Das Tagebuch der Anne Frank

This is a tough piece of film to watch. It starts off kind of light, even under the circumstances it is in (we're already deep into the Hitler era and his propaganda against Jews). But it gets heavier after that. Still the movie finds light moments to not get dragged down entirely. But like the main character, that doesn't mean everything going on outside won't affect you while viewing.

Actually if you are not touched by what is told, I would be surprised. It's well written and acted and while some might have issues with the pacing, this really happened. And most will know the outcome and still be guessing what is going to happen next. This is not easy, but it was a story worth telling and watching

There are many reasons to be wary of another movie about Anne Frank. First of, the diary has been turned into a film before -- with Audrey Hepburn as lead. Hard to beat. Then it's apparently yet another -- usually equally schlocky and moralistic -- German movie about the evil Nazi era to be fed to the yawning (school) classes. Consequently, Germany's largest news magazine Spiegel entitled its review of the movie "What school classes will be bored with next", and, much worse, Germany's largest tabloid Bild declared it "the most important film of the year". Leading actress Lea von Acken has been featured in all the gossip mags for weeks with her gushing about how awesomely brave and intelligent Anne Frank had been.

When I read Anne Frank's diary (originally entitled "The Rear House") as a school boy, I was hard pressed for sympathy. Not for the plight of the persecuted Jews in general, but for Anne Frank in particular. She seemed to be like one of those picture perfect girls who always did their homework on time and played violin as a hobby. Someone who wrote a diary to an imaginary friend called "Kitty" seemed to have been endowed with a rich inner life, one which I, for one, didn't care one bit for.

But luckily, all my expectations were unfulfilled. The 2016 offering of Anne Frank's diary is a fresh, important and eminently watchable movie. It really brings something new to an already full table. This isn't the censored 1950ies version of Anne, but a portrait of a feisty, often unbalanced, idiosyncratic and lonesome girl. She wrote the diary not because it was the girly thing to do, but because she didn't have anyone who understood her and whom she could communicate with. She was a girl who could be uncomfortable. Especially Anne and her elder sister are shown with unusual realism.

This movie might well give you a fresh perspective on a story you might have thought you already knew.

It's the first time I saw a movie of the last living years of Anne Frank. I have read and heard much about her before. All the actors delivered a very authentic performance and the story was never boring, it deserves the highest vote and to be remember for ever. I pray to God to stay with them and for all the Jewish victims who didn't survive this horror. 10/10.

The movie itself is quite good, but I started to hate Anne Frank while watching this film. And in my opinion the naughty behavior of Anne is not realistic. If you imagine that there is a war going on an SS, SA and Gestapo are searching for Jews you are either braindead or you have to behave differently. I believe that she has been a wild rascal, but not that much like it is told in the movie. I turned it off halftime.

Actually neat and overall a rock-solid film with numerous lengths. However, it can be argued what the added value of this production is. The story has so often been made into a film. Therefore, it would have been desirable if one had shown a little more courage with one's own accents. So it's "just" a solid drama with no strengths or weaknesses worth mentioning. The inner workings of Anne are badly shown. The actors Ulrich Noethen and Martina Gedeck are the best in the film.