Forbidden

A true story of almost documentary character telling the terrible story of some of those Berliners who refused to leave the city in the war in spite of all the odds against their survival if they stayed. It's the story of a countess studying to become a vet who gets involved with the son of the first Jew who became a judge in Germany, a veteran of the first world war, so the son was brought up to be a German, not a Jew, but of course that meant nothing to the Nazi government and the Gestapo, and things really started to look grim when the war broke out on the precise day when the countess enrolled in the university. She is played by Jacqueline Bisset who is always a success when it comes to roles of great integrity, and this performance is a virtuoso piece in all its simple and straightforward honesty. The man is played by Jürgen Prochnow, who is a good match for her, although she has to keep him out of her underground involvements, which he of course finds difficult. His mother (Irene Worth), with whom he stays at first, also refuses to leave Berlin and is later brought to Theresienstadt. The title of the book on which the film is based is "The Last Jews of Berlin" which tells exactly what it is all about. There are many authentic documentary cuts illustrating the ordeal and destruction of Berlin and the Berliners, so the film coudln't be more convincing. It is a gripping tale and the more gripping and important for being all true.

All of the well-made stories of persecution of Jews and others by the Hitler regime before and during World War II bring forth emotional responses. This film is unique in that it combines that reality with totally believable characters. The film is well written, well directed, and well acted. The viewer must ask: 'Could you imagine going through something like that?'

Jacqueline Bisset plays the part of a young German with liberal views very well. Jürgen Prochnow comes across quite well as young man of Jewish heritage who wants very much to be totally German. It is also interesting how the Swedish church plays a key role in protecting the Jews who have escaped deportation. Many questions are stimulated by the film about various parts of German society, but those are questions raised by all coverage of those terrible events.

Forbidden is a great film. It shows what a great actress Jacqueline Bisset is. She is not afraid to play difficult roles and she found one most definitely in the role of the highly moral and intelligent Countess Nina von Halder, a young student studying Veterinary Science. Von Halder falls in love with Fritz Friedlander, the son of a former German Judge. He would be highly respectable in any normal society. Unfortunately he is a German jew living in the time of the Third Reich and given the passing of the infamous Nazi German Nuremberg laws in 1935, he is no longer considered a worthy partner for Countess Nina von Halder. Von Halder takes great risks to protect her love carrying on an illegal relationship with him. She chooses to hide him when the authorities start to round up the Jewish people in Berlin. The horror of this process is superbly depicted when the authorities come to collect Fritz's widowed mother, Ruth Friedlander. Ruth is brilliantly played by the multi-talented late Irene Worth. Thankfully both Fritz and Nina both survive the fall of Berlin. Peter Vaughan is thoroughly despicable in the role of Major Stauffel. Nina has made a hiding place in a sofa for Fritz. Thankfully when Stauffel calls Fritz has found another place which goes undetected by Stauffel as Stauffel suspects Fritz is hiding in the sofa and has it machine gunned. This is a film that shows how love can overcome adversity even through the worst of times under a criminal regime. It is well worth watching.