Anne Frank

I was skeptical of this TV movie when I found out it was not based on Anne's diary, but on a biography of Anne Frank written by Melissa Muller. I am sure I am not the only one who wondered if any truth would be presented. I was pleasantly surprised.

I have just finished watching the second half of this movie on ABC. The scenes of the concentraion camps are horrific, and really tug at your heart. I can only imagine what these camps were like for the real people and how survivors live life today. Since the story wasn't told from Anne's diary, the viewers got another view of the short but significant life Anne lived, headed by a wonder all-star cast. The movie began with Anne in 1936 and ended upon her death at Bergen-Belsen in 1945.

Hannah Taylor-Gordon was excellent as Anne. At first I wondered if she was too young (at age 14) to portray such a dramatic role, but as Anne grew, Hannah grew as well. Ben Kingsley and Tatjana Blacher played Anne and Margot's parents wonderfully, and the rest of the cast added to the beauty, horror, and passion of the film: Lili Taylor, Rob Das, Brenda Blethyn, and many more.

This movie is cast with so many captivating and amazing actors it is hard to see how it could go wrong! Anne Franks' heartfelt story is told in this movie and it is told as if you are experiencing all of her horrors right alongside her and her family. Hannah Taylor-Gordon plays a cute and heroic Anne and Ben Kingsly plays her noble and wise father Auto Frank. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie because of its' touching significance and its' sad historic references. I would not say that this movie was completely without fault. The actors mostly all speak with English accents and as well know Anne's family was Dutch so they could not possibly have English accents. Some parts of the story are laughable with the tale of Anne going through puberty before the annex and during. Her coping with getting breasts, going through her puberty and most importantly finding love. I reccommend watching this movie again because I think it would be a great classic to anyone's collection.

I know someone said that this wasn't an accurate account of Anne Frank's life but as an Asian and having only heard of Anne Frank through summaries in WWII stories, this movie really helped me to get to know this girl and her account of her life as a Jewish girl during WWII. Some facts and accounts may have been manipulated to make the story more interesting but the essence of the story was there. Hannah Taylor Gordon played Anne Frank almost too good; she even looked like the real girl and it was really scary. She really captured the spirit of the sweet wide eyed hopeful girl who never truly comprehended with the horrors of the war. It was heart wrenching to watch an innocent girl being thrown into a concentration camp but I doubt it was to get our sympathies; it was just an inkling of how the children were treated during the Holocaust. The young ones were sent directly to the gas chamber (they were useless; couldn't work) and others like Anne Frank, were made to work and suffer eventhough she was still struggling through her puberty. It wasn't a horror movie but it was scary, if you know what I mean; you can't help but cry for another innocent life lost and then be reminded in the end that Anne Frank was only one of the one and a half million children who died in the Holocaust.

This TV mini-series shows us the horrors resulting from the cold, clinical meeting dramatized in HBO's film CONSPIRACY.

But beyond the horrors, this film is a touching presentation of the events behind the book THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK and goes far beyond the stage play and film of that title. Anne, her friends, her family, and her world are depicted before, during, and after the long, hopeful, but futile hiding in an attic. Various forms of the monstrosities of humans who forget their humanity are pitted against the perseverance of people who maintain their humanity.

This film should be seen in conjunction with CONSPIRACY, SCHINDLER'S LIST, VOYAGE OF THE DAMNED and other films that vividly show us what happened at a time when the human race was supposedly at a very highly civilized point. Such films show what horrors the human race can create when we forget who and what we are -- human.

We should see such horrors so that we do not forget. As the old saying goes, he who forgets the past...

Having read several books about Anne Frank and seeing the wonderful documentary, ANNE FRANK REMEMBERED, I was very curious about this film. I could not have been more impressed. The casting was excellent, and the acting superb, especially with Hannah Taylor-Gordon as Anne and the riveting presence of Ben Kingsley as Otto. Yes, it was difficult to watch and yes, it was not "entertaining" by definition. But if you want a very accurate portrayal of the before, during and after events of the group who inhabited the "secret annexe," you won't do better than this film. I'm sure it will be a treasure for years to come. Beware: Although it is an excellent educational tool, the last 45 minutes are quite intense and do include some brief nudity. Small children may find it too graphic.