 10 because I felt that some stories were not adequately developed. I would have liked to know more about the various characters, particularly those who escaped. I would have liked to know what happened to the girl who escaped by pretending to be the plumber's wife. I would have also liked to know what happened to the other girl who was taken in by the priests, along with her baby brother. There was also no explanation about what happened to the boy who escaped with Jo. Despite these omissions, this was overall an excellent story that succeeded in breaking my heart again.
starofhealing
I came across this film quite by accident, but I am glad I did. I am a huge fan of Jean Reno, and I became a fan recently, of Melanie Laurent, who I met through the film, "Inglorious Basterds". I knew I wanted to watch this film based on these excellent actors, and the fact that it was a French story surrounding the Holocaust, which I'd never seen before - a French story regarding the Holocaust. The fact that it is a true story of the events of July 16, 1942, sealed the deal. This story is heart-wrenching and heartbreaking, and is so well told, that as a human, you are feeling everything each Jewish person and family goes through, in these events. As a human, you are reminded how evil and cold- hearted the Nazi machine was, and how there are some people who refuse to give up their humanity, no matter the costs. While we say that we don't want this to ever happen again, I am reminded of news stories where these things are happening again. Ethnic groups killed with machetes, or chemicals like sarin gas, or restriction of water and food, so they starve or die of thirst. I think this film should be watched by every high school student, in any country, so that they see what really happened that day. Maybe, if we all share the same vision that this should not be repeated, then perhaps it won't. It is a naive dream, I know. I think evil will always be here. Jean Reno and Melanie Laurent are excellent in their performances, and I applaud, applaud, applaud them!!!!
josediaz9
The Roundup is a must see movie even beyond its historical mission. The interpretation of the actors is excellent. Its quiet difficult to remain indifferent in front such a tragedy, a tragedy so unfair for these innocent people. French they were, but apparently not enough for the French police, with the Vichy regime headed by a man, Philippe Petain, which is known today to have done nothing to protect Jews. Quite the contrary by the way. With his henchmen, they have not mounted the raid in order to meet German demands, but to give pledges to antisemites of all stripes who supported this worthy scheme. I recommend these movie.
AD
