God on Trial

I watched his TV drama with interest and felt as though I understood a little bit more about Jews and their beliefs.Based on a true story,it tells of imprisoned Jews in Auschwitz awaiting death and deciding to have a trial to decide if God is guilty for their living hell.It is pretty compelling and also a history lesson as various men argue their case for or against God.I did struggle at times to follow the stories the men told as they related moments from Jewish history but there can be no doubt that there was a lot of research done.

There is an impressive cast including Jack Shepherd,Stellan Skarsgard and Stephen Dillane.All of the cast act their roles very well and special mention must go to Eddie Marsen as Lieble who tells the heartbreaking story of his three boys being taken from him by Nazis and giving him the impossible choice of saving one of them.Very impressive also is Antony Sher as Akiba.He says nothing for well over an hour but it is well worth the wait when he decides to speak.What he has to say comes as a shock and pretty much decides the outcome of the trial.

This is a well made drama.Perhaps there is a too much to take in and it is a bit too long.But it does show the agonies of men nearing certain death,desperate to make some sense of the horror they have lived through.

Films set in Nazi extermination camps are always confronted by certain production problems. Will the Jews look thin enough? Will they look like they're eaten by lice and other vermin? How to convey their interaction in such a wretched and desperate place? A place that most of us cannot begin to imagine. This drama succeeded (against my expectations) because it doesn't feel naturalistic. Of course Anthony Sher and Stellan Skarsgård and the others look like well-fed actors. But this does not detract from their performances because the emphasis in this film is on the arguments. How can anyone affirm a belief in God in Auschwitz? It's a good question, and many approaches and interpretations of God's actions are offered. The production could be criticised for feeling a little like a stage play. A bit wordy with many monologues. But the acting, the direction, and, above all, the writing are first class.

I watched the TV drama not knowing anything about the story of the trial of God. I found the writing to be emotive, considered and intelligent. The acting was of the highest quality, and the setting was perfectly geared to make the viewer feel, as much as possible, the oppressive environment in which the men found themselves. The way the story unfolded and the polarising views to be found were impressively handled. There are a lot of references made to Jewish history, however, when taken as a whole the need to know and understand Jewish history is not essential to the telling of the story and the explanation of our beliefs. I thought the drama was excellent. I would like to see this drama shown to pupils in school, I believe it would be an excellent educational tool, not only about the holocaust but about religion in general and where we place God in our lives.

an expected film. because it propose a solution to an old doubt. Where was God in the Shoah time ? the film does not gives answers. but it is an impeccable solution of the question who defines the conscience of humanity after the WWII. and this is the huge virtue of film. the realism. the exposure of doubts and slices of certitudes. the need of answer. the entire Jew tradition front to one of the basic fears. and the trial. as a form of prey or as form of exorcism against fear. it is one of films who must be seen by everyone. not for understand. not for know. but for remind. to feel. and to discover the Holocaust more than a Jew problem.

This is not a movie you need popcorn for, neither doubly surround nor a big screen. But it is the movie I chose to make an IMDb account for.

Indeed, "movie" is somewhat the wrong term, "play" is more accurate.

Facing their death in Nazi gas chambers, a group of Jews put God on trial. The charge: violating the covenant. The story portrays differing characters, from the fearful believer, to the scholar, from the scientist to the simple man - everyone with differing views and arguments. The lively debate with strong arguments on all sides in front of this horrible setting is what makes this film so great. To get the most out of the play one probably should have a (little) knowledge about the Jewish faith or the Old Testament and allow oneself to enjoy a religious-philosophical debate.