Lauf Junge lauf

I came across this movie by pure chance. Browsing through DVDs in the supermarket I bought it on a whim. Boy, am I glad I did. Given the subject matter it is grim in places (and if you don't shed a tear at times you have no heart!) but please do not let this put you off viewing what is in the end a truly inspiring tale of courage and fortitude overcoming the horrors of The Holocaust. I viewed it under the title 'Escape From Warsaw' and struggled to find it under this name on IMDb. And when I did find it, I was amazed to find it only had a rating of 7/10. Not bad of course, but this movie for me deserves a 10.

The little boy who plays the lead is totally convincing and acts way beyond his years. The rest of the cast is also excellent and the Polish countryside and forests are seen in all their glory throughout. I cannot recommend this movie highly enough.

"Run, Boy, Run" (2013 release from Germany/Poland; 113 min.; original title "Lauf, Junge, Lauf") brings the fictional story of a young Jewish boy in Poland. As the movie opens, we are told that it is "Winter 1942/43" and we see a boy wondering the harsh and snowy countryside, barely surviving. Eventually he gets taken in by a catholic woman, who decides that in order for the boy to survive, he needs to assimilate into becoming a 'regular' Polish (read: catholic) boy, sporting a Polish name (Jurek, instead of Srulik). When things eventually gets too risky, with the German occupation forces becoming ever more intrusive, she has no choice but to send the boy away, and he must look for new shelter. To tell you more would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.

Couple of comments: first, the movie is based on the acclaimed (and prize winning) novel of the same name by Uri Orlev in the early 2000s. Given the topic of the novel, and the acclaim it got, it's surprising in a way that it took this long for it to be adapted for the big screen. Second, this is not an easy movie to watch, as the young boy encounters his share of troubles, and then some. Just when you think it can't get any more challenging, it does! Of course it makes for dramatic cinema. Third, apart the immediate challenges of the day-to-say survival of the boy, there are some further serious undertones as to the boy's Jewish identity: if you 'study' to act like a catholic in order to survive, and you live and breathe Catholicism, does a person's Jewish identity become endangered at some point? Fourth, special kudos to the movie's photography, as the forests and countryside look absolutely beautiful, both in winter and in summer time. Last but not least, the movie features a gorgeous orchestral soundtrack, composed by Stéphane Moucha.

Bottom line: "Run, Boy, Run" is not exactly the type of movie that makes you think 'that was a jolly good time!" as you leave the theater. But it IS a movie that will stay with you long afterwards. And the young boy who plays the Srulik/Jurek character is fantastic. I saw this movie recently at the 2014 Jewish & Israeli Film Festival (Summer Series) here in Cincinnati, and the screening was very well attended. I certainly hope that this will get a proper DVD release in the US. "Run, Boy, Run" is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Lauf Junge lauf (2013) is a German/Polish film shown in the US with the title "Run Boy Run." It was directed by Pepe Danquart. The movie tells the harrowing story of Srulik, a Jewish boy who escapes the Warsaw ghetto and survives--by using his wits and his courage--in rural Poland.

Kamil Tkacz brilliantly plays Srulik. (Srulik changes his name to Jurek Staniak in order to pass as a Gentile.) There really was a Srulik, so this film is partially a documentary. It's not an easy film to watch, because Srulik's life is horribly difficult, and every respite is followed by yet another near-death experience.

The Poles Srulik meets range from evil (turning him over to the Germans for a reward) to neutral, to wonderful. In fact, the actions of the Polish people Surlik encounters make up the bulk of the story. However, ever present, even off-screen, is the huge evil of the Holocaust.

It's hard to believe that the occupying Germans would spend so much time and energy trying to catch one young Jewish boy, but that was the reality. Srulik was never safe. He was safer or less safe, but never truly safe.

I think this extraordinary film is worth seeking out and watching. It will work well on DVD, but we were fortunate enough to see it at the excellent Dryden Theatre, as part of the superb Rochester Jewish Film Festival.

P.S. As I write this review, Run Boy Run carries a dismal 6.5 IMDb rating. I think that's because the film has so many bad moments, and so few truly happy ones. Still, it's an excellent movie, and, in my opinion, deserves a much higher rating.

A 8-year-old Jewish boy Srulik flees from the Warsaw ghetto in 1940s in order to survive. He hides his Jewish identity and introduces himself as a Christian Polish boy Jurek Santiak. He goes through a lot of things. He even has an accident that makes him handicapped. After World War II ends, Srulik still acts like Jurek Santiak. When he is about to forget his Jewish roots, he meets someone who reminds him of his Jewish identity. Thanks to him, Srulik embraces his own identity again. He goes to an orphanage. Years later, he moves to Israel and meets his missing sister there. He gets married and has a family.

The movie starts too fast. I mean, the sequence of events are a bit complicated in the beginning. I'd prefer a proper timeline of events. We see Srulik's mother and father from the flashbacks when he dreams or thinks of them. The storyline is good though. It is based on true story of Yoram Israel Fridman and it is adapted from Uri Orlev's novel. You feel really bad for Srulik/Jurek most of the time. His survival skill is definitely worthy of commendation. He is such a tough boy for his age. He endures a lot of things and he overcomes them all. When he has a mental breakdown, you feel for him and his crying breaks your heart. Whenever he meets self-seeking and merciless people, you get totally mad at those people for their existence and ignorance. Whenever he meets tender-hearted and well-disposed people, you feel happy and thankful that people like that actually exist. Because those large-hearted people contributed a lot to the young boy's survival by providing him food, shelter and advice. Although Srulik/Jurek had an unlucky childhood, he was lucky because he survived those unbearable 3 years and years later, he found his sister and had his own family. So, he got to be happy in the end in spite of all the things he lost in the past. It is so nice and hopeful to see that some people actually managed to survive and to put their life together. After watching the movie, I found out that Srulik/Jurek was actually portrayed by two people, not one. Yeah, the twin actors portrayed the same character. I couldn't tell the difference based on their looks. Maybe if I had known about the twin actors, I'd have paid more attention to the character's appearance. Therefore, I can not tell which twin acted better. So, they were really compatible after all.

In conclusion, the movie begins in a sad note but it ends in a happy note. I guess, it is one of the rare World War II related movies that have a happy ending in spite of all dramatic, tragic and traumatic events.

A Jewish orphan escapes the Warsaw ghetto only to find hardships wherever he runs. This is a beautifully shot movie lovingly presenting Poland. The story of this boy, his trials, the friends he finds, the friends he loses, is a wild tale with endearing characters every so often. It reminds me of just how absurd a world the Nazis built.